Well there it is, my first chapter fic in close to a decade. It's not very long so some chapters will be pretty short but I hope you'll enjoy anyway. I've already written the entire story so I will be posting regularly, every day or so.

Big thanks to my Beta reader Skater1263 and my cousin dmarot who had to listen to me for hours discussing plot points and minor details even though she's never watched the show!

Rating is M for some eventual smut. If you don't like this kind of things, you can still enjoy most of the story. You'll be warned when it's coming.

Here goes nothing!

Prologue:

Her body registers the pain before she is fully aware, the deep pulse throbbing under her closed eyelids so intense she nearly loses consciousness again. Nausea threatens to overwhelm her. Concussion, she thinks. She takes a few deep breaths and her stomach seems to settle. Tentatively, she opens her eyes and slowly pulls herself up into a sitting position. Her hair is sticking to her forehead and she reaches up to push it away. When she lowers her hand, her fingers are covered with coagulated blood.

She looks up toward the only source of light in the empty basement. Her legs are still wobbly but she stands up anyway. She braces herself against the bare concrete walls for balance and gazes out the small window. Through the years of accumulated dirt, she can make out pine trees shimmering with frost. An old and rusty green SUV is parked a few feet away.

Where am I?

Footsteps coming down the wooden stairs make her turn around. The lemony scent reaches her before she can discern the man's features. Her blood freezes in her veins when she recognizes him.

"Good. You're awake."

Chapter 1:

One week earlier:

"Alright, Truck 81. Let's clean up this mess!"

Captain Matt Casey glances over to the two paramedics of Ambulance 61 as he delivers his instructions. They just finished working to stabilize a young woman who wrapped her car around a curbside tree. Brett slams the back door of the rig and turns around to go and assume her position behind the wheel. Their eyes meet; a smile, a nod and she's off. They've been doing this a lot lately.

His medical scare seems to have brought them even closer. The hug they shared in the doctor's office is still fresh on his mind, every detail etched in his memory; the tightness of her hands on his neck, the warmth of her body against his, the sweet flowery smell of her hair. He'd been so overcome with relief he hadn't thought twice about spinning her around, elated to hear her laugh. When he'd put her down and she'd looked up at him, he'd barely managed to stop himself from kissing her right there.

He shakes his head and focuses on the task at hand. She's with Grainger now. He has no claim on her and never will. She's made it very clear.

"All done, Captain!" Kidd announces.

"Good job 81. Let's go home."

"Brett!" Casey's voice stops her when she passes by his quarters. "How's that woman doing?"

"She'll be okay. Broken leg, broken ribs. She won't be texting and driving again."

"Tough way to learn your lesson."

"She was lucky. It could have been a lot worse." She points at his laptop, open on the desk. "What are you looking at?"

"Couches. I can't decide on a colour."

"Doesn't Severide already have a couch?"

"He does. I decided it's time I get out of his and Kidd's way. I actually found a place last week. Signed the lease yesterday. I can actually move into the new place in a couple days."

"That's fast."

"I know. I wasn't expecting it. Apparently, the landlord has been looking for the perfect tenant for a while. He seemed to think a firefighter would be it. Now I need furniture," he says with a sigh.

"Do you need any help? Some people say I'm somewhat of an expert," she boasts, playfully.

"Really?" He plays along. "Who says that, exactly?"

"I do. Hours of watching HGTV have to count for something."

"Well, in that case, I would gladly take your advice."

She moves right next to his chair and leans forward to look over his shoulder. Her delicate scent surrounds him. A strand of blond hair falls from behind her ear and he has to fight the impulse to brush it back in place himself.

"November Skies," she finally says after careful consideration.

"Huh?"

"It's the name of the colour." she explains, her eyes still on the monitor. "This shade of grey will go with pretty much anything and you can use pillows or throws to add pops of colours to your room."

"November Skies it is, then."

She turns her head toward him and freezes. His eyes are still on her, watching her with an intensity causing her heart to flutter. Their faces are only inches away.

Suddenly, she just wants to give in. Would it be so bad? She's been fighting her feelings for Matt Casey for such a long time, she's exhausted. She was successful (or so she thought) long enough to give a chance to a relationship with Greg. Since he broke things off however, they've all come back, crashing down on her with even more force than before.

They're so close she can hardly think. If she leans just a little more...

"AMBO 61, MAN DOWN FROM UNKNOWN CAUSES, WEST MADISON AND LARAMIE."

She jumps and turns around without a word, leaving Casey behind as she rushes to the ambulance.