Warnings: As ever there is a BDSM warning in effect as well as spanking of an adult and some mentions of rape.

Hope you enjoy this chapter and as ever I love hearing from you all so feel free to drop me a line.

All the love,

K xx.

Olivia's POV

I had taken to walking back from my therapy sessions, it was nicer than driving. But it also required much less thinking than driving did. The therapy had been a new thing – I had thought it would be awkward to sit and talk about the incident with Aiden with a complete stranger but in the end Kelly and Matt had pushed and I had gone just to shut them up. I wasn't sure that it was helping all that much – after all there is only so much talking that you can do on one subject. It made the boys happy so I went.

At first the endless time off of work had been okay; after all that had happened the time off was exactly what I needed. Now however, as time wore on, I found myself itching to be back at work. I was missing the feeling of being busy, of having something to do rather than wander around the apartment one more time.

Maybe it was the restless part of me that, when it smelt smoke a few minutes later, urged my body to go towards it; to find the source of it. Inwardly I groaned – it was probably nothing more than my overactive imagination wanting to do something! Yet as I tell myself it, my feet turn off of my route and down a side street, sweeping my gaze from window to window of the houses trying to locate the fire.

I stand at the top of the side street, looking at the houses up and down the street side to side. No flames, no smoke, I shake my head and turn to go back the way I had come, when glass shatters beside me. Turning back, I run. Glass is still tinkling down on to the sidewalk as I round the corner and see a house two doors down. Smoke it billowing out of the downstairs shattered windows. I grab my phone out of my back pocket frantically dialling 911 as I whip my eyes up and down the street for a name to give the dispatcher.

The wind whipped the flames as they licked out of the broken windows, as I end the call to 911 and shove my phone in my bag, I hear it. A faint scream is carried by the wind; I turn back to the building; my gaze searches again for signs of life. Just as I give up, I hear it again, louder this time. A scream again rents the air and instinct kicks in, my bag dropping to the curb. My foot hits the front door in a practiced move and the lock gives way. Burning hot air swooshes in my face, instinct again carries me past though. Pulling my shirt up to cover my mouth and nose, I drop low and start into the room.

"Fire Department, call out!"

My yell ends in spluttering as thick smoke smoothers my airway. Instinct had apparently forgotten that I wasn't wearing any of my usual protective clothing – still there was no going back now. The downstairs of the house is almost completely engulfed in flames however, the stairs upstairs seems relatively sturdy for now. Better get in and out fast the firefighter part of my brain supplies – the upstairs wouldn't remain safe for long in this heat.

The upstairs hallway is full of smoke yet the flames had yet to reach here. Just as I inch down the hall, the curtains behind me at the broken window flares upwards in flames as one of the sparks flicking from the downstairs fire spreads. Urgency kicks in, with the curtains alight, it won't be long until the rest of the hallway is as well.

"CALL OUT!"

I force my voice to yell again and this time I hear a faint yell back from the end of the hall. The room is empty as I enter. It's a child's bedroom, from the small bed to the dinosaurs scattered across the floor. Children hide – my firefighter mind is back on and I pull the wardrobe doors open, running my hand along the floor of it, before pushing them shut again and moving to the bed. Dropping to my knees, I push my hand under the bed. At first there is nothing but carpet until, just as I am turning to look somewhere else in the room, there is a hand on mine. Grabbing on tightly, I pull and with one tug a little boy appears as if by magic from under the bed. He's young, no more than 6, dark hair, big scared eyes but it is the black soot around his nose that worries me. He has breathed in a lot of smoke.

"Hey, anyone else in the house bud?"

He shakes his head in response, the next breath he takes in causes him to cough and splutter. I help him stand, supporting his weight as he struggles to breathes in air. I turn, pulling him across the room and to the doorway. As I pull it open, I rear backwards at the intensity of the heat. The end of the hallway by the stairs is engulfed, flames pulling at the timbers of the stairs greedily. Slamming the door closed again, I move us back across the room to the window. Kyle leans on the ledge, half hanging him head out of the window to gain some fresh air.

"What's your name bud?"

"Kyle"

Is the short response as he turns his head from the window to answer.

"It's gonna be okay Kyle. The fire department is coming okay. They'll be here soon."

It takes only a few minutes for my legs to go weak and we both slide down the wall to sit on the floor under the window. I pull the little boy closer to me with one arm as I strain my ears again for the sound of the sirens I knew would be on their way. I squeeze my eyes tight against the stinging smoke that made them water and again send up a prayer for the house to hurry up. Lights flash behind my eyelids, my mind goes fuzzy until a memory appears bright as day.

I'm standing by the river, pulling my scarf around myself tighter as the sharp wind whips down the river. I again pull my phone out of my pocket to check the time and see the no new messages icon. Kelly's late - half an hour late so far and still going. One hour - that's all I am going to wait I tell myself. He's not that good looking to wait any longer in this weather. I don't know why I had even been talked in to this first date. After all, I didn't go for the pretty guys - especially players and he was a player. With smooth and practiced lines like the ones he had pulled at the bar the week before I knew he had to have a stream of women behind him. Yet I had still agreed to it; there was something about him I guess that meant that no wasn't an option. In the end it had taken him 50 minutes to show, pulling his Mustang in to the car park and jumping out. He approaches, hands already in the air and excuses rolling off his tongue,

"I'm so sorry - a call came in at work just before the end of shift."

He does the puppy dog eyes very well and a little part of me softens at it. I berate that part of me, but let myself be led down the street and into the restaurant. He's talking such a good game and acting so gentlemanly-like that I don't notice the theme of the restaurant until the menu is handed to me - seafood. Oh no. The look on his face when I tell him that I'm allergic to seafood - I can still see it even now after so long. He looks so down-trodden. We end up eating hot dogs and drinking bottled water on the hood of his car looking out over the river – not the most glamorous first dates… or the warmest!

Kyle's whimper beside me pulls me out of the haze as another shuddering cough rattles his little chest.

"They'll be here soon…."

The sentence had become my mantra, however as the minutes ticked by and no sirens could be heard in the distance that hope was fading fast. My coughing begins again and I set my head back against the windowsill in an attempt to try to ease the sharp sting in my chest.

Across town I knew what would be happening. I could picture it in my mind as clear as day. The swoosh as the man on the control tower turns to see the alarm light his screen, the alarm would sound through the house, jarring everyone from their conversations and games,

"Ambulance 61…"

Brett and Chili jump from the back of the rig where they are inventorying, slamming the back doors as they go.

"Truck 81…"

Casey strides out of the dining room, pushing the both swing doors open as his guys follow suit. Hermann and Mouch side by side; shoulder to shoulder.

"Squad 3…"

Kelly and his guys push out of their comfy chairs on the Apparatus floor, dropping their cards and papers to pull on their boots and turnout gear.

"Battalion 25…"

The door slams again as the Chief enters the chaos on the floor. Voices try to compete with each other and the sound of the alarm – the laughter and joking as turnout coats are pulled on and breathing equipment is quickly shoved in compartments off of the floor.

"Engine 51, House fire; 13 West Rosedale Avenue"

The bang of the truck doors and the last-minute stragglers jogging out on to the floor and to the trucks. The sound of the trucks' engines starting and reeving echo around the apparatus floor, increasing to a crescendo as the Ambulance's siren starts as it pulls out of the doors first.

Blackness flickers at the edges of my vision and I squeeze my eyes shut. My sense of balance goes and I feel myself go dizzy – lack of oxygen my paramedic training states unhelpfully. Another memory of me and Kelly's first date surfaces and I let it overtake my conscious trying to distract myself from the tightness of my chest.

His hands run up my sides, slowly, softly as if to not spook me. I shiver as the callouses on his hands brush over my hips, squirming at the tingling sensation that shoots through me. I try and muffle a small giggle, trying desperately to not spoil the moment. Alas, it was not to be. I feel his head drop to my neck. At first, I think he is trying to kiss it, but then I feel a vibration from him. Then his deep chuckling filters through. I turn, trying to school my face into some kind of stern upset expression but the second I see his face, creased up and laughing, the lights sparkling in his eyes - the laughter bubbles out of me too. So, we stand, face to face, hip to hip, laughing our heads off topless in the middle of his apartment. We had put out tops back om after that, drinking coffee and talking on his sofa for hours after. To this day it was one of the best dates that I had ever been on.

A small hand pulling my arm brings me back to the present and causes me to pry open my eyes again. I turn to Kyle and that's when I hear it – the sirens bouncing off of the building outside, rising to a crescendo as the trucks near. I pull all of my failing strength to heave my body upwards to the window as the trucks arrive on scene. As the men pour out of them and on to the pavement, I see them and raise my voice one final time to scream.

Matt's POV

The house is fully involved when we hit the scene, just as I turn to Hermann to issue orders is when I see it. Olivia's bag on the sidewalk just a foot behind Kelly, the 51 logo on the side is distinctive –

"Severide"

I point and his gaze hits mine, just as we turn back to the house, the scream comes.

"KELLY!"

Everyone turns to the upstairs window and there she is. Just as quickly as we spot her, she disappears out of sight again below the broken window frame. My heart stops in my chest for a second as I keep my eyes on the window, as Boden fires off orders.

"Squad - primary search of the house; Truck get an aerial up to the window; 51 get those lines ready."

Kelly squeezes my arm as he passes me with his men, issuing orders as he goes.

"Capp with me, Tony and Cruz around the back. Keep your eyes open."

I watch as Severide and Capp mask up and disappear through the busted front door into the smoke beyond. My gaze returns back to the window we had last seen Olivia at as the familiar drone of the aerial engaging starts behind me. I'm trying to stay calm yet with Olivia not coming back into sight since we got here, it's getting harder and harder every minute that passes. Pulling a deep breath in, I squeeze my eyes shut for a second, blocking out the surrounding sounds,

The street light lit up her face as she turned towards me. With a bright smile that lit up the cab of my truck and a murmur of good night, she hopped down from my truck and moved back towards her apartment door. I put the truck in gear and then turn. That little red dress made her stand out against the black door, the light glinting off her necklace and her face downturned to concentrate as she tries to undo the door. Suddenly, the truck is back in park and I hop out.

The Chicago wind whips around my bare arms as I stride across the street and up the path. She turns and I move to cup the side of her face. It's the sweet smile that causes me to lean in and brush my lips on hers. It's fleeting. It's quick and it's not the hot and dirty kisses we had traded before. This was more than that. This was more than sex this time. My heart thudded in my chest, my palms sweaty as I looked down at her. I open my mouth ready to apologise - it was completely out of bounds. Then a finger rests on my lips halting my words as she leans upwards. Pressing a hand on to my chest, she presses her lips to mine again. My eyes close as I savour the feeling of her lips on mine. She giggles a little before moving through the front door and waving as she disappears up her stairs and out of sight.

Severide's words ring through the radio, drawing my back out of my first date daydream and causes the panic rises back up again faster,

"Downstairs looks clear Chief – stairs aren't safe to go up. The fires got 'em pretty good."

The last hope of getting to Olivia is the aerial, with Squad unable to get up the stairs, if we can't get her out via the aerial…A hand on my arm starts me out of my "what-if" spiral. I turn to find Hermann's kind eyes beside me,

"Let me get her Lieutenant. Please?"

His voice is low, but I hear the spark of desperation in it. He's still hurting over his treatment of Olivia and he wants to help. I'm torn, I want to rush up the ladder and pull her out– yet in the end Hermann needs this more than I ever will. I nod and he's up beside Otis in seconds.

"Mouch – with Hermann in case he needs an assist."

Mouch nods and as the ladder falls to a stop, they both assent the ladder. I turn my gaze away from them to watch Kelly come out the house's door, pulling his mask off of his face at the same time. I can read the frustration in his eyes from this distance; he wanted to get the Olivia just as much as I did.

Severide turns to the window and I see confusion cloud his eyes. My head whips upwards to see two feet come out of the window – two very small feet. As the child's head appears with the rest of him, it dawns – Olivia was saving the little boy. The boy clings to Mouch as he descends the ladder, Brett appears by his shoulder as his feet hit the tarmac, pressing an oxygen mask to his face in an instant.

Then there she is. Hermann helps her over the window frame and on to the rungs of the ladder. They descend slowly, Hermann steading her every time she wobbles. As her feet hit the road, Dawson is there, guiding to the Ambo to sit on the back. By the time I stride around the Truck, the whirring of the aerial being rained back in background noise, Olivia has an oxygen mask on and is leaning again Hermann, eyes closed; Dawson standing guard a few metres away.

A hand touches the back of my mine briefly, I lean slightly on Severide as he stands shoulder to shoulder next to me, just watching the scene.