Hey guys, first off I want to thank everyone taking the time to read this, everyone following, liking, and commenting. It means so much, I can't even explain. I'm so happy to be able to bring even a tiny bit of joy to you all, and during the times we are living in currently I think we could all do with a bit of that at the moment.

I just wanted to take a few short minutes of your time before we get to the next chapter to answer a question I got at the end of the last one. The flashbacks? I know the inserts of Stella and Kelly together have probably thrown some of you, we are getting to the explanation of that soon I promise. Just bare with me and the answer will come soon... anyway I don't want to give too much away because you know I like keeping you all in suspense so yea here we go...

"How longs it been?" Gabby asked as she paced up and down the room, the woman asked again. She'd asked the same question probably every ten minutes since Stella had been wheeled away and into surgery, her nerves swirling off her body. The woman unable to stay still for very long.

"Only about an hour babe" Matt said, his hand coming to rest on the bottom of her back, the man feeling just how tense she was underneath his touch. They'd all been nervous when Stella had agreed to go into surgery and have her bones reset, they'd all witnessed the effects of the last surgery. They'd all watched how the infection take hold of her body, and how her pressures dropped. Although she was progressing well they also knew she wasn't completely clear yet. She was past the worst of it yes, the antibiotics doing their job, the quick reaction time from the doctors almost undoubtedly saving her life but that didn't mean she was completely clear. Her white blood cell count still high a clear indicator to her body still fighting against the lingering effects of sepsis, but she was better, each day she was getting better and they couldn't dwell on what had happened the last time, Dr Johnson had assured them that they were going to take every precaution necessary to prevent any further complications.

"It feels like longer" she replied leaning into his touch, his warm palm granting her some much needed comfort.

"She's going to be ok Dawson!" Kelly said, his voice coming out a lot sharper than he meant, the man taking a deep breath before speaking again, "she has to be."

"I know, Kelly, I know... it's just, well I'm..." her words trailed off, but she didn't need to finish the sentence everyone knew what she was going to say, she was scared, they all were. This entire ordeal was terrifying.

"Dr Johnson said she expected it to take a couple of hours" Matt said, his words directed towards Kelly more as a question than a statement.

"Yeah."

"Shall we go get something to eat then? I know you're probably both going to say you aren't hungry but we all need to eat and you know Stella will kick your asses if she thinks you aren't looking out for yourselves."

They knew he was right, the man only repeating the words that their friend had told them over the past two days. Stella was concerned when she'd heard from Dawson how little time Kelly especially had spent outside of her room since she'd been admitted. The firefighter chastising him for only getting out of the hospital once, Severide of course had spent ages arguing with her over it, the man stubbornly standing by his decision to stay with her. It had opened her eyes as well as everyone else's to just how much the man thought of the woman before them, he even uttered something about not leaving the ones you love behind, but nobody dwelled on it, the friends not even sure if he'd registered saying it, or if he knew that'd they'd heard but despite all of his arguing Stella had made it pretty clear that she would only let him take care of her if and when he took care of himself and that meant eating, drinking and showering.

"Maybe.." Kelly answered, his face giving away how unsure he was about leaving this room.

"Sev, we'll get the nurses to call us when she's out of the OR, I promise we will be back before she wakes up."

"You said that last time" Kelly shot back, his narrow eyes finding the captains. Matt shaking his head at the same response his friend had given every time the subject of him leaving while she slept came up. He was sure it was something Severide wasn't going to let him hear the end of anytime soon, the man not hiding the fact he was unhappy at the events that had happened two days ago.

"Oh come on Kel you know as well as the rest of us do that wasn't Matt's fault, even the doctors weren't expecting it. And I know as well as anyone how well Casey can read a situation, but you can't have expected him to foresee something even the doctors didn't." Gabby said, the woman quick to jump in and defend her husband again.

"So you keep saying, but it doesn't change that I should have been here when she first opened her eyes and because of your husband I was not."

"Kelly!" Gabby said shortly, her patience beginning to fray with his insistent prodding. "If Stella had woken up and found you in the same clothes you wore to Molly's that night, unshowered, unshaven and stinking do you really think she'd have been happy?" Dawson knew it was a low blow, that making her friend think of things Stella would have said to him was bound to be upsetting, the man still very sensitive about the whole thing. But she wasn't sure what other way to go about it, and the consistent bickering between the men beside her was starting to grow old. Especially when the subject they were bickering about was something that had been completely and utterly out of either one of their controls.

"Oh ok!" Kelly huffed out, the man seeing exactly the point she was trying to make. "I'm sorry Case alright, I know it wasn't your doing. I'll just, I'm never going to forgive myself for not being here."

"Kelly the only people that know she woke up before we were back is us three and Brett. Stella doesn't even remember waking up the first time. She only remembers waking up with you holding on to her, everything else it doesn't matter. You gotta let it go man. Otherwise it's going to eat you up. And besides didn't Antonio say he was coming back to speak with you later today?"

"Yeah he did" he replied rubbing his hand across his brow.

Antonio had caught Gabby and Matt on his way out, the older Dawson asking to speak to his sister for a minute. It had been a tense and uncomfortable conversation, the two siblings not uttering a word to each other since the day Gabby had thrown him out of Stella's hospital room. And although they both knew the day was coming where he would have to return and take Kelly's statement she had to give him his due he'd left it alone so far. Unfortunately for him and them he was getting pressure from the ivory tower, his higher ups insisting he got the statement from the man being accused of assault. The detective wanting to give his sister a heads up before he approached the man involved.

"Yeah, he said he'd pop by later when he called. I still haven't mentioned it to Stella." He admitted the mans face dropping when he thought about the conversation he was going to have to have. He knew he should have told her, she had a right to know, especially as her statement from that night confirmed there had been an altercation between the woman's husband and her best friend but he just hadn't been able to bring himself to say anything. The subject of Grant, the subject of that night completely having been pretty much ignored, apart from her giving her statement earlier today she hadn't uttered a word about him or the events that had landed her here. And although he knew he needed to say something he just hadn't found the right time, or the right words to tell her that charges were being filled against him. He just wasn't sure how she'd react and when she had so much going on already he didn't want to put more on top of the pile. The man being certain they had only touched the tip of the iceberg with what he heard earlier, the mans gut telling him that wasn't the only brutal attack she had suffered at the hands of her husband.

"You're going to have to tell her soon Sev" Matt said.

"I know. I just, she's got so much going on already I don't want her worrying about this."

"I get that I do, but she's going to ask questions when Antonio comes back asking to speak to you, and if anything comes from this well who knows how far it will go."

"What do you mean?" Gabby asked looking at her husband "do you think they'll charge him?"

"I'm not sure" he said shaking his head "but I do know that if head quarters get wind of it, which I'm not sure how they haven't already. You know what the district is like, nothing stays secret for long. But if they haven't heard already they probably will and then who knows how they will proceed. A firefighter, a lieutenant fighting in the street at a bar in the middle of Chicago, you could be looking at charges against you in-house too."

Kelly was less shocked by the mans words than Dawson the woman's mouth hanging open unsure how to voice her thoughts. It hadn't even crossed her mind that this could cause her friend more trouble than just a interview with her brother. This whole thing could cause him to get into trouble within the department, this could potentially see him get repercussions that would hinder his career. That, that made her angry, the whole Grant thing was infuriating but to be actively doing something he knew would affect the mans job was infuriating, it was unforgivable, it was despicable.

"The thought has crossed my mind" Kelly spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry Kelly, and I know chief and I will do everything in our power to help you but it's a possibility."

"I know."

"It's not fair, surely they can't punish him for defending another firefighter." Gabby all but yelled, her voice laced with the anger she felt cursing through her body. Her sharp tone taking both men by surprise, she'd been mad, they knew that, they were all mad at Grant but this, this was more than just anger at what he'd done to Stella this was full out fury. Neither of them could ever remember seeing the woman in front of them so angry, never in all the years they had worked together, it was like the entire thing was taking away all sense of propriety, all sense of her being true to who she was. The anger eating at her as she ranted about the unfairness and downright unspeakable justice or lack of thereof, a truth she felt so deeply about, a truth she wasn't going to let anyone stop her from speaking.

"Grant fucking abused her, for god knows how long, that man beat on her. Why? For what? Fun, because she couldn't or wouldn't fight back! And now they are going to let him tarnish Kelly's good name, they are going to let him take a hit for defending what is right! It's obscene, it's outrageous, it's, it's..." Matt's arms wrapping round her broke her words off the woman's anger suddenly converting into sobs. Helpless sobs.

"Babe it's ok... I know it is unfair. I do. But the department they have protocols, you know that better than anyone." He said softly, his words slowly resonating inside her head. The truer than true words clearing the fog of hatred that had been clouding her mind moments before. "No matter what happens we aren't going to sit back and take it, I'll fight it if I have to. There's no way I'm letting Kelly lose anything over defending Stella against that abusive arsehole."

"Guys" Kelly said, the two of them looking up to see him watching their interaction. "I don't care what happens to me. It doesn't matter, whatever they choose to do or not to do it doesn't matter. All I care about, all I want is to see that man brought to justice. And if that means I get charged, or suspended or striped of my rank, whatever it doesn't matter."

"You... you can't mean that." Gabby asked her words stumbling out broken and disjointed.

"I mean every word" he said firmly. "I don't care."

There was an uncomfortable feeling that settled around them, the three first responders unsure of what else to say. Severide's forceful tone bringing the conversation to an abrupt stop, his words shocking the married couple in front of him.

It certainly wasn't the first time they'd witnessed his selfless behaviour, the man forever putting others before himself even when he didn't need to, or they didn't necessarily deserve it but this, this shocked them both. Not only was he putting everything aside to help the woman they all wanted to help, he was actively lying down and taking anything and everything that may be thrown his way in doing so. The man completely unconcerned with his own welling being, reputation and job.

"Shall we go get the food now?" He asked, when no body else spoke. Kelly pushing himself up off his chair and leading the way out of the small room they'd spent so many hours in recently.

Both Gabby and Matt looked at each other, aware the conversation was definitely over, the two knowing exactly what Kelly was doing by suggesting food again. Something he'd been unsure about not but five minutes ago, he suddenly wanted to do. He was deflecting and if it avoided another near outburst from any of them they'd let him, for now anyway.

"Sure" Casey said, the firefighter mimicking his friends movement, offering his hand out towards his wife as he helped her to her feet again. The woman having sunk into the chair next to him at some point during Kelly's confession.

The intense pain cursing through her body brought her too, every inch of her hurt. She knew it would, she'd been warned by Dr Johnson that repairing her bones wouldn't be comfortable but she never imagined it would be this painful. It felt like every bone in her body had been broken, she was pretty sure every bone had been broken. A pained gasp left her lips as she turned her head to the side, her reset collar bone screaming out at her at the movement.

"Stella?" His voice hit her ears, her eyes flickering open to see his eyes locked on her, the man in front of her clearly concerned about the sound she'd just made. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, just a little sore." She said, another gasp leaving her lips as she tried to move up the bed, the flat position only hindering the pain in her lower back more.

"Let me raise the bed" he said, quickly standing up and moving round to the controls. He slowly positioned the bed so it was in between lying down and sitting up, before moving the cushions around her to help hold her body up. "There is that a bit better?"

"Yes thank you." She smiled, her grin wide and genuine, the sight of it warming Kelly's heart as he mimicked the action.

"Do you need anything? Water? More pain meds? I can get the nurse?" He fussed, the frantic words leaving his mouth causing her to chuckle gently.

"I'm good, just sit down and tell me about what's going on in the world." She ordered pointing to the paper lying on the table next to her bed. "I like you reading it to me."

"Huh?" Severide asked confused, he hadn't read the paper to her since she'd woken up, in fact he hadn't read to her since the day before she woke up. The man having been trapped in a lift the majority of that last morning and never making it to get his daily newspaper. "You? Did you.. could you? Do you remember that?"

She nodded her head gingerly, her bottom lip falling between her teeth. "I wasn't sure it was real until you just confirmed it, but I remember hearing your voice. I even remember some of what you said. I don't know how. But.." her words trailed off as she remembered more about what had happened in her head when she'd been in her coma. The woman struggling to determine what had been in her head and what had been real. It wasn't something they'd talked about, Severide unsure if she'd have registered anything going on around her. Despite his intensive research he wasn't completely convinced how much truth had been it what he read. Not until just now anyway.

"Oh Stella." He said, the words tumbling out before he could stop him, "baby, Jesus. What else do you remember, did you hear everything I told you. Because if you did I don't want it to scare you, I don't know if you heard everything, god I don't even know if you heard anything at all past the sound of my voice. But believe me when I say everything I said to you was the truth, every word. If you heard what I said at all, I meant everything..."

"Kelly." She spoke softly her hand tentatively reaching out towards him, her hand unable to clasp his in the now casted position it was in, but that didn't stop her reaching for him anyway, the woman needed the contact with him almost as much as he needed it with her. "Kelly" she said again when he didn't respond, her voice slightly louder than before. "I heard, well I heard some of it. I'm still trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't. But subconsciously I heard, and I don't know if it was a dream or wish or what but I had this vision.. I don't know if that's the right word but when I was out I was.. dreaming I suppose. I don't know how to explain it."

"You don't need to explain babe, whatever you saw or didn't see, whatever you heard or didn't hear. I don't need to know if you don't want to tell me."

"It's ok, I don't mind talking about it." She began, her words being cut off by knocking on her door, her eyes moving to see who it was.

"Stella, Kelly" he spoke firmly, the man moving it the room. "I'm not interrupting am I?"

"No, no come in Antonio. Have you got an update?" Stella asked, the woman unsure what would have brought the detective all the way back to the hospital when he'd already been by this morning. She assumed it was because he had an update for her. Her eyes darting between the two men, Kelly and Antonio both looking at each other with the same pensive look, a look that was worrying her the more she watched them.

"What's going on?" She asked, when neither of them said anything.

Kelly pushed himself from his chair, the man kissing her softly on the head before he spoke. "Stella, I've got to go with Antonio, I'll be back. And Gabby's outside she's going to sit with you. I promise I'll explain everything later ok? Just trust me."

"Kelly, what's going on? You're scaring me. Why is Antonio here?"

"It's ok Stella, just trust me. I need you to trust me" his words were firm, the strength of them not doing anything to calm her fear.

"Ok" she murmured, her voice quiet and unsure.

Antonio watched the two of them as they interacted the man unsure why Stella didn't know what was happening. The detective not wanting to make things any harder by cuffing or cautioning the man here, instead deciding to just nod his head at him. Kelly grateful for the mans curtsey, knowing if Stella were to witness him being taken away in cuffs it would only upset her more. He had known this day was coming, he knew that Antonio didn't have a choice, his hands were tied by the badge he carried, by the law. He had to take him in, Grant had lodged a complaint against him, had accused him of assault and it was his friends job to take him in. He'd already done more than enough by allowing him stay with her for almost two weeks, he couldn't put it off any longer.

Stella watched from her bed as the two men left the room, both of them giving a short nod to the paramedic of sixty one that stood outside her door. Gabby's eyes following them until they were out of sight before her attention snapped back inside the room. The woman seeing how tense Stella's body had become. She wasn't sure what to say, she knew Kelly hadn't told her what had happened, what Grant had done. She knew she couldn't be the one to tell her, but she also didn't know how to explain Antonio taking Kelly away to speak with him.

"Kelly I've arranged for us to do this here at the hospital" Antonio said once they'd got away from

Stella's room. The detective turning to face him. "I spoke with Voight he's dealt with the higher ups, explain the situation and they've said we can do it here. We've managed to get a conference room. But before we go in you need to be made aware of some things."

"Go on" he said, the pause the older Dawson had taken sending chills down his spine. He knew what he'd said earlier that he wasn't bothered by what happened to him, but something about the look on Antonio's face told him that he wasn't going to like what was said next.

"I tried to stop it reaching headquarters but you know what it's like. I'm sorry, but they want to speak with you afterwards. I don't know everything they've been told but I know that a suspension was being talked about according to Boden."

"Ok" Kelly responded the mans voice steady, his face giving nothing away to want he was thinking or feeling.

"This will be recorded, Voight is in there, as is Boden and Lindsay. Everything you say to us in that room is being recorded. So just try to stay calm ok? Some of the accusations Grants made against you, well they made me feel sick so just be prepared."

"Thanks Antonio, I'm sure I'll be fine. But thank you for the heads up."

With that both men entered the room, Severide's eyes bouncing round at the familiar faces in front of him, all of them expect one holding the same sad look in their eyes. The same sad look he'd been seeing a lot recently, the sad look he just hoped no one gave Stella when they saw her.

Boden stood up the chief of fifty one laying his eyes on his squads lieutenant for the first time in almost two weeks, the last he'd seen of Kelly Severide was on shift the day before the attack. He'd visited the hospital, but each time Kelly had refused to see him and the chief hadn't pushed it. He knew that Severide needed time, that it wasn't personal, his refusal to see him, it hadn't nothing to do with him as his boss and everything to do with not having to explain to another person, not have to make small talk when all he wanted to do was help his friend. But despite all that the chief wished he'd allowed him five minutes, because if he had he could have warned him, warned him of the departments conversations.

"Severide" he said extending his hand out, Kelly taking it willingly, his eyes locking with the older man in front of him. "You doing ok?"

"I'm good chief."

Boden gave him a short nod in response, the man could see the clear exhaustion written over the younger mans face, he could see the sad look that rested behind his eyes, the tension he held in his body. He knew this was an impossible situation, that Kelly was being targeted by a jealous and vicious man and he knew there wasn't much he could do to help him. All he could do was stand beside him, support him through whatever the CPD and CFD decided to do.

"Kelly if your ready?" Antonio said, the mans hand resting on his shoulder.

"I am, the quicker this is done the quicker I can get back to where I should be." He spoke shortly, everyone in the room sensing his annoyance at having to go through this. And they got it, they did, if it had been any one of them they'd have felt the same. Unfortunately there wasn't anything any of them could do.

"Ok, well I told you it was being recorded so we will start with the introductions, you just need to state your full name and what you do, including rank and the house please." Antonio said as Boden and Kelly took their seats.

Everyone watched as Voight positioned the camera, switching it on and leading the introductions, he was followed by Lindsay, and then Antonio before Boden introduced himself.

"I'm chief Wallace Boden of house fifty one." He said, his thick voice booming around the room.

"I'm Kelly Severide, squad lieutenant of squad three out of house fifty one."

"Mr Severide can you please in your own words describe the events of the night from February 12th please." Sergeant Voight said, the man leaning forwards in his chair slightly.

Kelly cleared his throat the man starting from the phone call he'd received that morning after shift. "To explain to you what happened and why I need to go further back, I need to tell you about the events of that morning." He said, the members of the intelligence team encouraging him to continue.

"Well I waited behind at the end of shift because Stella, Miss Kidd, I knew she didn't have her Jeep. Grant, her husband had come by the day before and asked for, well more demanded she gave him the keys. He said he was going to be out of town as he was going to visit a friend, and his car had broken down so he needed hers. I didn't want her walking home because it had been a long and tiring day, we'd had a busy one and everyone was exhausted. So I waited in front of the rigs waiting for her to come out but Gabby, that is Gabriela Dawson she got to her first. So I left and went home." He paused slightly, taking a sip of the glass of water in front of him. "I hadn't been home long when my phone rang, when I answered I could hear she was upset."

"Who? Who was on the phone?" Erin asked.

"Stella, she called me and said she needed help and could I please come over."

"Ok, then what happened."

"I got in my car and started to make my way over, but then my phone rang again, I just assumed she wanted to know how long I was going to be. But when I answered I could hear yelling, and what sounded like someone banging on a door. Grant he was calling her for everything, some of the things he said..." he cut himself off again, the man having to take deep breaths to keep himself calm.

"Well I just put my foot down and I must have made it to her place in less than two minutes. When I got there I walked in and saw Grant dragging her across the room by her hair. He pushed her to the sofa, when he saw me and he slapped her, screaming asking why I was there. She was cowering beneath him, pleading with him. I saw his fist clenched and I knew I had to do something so I grabbed him, and pulled his arms behind his back. Then I told her to call the police and well you've got the rest in the first police report."

"We do" Voight confirmed but it would be helpful to hear it from you.

"Ok well the police came and arrested Grant." Kelly began, the man talking them through the events of the first report. The man pausing several times as he tried to keep his emotions in check. Before long he'd explained everything from that morning, how he had reluctantly left her apartment with the officers. How he'd gone home but been unable to rest, how he'd decided to go to Molly's after speaking with Dawson and the woman had told him she'd convinced Stella to work.

"I'd hoped that I could catch her and speak to her more. Convince her to come with me to the station and formally press charges, but she avoided me all night. She wouldn't come near me, I don't know if she was embarrassed or if she was just trying to pretend it hadn't happened but she wouldn't even look at me let alone speak to me." The sadness in his voice rang in all their heads. Boden's eyes glistening with unshed tears as he heard for the first time the details of that day.

"It wasn't much later after Dawson and I stopped talking that he came in. Grant he turned up at the bar. Gabby she'd not long come back out to the bar, she'd followed Stella into the stock room in an attempt to speak with her but she shut her down too. But Grant he came in and demanded that Gabby got Stella for him, when she asked why he told her it had nothing to do with her, and then he turned on me. He was really mad, I could see that and we tried to stop her going with him. But she did, I don't know why, maybe it was fear maybe it was just how she's been conditioned when he tells her to do something. Something didn't feel right though, so I followed them outside. He, he pushed her to the ground while we were arguing and I just lost it. I hit him, and I just kept hitting him."

Boden's breath caught in his throat, the chief knowing that Kelly's admission was enough to cause him a few issues. He knew coming into this today that his squad lieutenant was potentially facing combat unbecoming charges from the CFD, the accusations against him enough to force their hand in taking action against him. If anything it was for the optics of the situation more than anything, the CFD having to keep up the appearance of holding their firefighters, the officers especially to account. But hearing him admit to the CPD on tape that he had instigated the altercation left him with a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. The chief unsure of what would happen now. But before he could ask, Antonio switched the camera off. The detective thanking them and retreating from the room. Leaving Voight, Boden and Severide all sat staring at each other.

"Now usually if someone had just admitted what you did Kelly" Voight started "I'd be dragging your ass down to the precinct and charging you with common assault. However given the circumstances, I'm willing to issue a warning and fine."

"How much?" Kelly asked, the man shocked by the generous leniency.

"A hundred and fifty dollars."

"Ok" he said, his voice not giving away much to how he was feeling about it.

"You'll need to come down and pay it, but you have fourteen days to comply otherwise it goes to the judge and you can get up to six months imprisonment. I'm sure you'll agree that's not something either of us want is it?"

"No, thank you." Severide pushed himself upwards the man extending his hand across the table, "I mean it, I know you didn't have to do that. You could have thrown the book at me and I appreciate everything you're doing for Stella. So thank you."

"I'm just doing my job Kelly." He said, the sergeant giving him a small smile before heading out of the room towards his team members.

As soon as they were alone Boden turned to face him, the older man wrapping the man up in a strong hug. "I'm sorry Severide, I really am. What Kidd went through, what you witnessed, what you went through. I just.. god. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright chief, there's nothing you could have done. She didn't want anyone knowing. She didn't even want me to know. I think she only reached out because she had no other choice. I think she may have known that before long something like this could happen, the it probably would happen. And she had nowhere else to turn. I just wish I'd got their sooner, maybe if I'd gotten her out of there before he returned I could have protected her."

"Severide, this isn't your fault."

"Everyone keeps telling me that."

"That's probably because it's true. But listen, anything you need, anything Kidd needs you let me know ok?"

"Thank you" he said, the genuine gratefulness in his tone resounding in Boden's head, the man giving him a small smile.

"So I'm not sure what Antonio told you before you came in but the CFD are here to, they want to hear what happened. And I don't know what's going to happen but there's talk of a suspension coming your way. I'm not sure what I can do about it, if anything."

"It's ok chief" Kelly said cutting him off. "Whatever they want to do I'll accept it. I would do it again, if I had to, god if I come face to face with that piece of work again I'll knock him clean out. But I also know that they have their protocols and I know there's no point fighting it. I'm a lieutenant, I haven't given them much choice. Especially as I've been formally warned by CPD now. They have to suspend me, I know that."

Boden nodded, the man knowing that there was a whole lot of truth in the younger mans words even if he didn't like it, even if he wished with everything he had that there was something he could do. He knew there wasn't anything that would change the facts, and the facts were Severide had assaulted a civilian, he had gone against his oath of protecting the citizens of Chicago. And now he was going to have to deal with the consequences of that.

The meeting with the CFD was even more formal than the one with the police, an entire panel of people flittering into the conference room Boden and Severide occupied. The latter man shocked by the amount of people in the room by the time they'd all positioned themselves across from him. His earlier protests of not caring what happened seeming a bit silly now as he looking down the line of officers in front of him. The fire commissioner himself seated in the centre, the deputy and assistant commissioner either side of him. Kelly knew before anyone said a word that this was serious, that they were taking the accusations against him seriously.

It took over an hour for him to answer all their questions, Kelly careful to leave out a single detail in his description of the events leading up to and during the altercation. When he'd finished he was asked to leave the room while they spoke, Boden following him out taking in the uneasy look up on his friends face.

"You ok?"

"I'm good, just nervous. How long do you think it'll be?"

"I don't know. Hopefully not long until they make their decision."

Kelly shook his head, that wasn't what he meant and he was pretty certain Boden knew it. "I mean how long do you think they'll suspend me for?"

Boden sighed, the chief knowing that there was no way to tell. The panel having given very little away in terms of what they were leaning towards. "I honestly don't know."

Twenty minutes passed, Kelly pacing up and down outside the room. His hands shoved roughly into his pockets as he thought over everything that had already transpired. The waiting was excoriating, the man just wanting to hear what they had to say so he could get back to her. Back upstairs and back to Stella, his need to make sure she was ok almost overwhelming him.

"Severide we're ready for you." Commissioner Grissom said, the man standing tall in the doorway.

So how do we feel?

Stella's road is definitely going to be long, she's already realizing this is going to be more difficult then she'd thought.

And how are we feeling about the CFD and CPD? What are your thoughts on what's going to happen with the CFD?