Happy Sunday guys.. I hope you're all staying safe and have had a good week. Enjoy :)

All I want to do is cry.

"We still on for tonight?" Gail's voice came from the device resting on the side.

"Too right we are" Stella responded, the woman running her hands through her tight curls. "What time are we meeting?"

"I told Tom and the guys to meet us at Two Shoes around eight, figured that gave us some predrink time. So you wanna get here about six?"

"Sounds great, I'll tell Kelly"

"Why do you have to tell him anything?"

"Erm.. I just do" Stella replied nervously, it had been a week since her last overnight escapade with Gail, a week since she'd entered into an agreement with her boyfriend over accountability and a week worth of her getting her fair share of nights sleeping on her stomach.

It wasn't that she'd gone out to find trouble because she really hadn't, but learning to think before she acted seemed to be less than an easy learning curve for her. One that she still hadn't seemed to have mastered.

"Just tell him your hanging out with me. Surely he's not still mad about last weekend!?"

"It's not that.. it's just.." I'm going to get it if I don't tell him the truth. She thought to herself before speaking again, "We just erm.. we agreed to not lie to each other that's all."

"Yeah well it isn't really a lie is it! You are hanging with me!"

"I suppose you're right."

"I'm always right" Gail chuckled lightly, the devilish tone to her voice making Stella doubt whether she was making the right choice in going out.

She knew Gail was a bad influence, she always had been ever since their college days. Somehow she'd always got dragged into things she shouldn't have when around her. Like the time they spray painted all the security cameras on campus so they could break into the office and change their tests papers. The two having spent the night before the exam drinking heavily and knowing that if they didn't do something extreme they were going to fail the semester and get kicked out. Granted they'd almost got kicked out anyway, the dean being less than happy with them once he found out who was responsible. They were incredibly lucky that he had just ordered them to scrub the graffiti off the cameras and gym walls instead of throwing them out on their asses. But for some reason unbeknown to her she kept going back to Gail, and kept allowing her to influence her bad choices.

"I'll see you at six" she said, hanging up her phone and heading towards the main part of the apartment.

"Kelly" she called moving across the large open planned room, she could have sworn he was still here but at first glance she couldn't see him anywhere.

"I'm in the spare room" he shouted back, his words only adding to her confusion.

"What you doing in here?" She asked rounding the corner, the man having opened several boxes that now lay scattered across the floor.

"Have you seen my bears shirt?" He asked pulling more items out of yet another box.

"No sorry" Stella answered confused as to why something as simple as a shirt had him tearing through boxes like he was. "Why?"

"Matt wants to take Bella to her first game for her birthday next week. I brought her a shirt that matches mine but I can't find mine anywhere."

"Oh, have you tried the closet?"

"Have I tried the closet?" He asked sarcastically, "of course I did, why do you think I'm in here?" He asked nodding towards the array of things around him.

They hadn't been living in the loft very long, both of them moving in together only a few short months ago and during that time they still hadn't fully unpacked. The still full boxes having been placed in here the day they moved with the agreement they would get to it when they had a spare weekend. Something that since Otis had died hadn't happened for the couple. In fact they hadn't spent an entire weekend together since the day they moved in. Something that suddenly dawned on Stella as she stood there ready to tell him she was going out again tonight.

"Stella?" He questioned moving closer to her, his voice snapping her out of her head space.

"Huh?" She spoke, her eyes refocusing on her boyfriend. "I asked if you needed something or if you were going to help me look?"

"Er yeah, it doesn't matter. I'll help you look." She said, making her mind up to spend time with him instead of her friends tonight. The young woman firing off a quick text before settling down in front of a box. Content to just be with her man for the night instead of doing god knows what across the city of Chicago with her wayward friends.

Huh she thought to herself as she pulled the contents out of another untouched pile, maybe just maybe what we're doing here is helping. Maybe I am really starting to pull up my socks and change my ways. A small smile crept over her face as the feeling swept over her, maybe what Gabby had told her about never feeling more secure and safe in a relationship was really true. She truly did, for the first time feel as if they were going to be okay. That no matter what got thrown at them they would be able to handle it and get through it.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket again pulling her out of her thoughts. Stella looking at her phone to see it was the same person it had been for the past hour, apparently her friend couldn't just accept that she wanted to spend time with Kelly tonight instead of getting wasted in some bar across town. And it was really beginning to annoy her, she couldn't understand why she had to explain herself, after all it was her life and she was entitled to change her mind if and when she wanted. The only person she had to answer to was herself, well herself and Kelly when she broke the rules.

Jesus Gail, you've had me every weekend for the past two months, I just want to spend some time with Kelly okay! Go have fun, I'll join you next time. She pressed send on the angry message, shoving her phone back into her pocket roughly and turning her attention back to the box she had been in the middle of unpacking.

She wasn't sure if what she said to her friend was true, if she really would join them on their next night out or not but for now it had done the trick, her phone only buzzing once more with a quick "Okay" from Gail.

"Ha found it" he shouted triumphantly holding up the shirt.

Stella laughed at the pure joy that spread across her boyfriends face, the man looking like he'd just won the lottery. "You're so cute" she told him, crushing his lips with hers.

"Am I now?" he questioned with a raised brow, the challenging look on his face only making her chuckle more.

"When you want to be" she said with another quick peck. "But now we've technically unpacked this lot do you think we should maybe put it away?"

Kelly sighed his hands dropping from her waist as he looked around the room, "yeah I suppose we should. Are you staying in?"

"Yup" she told him popping the word, "you've got me all weekend."

"Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?"

Stella punched his arm playfully scoffing at his words, "I mean I can go pull an all nighter if you want me to?" she asked sarcastically rolling her eyes at him. She jumped a mile when his hand made its way towards her butt, a loud slap echoing around the room. "Ouch" she yelled "what was that for?"

"Rolling your eyes!"

Rubbing her covered butt with her hand she moved away from his swatting range before speaking again "you know your hand bloody hurts right?"

"It's supposed to" he replied stepping closer to her, the man gently moving her hand away from her behind, "no rubbing remember."

"Yes sir" she said in the most respectful tone she could.

"Now if you're staying in do you want to cook, order in or go out?"

"I don't mind" she responded shrugging her shoulders, "what do you want?"

Kelly chuckled moving in closer to her and wrapping her up in a hug. "Right now what I want is to spend some quality time with my girl, seen as she has chosen me over her friends for a change." He said teasingly, a soft grin resting on his face as he looked down at her snuggled into his chest.

"Yeah, well I decided I'd like a night sleeping like a normal person instead of on my stomach." She responded the same teasing tone laced in her own voice.

"So you decided to spend time with me just to save your behind hey?" he asked her smugly.

"Something like that.." she responded her belly growling at them while they stood together in the middle of the room.

"How about this?" Kelly asked, kissing her gently. "Why don't we order in from that Thai place you like and then we can sort through this lot and maybe grab an early night."

"Early night as in sleeping or early night as in going to the bedroom?" She asked eyeing him with a darkness to her words.

"Hummm, well lets see how good you can be first shall we, the night is still young.."

A cold shudder running through her body woke her up, her arm reaching out for her boyfriend as she craved his warmth but she was met with cold sheets, the bed beside her empty and by the temperature of his side she'd say it had been for a while.

It had been a good night for the couple, the two of them thoroughly enjoying each other's company as they worked to put their final possessions in their new homes within the apartment.

After they had finished they'd settled down to enjoy their take out and watch a movie together, both of them soon forgetting all about it playing in the background as they'd fallen it to playful fondling that had lead to them both stumbling together into the bedroom. Their once planned early night soon going forgotten while they spent the night together, the two falling into their familiar rhythm.

It had been a long time since she'd woken up without a hangover on a Saturday, the brunettes head resting back on her pillows while she replayed the previous evening in her mind. A contented, happy grin resting on her lips as she thought about how much nicer it had been to spend the evening with her boyfriend then spending it stumbling around the streets of Chicago. How the smell of bacon wafting in from the kitchen was a much more pleasant smell to that of vomit and stale alcohol and how she'd do everything she could to have many more mornings like this.

Pulling herself out of the bed she began searching for a shirt, both her and Kelly's clothes still scattered across the bedroom floor where they had been thrown in the hast to strip each other from them. Her eyes found Kelly's shirt first, deciding it would do the trick she bent down to pick it up and pulled it over her bare form before heading to her dresser and pulling out a clean pair of underwear.

"Morning" she greeted spotting her boyfriend clad in only his boxers moving around the kitchen.

"Hey beautiful" she smiled, "how did you sleep?"

"Best night I've had all week" she responded a knowing grin settling on his face.

"Well it was probably the first time since we started this that you didn't have a sore butt so I assume that made getting comfortable easier."

"It did indeed" she told him walking towards him, "that and the feeling of being in your arms all night seemed to really do the trick." She placed a passionate kiss to his lips, the two being interrupted by the timer going off. "What's all this?" she asked pulling back.

"I thought we could enjoy breakfast together and then maybe go out for the day?"

"Really?"

"Yes" he told her kissing her head, "as you said I've got you all weekend I want to make the most of it."

"I'd like that" she smiled back, moving to sit on one of the high stools beside their breakfast bar. Her eyes never leaving his almost bare form as she watched him work his way around the kitchen.

It was a sight she'd never get tired of, and she just hoped that they would forever be this way. The two of them chatting casually while he whipped up the feast he was working on and she sat happily sipping her coffee watching him. A warm feeling filling her chest as happy tears brimmed at her eyes.

In this moment she felt the happiest she had in a long time and she couldn't help but feel thankful to her friends for opening them up to this way of life because right now she wouldn't change a thing.

"Hey Stella wait up" Gabby shouted across the forecourt.

"Gabby hey what's up?" Stella said slowing her steps as her friend jogged up alongside her.

"I don't know if you remember but it's Bella's birthday next week." She began, the short nod the younger woman gave telling the mother that she had indeed remembered. "She asked me last night if you and Kelly would join us for her birthday tea."

"We'd be happy too, when are you doing it?"

"We were thinking of doing it the night before as she's going to the game with Kelly and Matt on her actual birthday. I don't think she'll be able to do the match and a tea all in one day, so Friday coming?"

"I can do that, I don't think we have anything on and even if we did I'm sure we could move it around for Bella boo." Stella smiled, both women completing the walk up to the garage door. "What?" she asked when she saw the look on Gabby's face.

"What? What?" Gabby asked her eyebrows raising further than the already were, the almost smug look on her face never vanishing.

"The way you're looking at me?" Kidd clarified.

"I'm not looking at you in any way" she replied innocently.

"You are.. you've got a proud look on your face."

Gabby shrugged, "think about it, if I had asked you to do anything on a Friday night a couple of weeks ago what would your answer have been?"

"I don't know, that I was going out.." Stella grinned at her own words, the realisation of what had her friend so amused washing over her, "Oh I get why you're looking at me like that.."

"It's obviously working for you" Gabby said patting her friend on the back, "it's been what a week?"

"A week and a half."

"Well whatever it is he's beating your butt with seems to have already taken affect and its nice to see."

Stella scoffed slightly at the comment, no matter how true it was she wasn't anywhere near ready to admit that to anyone just yet. "Yeah well I like sitting down and don't much like sleeping on my stomach."

Gabby flashed her an understanding smile before peeling away from her and heading in through the double doors. Leaving a thoughtful Stella stood alone in the middle of the garage. Her friend was right she had really changed in the past week and a half, and since her and Kelly's weekend in she hadn't actually received more than a warning slap here and there. Maybe things were beginning to look up for her, maybe just maybe it had sunk in.

She'd really enjoyed her weekend with her boyfriend the two of them happily content to be in each others company. They'd spent Saturday at the pier, the two making the most of the various performers scattered along the stretch, before Kelly had suggested a meal at their favourite restaurant followed by a couple of drinks at Molly's before heading home. Everyone had been equally happy and shocked to see her there, the woman having avoided the place as much as possible since they lost Otis. Although she hadn't said it out loud everyone knew that she was struggling with the memories being there brought up for her. Otis having left his mark on the bar they owned together as well as at the firehouse. She struggled being here every shift without him, she struggled with not having him to banter with, not to joke with and although she had initially found some comfort with Cruz, the two sharing stories of their mutual best friend in the quiet hours, it had been a short lived solution, Cruz seemingly progressing in his grief a lot quicker than she had and as a result she'd turned to other ways of coping. Other ways of numbing the pain she felt at no longer having her closet ally amongst the group.

She remembered her first day here, how when she'd been introduced by the then lieutenant Casey, Otis had wanted to smoke her out, his thinking being if they tormented her enough she'd leave. The entire house had been unsettled by the fact that she had taken their candidates spot after the brass had moved things around, but Otis has taken it quite hard, the plan had been to make whoever this new guy or girl as it had turned out to be, want leave, but after about a week he and Kidd became friends, the two entering a fierce battle into who did things better. And although they would rib each other and prank each other something rotten, sometimes to the point it got them both in hot water with the officers of fifty one, the two having their fair share of bathroom duty over the past few years. There had been a understanding common ground between the two. Something that had only increased when she started taking on shifts at Molly's and when she later became a partner to the original owners.

They'd had some fun times together, their competitive nature never lessening and making every moment they spent together all the more interesting. Like the time they entered the mud race together in the spirit of advertising for Molly's only to find themselves locked in a battle over who could complete the course in the fastest time. Or the time they'd had battled it out to determine who drove the truck better, Stella having forfeited herself when she saw how much it meant to Otis that he was the rightful driver of truck eighty one. She missed her friend so much, more than she had admitted and although she knew the feeling throughout the house was the same she couldn't help but resent the fact that most if not all of the firefighters here had seemed to have moved on. Everyone seemingly so far down the road of their grief that they could move forward and even begin to accept the newest member of their family. Gallo, the newest and now youngest member of their family had started a few shifts previous and although he definitely had potential, he wasn't Otis and he never would be.

A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts, her hand coming up to wipe the wetness from around her eyes before she turned to see who it was. Her body turning to bring her face to face with her boyfriend as she stood there trying to figure out the complex emotions her trip down memory lane had stirred in her.

"You okay?" he asked taking in her red and watery face.

"Yeah I'm good" she brushed off, "I was just thinking that was all, I'm good I promise."

"Stella, if you're not you can tell me."

"I'm fine Kelly, just got a little lost in my head and memories." She told him quickly walking towards the double doors closest to them in a desperate attempt not to have to discuss this any further. It hurt too much. No if she spoke about this right now she'd need a drink and that wasn't something she could do, not when they were about to start shift. No this was a conversation she needed to get away from before those painful layers of protection she'd put around herself came down.

Pushing open the double doors she crashed quite literally into the truck Captain, Casey bringing his hands out to steady them both as he took in her demeanour. "You okay Kidd?"

"I'm fine" she said, her eyes never meeting his. "I'm just going to put my stuff away before I'm late. I'll see you in there." She flashed him a weak smile before hurrying off down the hallway and into the locker room.

Matt thought about following her but as he stood there deciding what his best course of action was here Kelly came through the door a worried glaze in his eyes as they traced up and down the almost deserted hallway.

"Casey you seen Kidd?"

"Er yeah she just went to the locker room" He replied all his senses telling him something was wrong with his firefighter, "is everything okay?"

"I'm not sure, I just found her out there lost in her own world, crying."

"Did something happen between the two of you?" Casey asked carefully. He knew, well thought things between his firefighter and fellow officer were getting better but if both of their demeanour's said anything it was that something was definitely up, he just wasn't sure what.

"No" Severide snapped, the man offended by the insinuation.

"Okay" Matt replied holding his hands up in defence, "you can't blame me for asking though. I mean it's been a week and a bit and she's like a different person. She spent the entire weekend with you and I don't know.." he cut himself off. He knew what he wanted to say, he just wasn't sure how his comment would be received.

"What?" Kelly pushed, he knew that his friend had something else to say, that something had caused him to question the state of his relationship. "Go on spit it out."

"It's just it seems too quick, the change in her behaviour. I just think you need to be careful, that maybe things aren't as peachy as she's making out and the other shoe is about to drop."

"You think?" He asked bringing his hand up and across his face, Severide deep in thought over any signs he'd seen that she was putting on a front.

"I'm pretty certain." He nodded sadly. "Look I'm not saying she's done anything or that she will for certain, obviously I don't know whats going on in her head but if I was placing money on it? I'd for sure put money on her slipping up sooner rather than later."

"But why was she crying? And why won't she tell me what caused her to be in that state?"

Casey shook his head, "I don't know man, all I can tell you to do is make sure you're there for her because clearly something is upsetting her."

"Thanks Casey" he said, giving him a soft smile. The truck captain patting his friend on the back, their conversation officially coming to an end when the other members of the house started to filter out of the locker room and common room, everyone making their way towards the conference room for their morning briefing.

Severide stood at the back of the room, his eyes fixed on the doorway as he waited. Waited for her to appear, shift officially started five minutes ago and although he knew she was here, she had yet to enter the conference room. Everyone including Boden were all here, ready to get started as they waited on the final member of their team to join them.

"Severide" Boden's voice boomed across the room, the several pairs of eyes on him telling him it wasn't the first time the chief had tried to get his attention.

"Sorry chief did you say something?"

"I asked if you knew where Kidd was?"

"She's here chief, she came in about half an hour ago. I don't know why she isn't in here, she should be."

Boden nodded, the chief sensing there was more to his squad lieutenants demeanour than just having to stand around waiting. The man watching as Kelly's eyes returned to the doorway.

"Well I'll just get started on this mornings briefing and someone will have to fill Kidd in later." The chief began, Kelly's mind blocking out the voice as he watched for any sign of his girl.

He couldn't help but think that something had happened, that something had been said to her to cause the harsh change in her emotions. She'd been fine when he left the apartment this morning, she was running a little behind but she assured him she'd be right behind him. Which to her credit she had been, Stella arriving at the station barely ten minutes after he had.

And while he'd been happy to see that she'd kept to her word he couldn't shake the worry that had taken over his body. The fact that she was here in the house right now but not in this room, the room they spent the beginning of every shift in, that she was missing the morning briefing she knew was compulsory and she knew she was expected to be in, no exception.

Why wasn't she in morning briefing? Where was she right now? Was she even still here at the firehouse? No one had seen her since she'd disappeared into the locker room twenty minutes earlier. She could have slipped out without anyone noticing, if she wanted to she could have left the building and none of them would have been any of the wiser, shift change was a busy time at fifty one. Firefighters from both the shift finishing and about to start mingling about as they did handover and went about their business.

"... squad you're in charge of the school field trip, I expect you to give the kids all the information they need and want." Boden's voice filtered through his thoughts once more, Kelly's gaze glancing back towards the man speaking giving him a short nod in understanding before glancing back at the door. He'd barely heard a word spoken though, his mind fixated on what it was that had his girlfriend in such a state.

"That's everything for now. Let's have a good day and everyone get home safely."

The room beginning to move grabbed his attention again, the air filling with the sound of chatter as everyone filed out. Before long only Severide, Casey and Boden remained, the later two watching him carefully.

"Severide" Boden spoke, his eyes coming to meet those of the chiefs "do you know what's going on with Kidd?"

"I don't chief, she's here I saw her as did Casey but she was off. I don't know why but she was crying when she arrived."

Boden nodded at him, clasping his hand on the lieutenants shoulder, "go find her, see what it is bothering her and then both of you come to my office please."

"Understood chief" Severide replied before heading towards the locker room.

It didn't take him long to find her, her body slumped on the bench, her head in her hands and once again she seemed like she was in a completely different world. The sight of her sitting there made his stomach drop something was definitely upsetting her and whatever it was, was clearly affecting her more than she wanted to admit.

"Hey" he said softly crouching down in front of her "you okay?"

"Fine, I'm fine" she replied wiping her hands on her legs.

"Stella" he sighed, "you're not, you missed morning briefing and this is the second time I've found you crying what's going on?"

"I miss him Kel, and it feels like everyone has forgotten." Tears were flowing down her skin, her eyes never moving from the spot on the floor she had become so focused with. "I came in this morning and I was fine at first, I saw Gabby and she told me Bella wants us to join them for her birthday tea but then I don't even know where it came from..." she cut herself off trying to compose herself enough to vocalise her inner battle. "Dawson she made a comment about how it was nice to see me being available again, how if she'd asked me a few weeks ago if I was free on a Friday night I wouldn't have been. She said that.." she took a deep breath, calming herself "she said whatever you were using to bust my butt with was obviously working and then she left. It got me thinking how we had this wonderful weekend and how it was almost like before Otis.. before we lost him."

"That's why you were crying when I found you out there?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.

"Yeah" she nodded, "I suddenly got all this flashes of memories with him and well I think maybe it was too much at once. I haven't really grieved Kel not like the rest of you. I'm just so angry about it all the time and I can't get past it. I can't understand why the rest of us managed to get behind that door and he didn't. Why he was scarified, when he didn't deserve it."

"But you know that wasn't your fault don't you? It wasn't anyone's fault."

"I know" she barely whispered, her voice full of uncertainty.

"Stella look at me." He waited for her to meet his eyes before speaking again, "this guilt you have inside you, this pain it needs to come out. You can't let it control you but you do need to work through it."

"But how?" she nearly shouted, clear exasperation in her voice as she sprung to her feet. Her fist clenched tightly to her side as she swung forward and punched her locker. "The only thing that was helping is the one thing that was ruining us."

"Drinking and drugs?"

"Well yeah, but I can't keep doing that. I know I can't and not just because if I do, I'll never sit down again."

"Stella you know that we only entered this arrangement because I care so deeply for you don't you? You know it's not because I want to change you, I just want you to learn to cope with things better. Drinking, partying, doing everything you've been doing it's dangerous. And I know you're angry, you have every right to be, you lost a dear friend, we all did..."

"But everyone else has moved on" she shouted. "Everyone else in this house has moved on, we've got a replacement and now its like he never existed! Not even Cruz seems to care anymore."

"They do babe, they all still feel it too. They are just further along than you are, you are stuck in this battle of survivors guilt and I can't tell you how to deal with it but I can tell you that going out and getting blind drunk won't help."

"It's the only thing that stops the pain" she admitted almost defeatedly.

"I know babe, but it won't help trust me I've been there." He pulled her into his lap his arms locking around her back as he brought his hand up to cradle her head to his chest. "I know it feels like the only ways to deal with this pain you feel is to completely immerse yourself in booze or to die dealing with the pain but it gets easier. After Shay died, I didn't see a way forward, I couldn't allow myself to see how I could live without her. She was my best friend, much like Otis was with you. And I didn't want to live without her, so I drank and I drank until I couldn't drink anymore."

"How did you come back from it?"

"The people here" he said waving his arms around, "the people in this house helped me, Matt and Gabby mainly but everyone rallied. They saw where I was heading and they pulled me out before I dug myself a hole too deep. That's what I'm trying to do for you, I'm trying to pull you out before the hole swallows you. Because I don't know if I could survive losing you on top of everyone else."

The two sat in silence for a while, the weight of Kelly's words hitting her full force. He wasn't just talking about Otis or Shay, but everyone he had ever lost, his dad, his friends, Anna. All of them leaving a lasting impression on his heart, and making him all the more vulnerable to what losing someone else could do to him.

"I love you Stella, so much and I'm going to help you through this but you have to keep resisting the urge to go out and drink yourself into oblivion. It can't keep happening, and you've been doing so well recently. I don't want these feelings your having today to derail that okay?"

"I love you too. and I promise I won't, or rather I promise I'll try not to let this derail me." She snuggled her head further into his chest, the woman needing just a few minutes more of his comfort before they parted and went about their shift.

"That's all I ask" he told her placing a soft kiss to her head. "Chief wanted to see us" he told her gently, her body tensing in his arms.

"Is he pissed?"

"Language" Kelly warned.

"Sorry"

"You will be.. in answer to your question I don't know. He told me to come find you and then once I'd found out what the problem was that we should go to his office."

"That sounds like he is" she mused, standing back up and straightening out her uniform. "We best get in there before I get myself into anymore trouble."

Kelly stood to join her, his hand reaching for hers as he did, "I think he's worried about you more than anything."

"I'm good, I promise. Talking to you helped, I'm still upset but not as much now." She assured him kissing the side of his mouth gently before leading the way towards the hallway.

The two walked through the halls of fifty one hand in hand neither of them in any hurry to get to their destination, in truth Severide had no idea what the chief actually wanted with them. He assumed it was because of Stella's lack of presence at morning briefing but he couldn't say for sure whether or not that was true and if he was being entirely truthful with himself it made him nervous that his girlfriend and he were being pulled into the big office for another time. It wasn't a regular thing to happen, the chief usually just taking whom ever it was he needed to talk with to the side, his office usually reserved for those more serious and in depth chats. And it was one of those chats that Kelly really hoped wasn't going to take place today, although something told him that there was no such luck especially where Stella was concerned lately.

They arrived outside the chiefs door to find Boden and Casey inside, the two men joined by Antonio and Voight. Kelly's body tensed as his eyes fell upon the foursome inside the closed door, the man immediately sensing this visit to his office had nothing to do with firehouse business. Bringing his hand up to knock he spared a glance to his girl, Stella's face showing nothing in terms of what she was thinking or feeling in the moment but if he had to guess he'd say she was nervous, her hand had tighten its grip on hers and she was standing taller than before they had reached the glass door separating them from the people inside. Her gaze focused in on them waiting for a signal to enter. The signal came in the form of a wave of the chiefs hand, the man waiting until the door was closed behind them to begin speaking.

"Severide, Kidd. The Sergeant and detective need to ask you a few more questions about the Two Shoes incident. Is that okay?"

Stella looked at Kelly, the woman clearly searching for some form of reassurance from him. He swallowed thickly trying to push all his nerves away in a hope that his weak smile would help her, it wasn't much but he hoped she could take comfort from the fact he was still next to her as they took a seat opposite the men from the twenty first.

"Now I know you gave your statement to detective Upton but we have a few more questions for you."

"Okay" Stella said her voice rough and croaky from the dryness that had over taken her throat.

"First of all do you know a man by the name of Micheal James?"

"No" she said shaking her head, "should I?"

"He's the man with you in this picture?" Voight told her sliding a thick file towards her and pointing him out.

"Oh that's Mocha." Stella said looking up at them, "Micheal must be his real name but I've only ever known him as Mocha."

"Okay" Voight said nodding at her, "And how long have you girls been hanging with Mocha?"

"I don't know maybe a month, he was at Gail's after a night out but I don't really remember meeting him. I'd had a lot to drink and the night before is a bit hazy. What is this to do with? Is it those drugs again?" she asked looking between all the men surrounding her. The way they were looking at her was making her all the more nervous and she didn't like it.

"It is" Antonio confirmed, "Mocha is who we think is selling the pills and we are trying to work out his scope. We've already interviewed your friend Gail but she's telling a different story to you."

"What?" Stella exclaimed, "what is she saying?"

"She's saying you introduced him to her, she's also telling a different story on how you two have come about the drugs. She told us that you have provided them."

"I haven't" Stella said immediately her head snapping to Kelly who was wearing a blank expression. "I swear Kel I haven't ever brought any."

"Right now it doesn't matter who is buying for your use" Voight cut in before Kelly could respond. "What we need to know right now is who introduced him to who because that person is the person most likely to be introducing him to the young girls landing in the hospital. So although its fuzzy I need you to think really hard. I need you to try and remember that evening and I need the truth."

Stella sat stunned by what she was hearing, they couldn't honestly believe that she was helping a drug pusher could they. She looked between Kelly, Casey and the Chief, looking for any sign that they didn't believe what she was being accused of. "You can't... chief, Casey, you don't believe.. Kelly.. look at me babe." She said when he dropped her hand, the man standing up suddenly and moving towards the back of the room. "I didn't do anything, I am not involved in this."

She was met by shakes of the head from both the Chief and Casey but neither of them said anything, Kelly wouldn't even look at her. Her chest felt like someone had put a heavy weight in it, the tears that had been threatening her eyes finally spilled over as the realisation that her boyfriend was actually considering her involvement hit her. "I didn't do this" she choked looking back towards Antonio and Voight. "Sure I've made some shitty decisions recently but this, I would never. I will do whatever I can do to help you but I didn't do this. And if the person that did is a friend of mine.. well they aren't a friend anymore."

"Where were you the night you met Mocha?" Voight asked flipping his pad open.

"Two Shoes, I think. That's where we usually go, Gail knows one of the door men so we get in even when it's full."

"Okay and you say Gail introduced him to you? Where did that happen?"

Stella paused trying to think back to that night, "I'd gone to the bar to get some more drinks and when I came back she was sat with him. At first I just thought he was some random, we're always getting hit on in those places and Gail well she's good looking, she attracts a type though. The typical bad boy type and I could tell straight off that Mocha was no different. He pretty much spent the entire night doing lines off her chest..."

"Coke?" Kelly spat, "please tell me you don't mean coke Stella.."

Her head snapped round to face him only to be met by a harsh glare. "I didn't do it."

"God!" he pushed out, this was worst than he had ever imagined.

"Kelly..."

"We'll talk about it later" he snapped biting off each word, leaving no room for argument.

Slowly she returned her focus to the police, "So yeah she introduced him to me."

"You say roughly a month ago?"

"That's right."

"Do you remember what night?" Antonio asked.

"Friday maybe Saturday, we were out all that weekend.. I.. er.. I told Kelly I was visiting family outta town" she glanced behind her to see his reaction, the woman fearing what wrath her confession was going to bring down on her. His eyes were focused on her, his body closed off as he eyed her, his arms crossed aggressively across his chest. "but I wasn't, I was at Gail's. We got drunk and partied too hard. But that's when we met him, well when I met him. I can't say if Gail knew him before or not."

"Okay, thank you." Voight told her standing up, "we might need to speak to you again but for now I'd suggest staying away from Gail. That girl is only going to get you in trouble."

"I think she already has" Stella whispered, her voice barely audible and if the sergeant hadn't been so close to her he probably wouldn't have heard it but he did. His gaze moving from her to Severide an understanding look on his face.

"Yeah probably" he whispered as he moved past her, his hand squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. "Thank you chief for letting us take up your time, we're going to go and see if we can prove Stella's version of events, but from what I know about her and Gail, I'd say it's more than likely that Kidd here is telling us the truth."

"Thank you" Boden said offering his hand to both men and shaking them before they made their exit.

Stella sat in the same spot she'd been in since entering the office her head flopped into her hands as the immensity of the situation sunk in. This was really bad, worse than she had originally thought. She'd thought it was bad enough when Upton had turned up at the apartment but this, this was so much worse. She was being looked at as a suspect in the movement and distribution of drugs, drugs that were landing people in hospital.

"Kidd" Boden's voice snapped her out of her head.

"Chief" she replied standing up.

"I think it's better if you go home."

"No" Stella near shouted, "please chief, I haven't done anything I swear."

"That may be so but until this is all cleared up I don't have much choice. I have to follow protocol here and if it were anyone else they would be suspended, I have to do the same for you."

"But.. "

"Stella listen to him" Kelly snapped. He was angry, she could see that and she had no intention of making him angrier.

"Okay" she spoke the defeat in her eyes and voice shattering his heart. "I'll go home but first please believe me I didn't do this, I wouldn't."

"I know"

"You sure?" she asked, taking a step towards her boyfriend, "because earlier.."

"I'm furious at what you've been caught up in and we will be discussing it but I don't believe you would have done what you're being accused of. You've done some stupid stuff recently but you wouldn't do this. I truly believe this is Gail trying to save her ass by throwing you under the bus. It however doesn't change the fact that you have been accused and as a result chief has to follow the protocol."

"I'm sorry" she told him.

"I know, I am too."

Uh oh, so Stella's reckless behaviour has gotten her into some serious trouble and not just with Kelly. Will the police be able to clear her name or is she destined to take the blame?

I rewrote this chapter a few times, I wasn't liking the direction I had taken it. I always knew that I wanted the drug OD's to be a bit of an underlying story line but was struggling with which way to take it so I hope this turned out okay for you guys too.

How do we think Kelly is going to react when he speaks to her about all of this? What would you guys like to see? Him mad? Him understanding a bit of both?

Let me know in the comments below :) And as always thank you for taking the time to read.