"For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kelly sat in the garage of Firehouse 51 surrounded by fellow members of squad at their designated squad only table, the rest house were scatted throughout the place although he could hear Shay getting into an argument with Mouch about god knows that, probably something stupid knowing the two of them. Today's shift had been pretty light so far, although Severide knew better than to ever say this aloud. It was a well known fact between all firefighters, not just CFD that you never commented on how quiet the shift may or may not have been and you definitely did not mention the time because if you did the next thing you know you were getting called out to the first of many calls. Hence why everyone knew better than to say things had been very quiet today, despite them all knowing it. Flicking through the magazine that he was quickly losing interest in, Kelly quickly put it down when he saw Serena walking into the garage.

"Hey Dr. Rocket…" Kelly said leaning back in his chair with a grin plastered all over his face, he was very happy to see to Serena as she was the perfect and very much welcome distraction for his boredom.

"Right back at you Lt. Severide." Serena quipped.

"So what brings you here to my neck of the woods?" Kelly asked as he got up from his seat and walked over to Serena.

"Well I wanted to talk with you and I know better than to come to a fire house empty handed so I brought food for everyone… Just so you know it's my lasagna." Serena replied with a smile as she handed over the bag of food that she had brought in with her, which just pleased Kelly even more as he adored Serena's cooking on the rare occasions that she actually cooked. His seemingly mediocre day was brightening up considerably all thanks to his favourite Rocket. He was glad she was back in town now.

"And what merits Serena McArthur's famous lasagna? You don't like cooking much Rocket so what gives?" Kelly asked and Serena just rolled her eyes at the comment about her cooking.

"Not once have I ever stated that I don't like cooking, I just don't have the time to cook since I am a very busy person Kelly which makes it more convenient for me to order to take out and buy food frequently for deli's. But I am a great cook, that is when I chose to cook…" Serena retorted and Kelly just laughed as he knew Serena had a point, she was a great cook and she knew it. Although it took a lot of work on Kelly's part to convince her to cook something for him and it was had to have alcohol involved.

"So what exactly did you do Kelly?"

"What do you mean Rocket?" Kelly asked trying to play nonchalant, like he had no idea what Serena was going on, instead peeking into the bad filled with lasagna.

"Don't give me that Kelly, you know exactly what I'm talking about without me even having to say it. I can see it on your face, especially your eyes which are twinkling with mischief. A sure sign that you've been up to no good Kelly Severide. Don't you forget Kelly, I know you almost better than you know yourself." Serena retorted and despite knowing full well what Serena was talking about Kelly chose to feign ignorance as he loved winding her up and watching her squirm. Whilst she no longer the twenty five year old med student who he could wind up so easily, it didn't mean that Kelly couldn't still press Serena's buttons.

"Rocket, I really have no idea what you're talking about." Kelly casually lied.

"Really? So you have no idea that two days ago I got a call from the chief of surgery at Lakeshore who offered me a job over the phone as an attending trauma surgeon? Apparently my reputation in dealing with traumas and my skills as a surgeon speaks for itself not to mention I come highly recommended and Lakeshore would be honored to have Rocket McArthur on it's staff." Serena questioned and Kelly knew that he was busted, but he didn't care if that meant that he could see Serena a lot more if she was working by a hospital close to the station. It was a rather shameless thing for him to do but Kelly didn't really care.

"Okay so I made one or two calls and spoke to the chief of trauma surgery but it's all true, your a great surgeon Rocket–" Kelly began.

"Of course I know that's true, Kelly I'm a surgeon which means I'm a narcissistic and arrogant bastard with a god complex but you made me sound like I was James Duke." Serena interrupted trying to scold Kelly but he couldn't' take her seriously because of the broad smile on her face.

"Who?"

"Dr. James Duke Jr nicknamed Red who is quite possibly the most brilliant and famous trauma surgeon there ever was. Seriously I went to one of his lectures once and it blew me away. He is a trauma god, he is my trauma god." Serena explained and it just caused Kelly to laugh, he had no idea what that even met but it didn't matter.

"Your funny Rocket but seriously I just wanted to do you a favor after everything you've done for me and call this a bit selfish but you being at Lakeshore means I get see you more often. I've missed you these last couple of years and you being around more would be great considering everything…" Kelly admitted as he was still having a hard time coping with Andy's death and to deal with that he was surrounding himself constantly with people. And Kelly wanted one of those people to be Serena. He had realized how much he had missed her when she was gone until now, when she was standing here next to him going on about some guy he'd never heard about and he didn't want her to leave again, at least any time soon. That was the thing about Serena McArthur, she had this ability to make Kelly feel like he was important and worth something whenever the two of them were together. To Serena he wasn't Kelly Severide, the womanizing firefighter he was just Kelly, although occasionally he was the Kelly the major jackass but that was only when he had really pissed her off.

"You sentimental old fool." Serena said gently nudging Kelly in the ribs.

"Don't pretend like you haven't missed it Rocket." Kelly quipped and he could see Serena was trying her hardest not to smile, it was clear that she was pleased about him opening stating that he had missed her.

"Maybe. I don't know, you'll have to get a couple of drinks down my throat before I'll even think about admitting to something like that Kelly Severide."

Kelly couldn't help but smirk, she was the same old Rocket and she would never change. "Maybe I will… How about we grab a couple of drinks after my shift is over and we'll try and see if I can't bring out the old sentimental idiot in you too."

"Would love to, you know I'm never one to turn down a drink but I've got to work, I'm on call for the night shift which means working from 7pm to 7am if not longer depending on the amount of surgeries I have." Serena said with a small frown and Kelly could see that she was annoyed about working instead of being able to go out drinking with him.

"You're working already?" Kelly asked in surprise, as that was rather quick given that Serena had only been offered the job two days ago.

"Not till the day after tomorrow, today is my last per diem shift at Northwestern and after that I will officially be a attending trauma surgeon at Lakeshore. It's all very exciting working in Chicago again. "

"Northwestern, huh?"

"Yeah I'm giving up working at Northwestern for you Kelly Severide so you owe me big time buddy and trust me when I say I intend to collect." Serena quipped before leaning up and pressing a kiss to Kelly's cheek.

"Call me later?"

"Make me." Serena retorted before walking away and Kelly watched as she walked out of the garage, laughing at the absurdity that was Serena McArthur. How the two of them had become friends was beyond him but he was sure as hell glad that they were and that she was back again. Kelly had missed being able to waltz up at her work and manage to convince her in less than five minutes to go out to some bar with her for a drink which would inevitably turn into six or seven.

"–Hey… Was that Serena? She's still in town? I thought she would have gone back to Boston already."

Kelly looked to his right and saw Shay standing there beside him with a surprised look on her face, Shay knew Serena through him although they hadn't seen each other in a while due to Serena leaving town for a while. "Yeah it was, she came over because she wanted to thank me for something and she brought food along with her."

"Oh? So what did she want to thank you for?" Shay questioned.

"I found out that she was going to be in town for a few months that's all and I may have hooked her up with a job at Lakeshore. It was the least I could do…" Kelly casually replied, trying to play things down as to make it not sound like a big deal but already Kelly could see that Shay didn't quite believe that.

"Really? And it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that she's single at the moment and so are you?" Shay questioned and Kelly could see where Shay was going to go with this, given that she always went to that place when it came to him and Serena.

"Serena and I are just friends, we've always just been friends and that it's it. I was just doing her a favor like I'd do for you, there's nothing more to it Shay." Kelly stated with a small shake of his head, as Shay was reading into something that wasn't there.

"Oh c'mon Kelly it has never been that simple, the two of you have always been a little more than friends and I'm not just talking about the flirting or the lingering looks. The two of you have had on and off feelings for each other ever since that day you met." Shay said referring to how Kelly and Serena met when she was doing an ER rotation when she was in med school and the two of them literally crashed into each other and ending up saving the life of some man together mere moments later.

"Okay I admit that it is true but it's no big deal Shay…" Kelly said waving Shay's observation off. He had been attracted to Serena at some point over the years but it was hard not to, there was no denying to that she was very good looking and he was fond of the way she scrunched up her nose when she didn't believe something. Serena was smart, funny and so easy going a lot of the time and she had no problem grabbing a bear and sitting down and watching a game as she had grown up out numbered by her brothers and her father. Serena could be one of the boys at times but at the same time she also managed to be this successful and gorgeous women who could stand up for herself and bust balls when she needed to.

"No big deal? Kelly you were in love with Serena three years ago, you even followed to Boston to tell her how you feel!" Shay stated and Kelly didn't say anything to that because he knew it was true. At some point three and a half years ago he had fallen in love with Serena which had been a long time coming according to Shay but then the two of had fallen out due to something happening between the two of them and she had gone to Boston. It took Kelly two slow weeks to finally get his act together and realize he didn't want to loose her and so he went up to Boston to tell Serena how he felt.

"Look I know I was in love with Rocket at one point and after I went to Boston and saw her happy she was I realized it was never meant to be. If Serena and I were meant to be together than we would have gotten together years ago, instead we always had feelings for each other when the other one was unavailable. The two of us are better of as friends Shay and that's all we're going to be this time…"