I could not tell you if I loved you the first moment I saw you, or if it was the second or third or fourth. But I remember the first moment I looked at you walking toward me and realized that somehow the rest of the world seemed to vanish when I was with you."

Cassandra Clare

This conversation with his father was more difficult than what Kelly imagined it would be but like Benny had told him, he had come to him because he need to hear the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. Kelly had told him practically everything, he had mentioned his intention to quit the CFD and move to Madrid with Renee. But Benny had been quick to point out the flaws in those plans which Kelly had always known deep down but he didn't want to admit. It all sounded like too much of a fairy tale and Kelly wasn't that kind of person and Kelly had needed his father to remind him that he wasn't the fairy tale kind of person. That he needed to live back in reality where he belonged. Kelly belonged at Rescue, he belonged in the CFD and not in Madrid.

"What about Serena? What does she think about this craziness?" Benny asked with a small chuckle.

"Why does it matter what Rocket thinks pop?"

"Because Serena McArthur matters, that's why." Benny retorted and Kelly couldn't help but laugh, there had been this reoccurring joke between him and Serena that Benny liked her more than she liked him. Kelly was starting to think that it was true as there had been no woman in his life that his father had really liked apart from Serena. Then again Kelly didn't really make it a habit of introducing women in his life to his father but he had with Serena and his dad had loved her from the moment they had met. Kelly wasn't exactly sure why but he was certain that the fact she was the daughter of Chief McArthur and came from a family of firefighters and knew the life helped.

"I haven't told her, at least about the surgery."

"Why not?"

"Rocket worries too much."

"Serena always worries, it who she is." Benny pointed out and Kelly knew that his father had him there. Serena was a constant worrier but Kelly didn't want to worry her even more especially after what happened yesterday. He could still see the tears in her eyes as she yelled at him about why her leaving three years ago without telling him was different. That it wasn't because she didn't care, rather it was because she cared too much. Back then he had been in love her and it turns she had loved him too.

"I told her about Spain last night and she freaked out dad, Serena got upset with me and I didn't know that she'd get like that. I knew she wouldn't be happy about the news but she was angry and yelling at me. Then I mentioned her leaving a few years ago for her fellowship and I found out that back then she was in love with me. We had this thing and she had a boyfriend at the time and things after that weren't the same and six months later she was gone. I thought she left without a word because of what happened but she left because she loved me and she didn't know how to fix everything. Rocket was scared and she left because she wanted me to be happy…"

"And were you happy?"

"Well yeah eventually but it wasn't the same without her there dad." Kelly admitted as it had taken him about a good three months to get over Serena being gone and it hurt more then he would have liked to have admitted.

"Well it sounds like Serena is in the same boat you were in three years ago Kelly, watching someone she cares about leaving when they could have stayed." Benny began before pausing. "Were you in love with her as well?"

"I went after her dad so of course I was in love with her. But she seemed happy in Boston that I decided that I would let her be happy even if it was without me."

"The two of you are so blind that you wouldn't find your way to each other even if you had a map and a compass with you. Such a pair of idiots…" Benny scoffed and Kelly frowned.

"Pop, what's that supposed to mean?"

"She's the one Kelly. I may not be an expert in romance and women but I know you and I know Serena and she is the one for you. The two of you should have got together years ago but the two of you keep messing each other around. You kept womanizing and she couldn't be honest with you. I said your not ready to move to Madrid with this Renee woman but you are finally ready to be with Serena. To be happy with the one you love. You just need to make the decision, no matter how hard it is."

It had been an extremely long twenty four hours but Kelly was now certain of everything, there was no longer any self doubt. Kelly knew that he needed to hear the truth no matter how hard it was which is why he had gone to Benny. His father had put everything in perspective for him and now Kelly could see things clearly. Just yesterday he was thinking that moving to Madrid with Renee was the answer to all of his problems but deep down it wasn't. As much as he had cared for Renee, Kelly knew that his life was here in Chicago and Kelly couldn't walk away from it. Kelly couldn't walk away from her again. He had done that three and a half years ago when he followed Serena to Boston and then left after seeing Serena happy in her new life. But now Kelly had knew that the only reason. Kelly had broken the news to Renee that he was going to have the operation but he wasn't coming to Madrid with her and naturally she had been devastated. Renee had asked if Serena had anything to do with it and Kelly admitted that she was part of the reason that he was going to stay. But he had sworn to her that nothing had happened whilst the two of them were together and after saying goodbye Renee was gone. Kelly had informed Shay about his decision and now he had to tell the one other woman in his life. The one who maybe mattered most to him and who needed to hear this news from him in person.

Which is what brought Kelly back to Lakeshore just over twelve hours after he had last been here. When Serena had been standing in front of him practically crying in front of him and apologizing for something that Kelly had never blamed her for. He knew she was angry about what happened with the two of them when she was dating Richard. But he had never known how she really felt and if Kelly had known then he would have never let her go back then. Now he was going to do what he should have done all those years ago. Arriving at Lakeshore's emergency room Kelly went about looking for Serena, searching every curtain that held a bed with no sign of her. Until he spotted Emma, a friend of Serena's and a nurse standing in a trauma room and Kelly figured he could find out where Serena was from her. But as he approached the trauma room he could see the side of what he could see was Serena and he quietly snuck into the room. Straight away Emma noticed him and Kelly motioned for her not to give anything away.

"So how are you feeling about Kelly and everything since last night?" Emma asked, Serena currently had her back to the two of them and Kelly had no clue what he was doing. All that mattered was the look on her face when she saw that he was here.

"What does it matter? Kelly is on the way too Madrid with Renee and I'm here."

"You were pretty upset Serena."

"I know I was. I'm surprised your not gloating about this entire thing as you were right about it of course." Serena quietly murmured and Kelly couldn't help but frown as he glanced at Emma, as apparently he was missing something here.

"Why would I gloat?" Emma questioned

"You know why." Serena retorted in a rather grumpy manner and Kelly almost gave the whole thing away by laughing. "You were right about me still having feelings for Kelly and now I am right back where I was three and a half years ago. Miserable and alone yet again. But at least Kelly is happy, he left me a text last night saying he would call when he got to Madrid which should be in another few hours.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Emma stated with a bright smile on her face and Kelly didn't even need to see Serena's face to know that there was no doubt a frown plastered all over her face.

"What are you talking about Em?"

"Turn around." Kelly announced, making his presence known and he saw Serena's back instantly straighten up and it seemed like forever until she turned around. Kelly noted Serena looked tired but the look of surprise on her face said it all even if did still look like she had been crying at some point. Serena started taking little steps towards and then she stopped so Kelly walked the remaining distance towards Serena so that he was standing right in front of Serena, towering over her just so slightly and he looked into these green eyes of hers. The eyes that he loved so much that were currently glistening with emotion. Kelly couldn't imagine getting on that plane and leaving his Rocket, his father was right. Serena McArthur was the one for him.

"Your not on the plane." Serena quietly whispered and Kelly smiled.

"I'm not on the plane." Kelly replied as placed a hand on the side of Serena's cheek and leant down pulled Serena in closer so he could kiss her. It was clear that she was shocked at first but soon enough their lips were moving against each others. There was a relief that Kelly had been craving which washed over him as he kissed Serena as he knew that had done the right thing not going through Renee as him being here with Serena felt right. The feeling of her lips against his was something that he hadn't been consciously aware that he had been missing. Between the fullness of her lips and the heat that their bodies so close together brought, there was a desperate need of wanting and longing as they had been apart for so long and yet in a way so close. Eventually Serena broke the kiss but Kelly didn't let her go, he held onto Serena as he never wanted to let her go again.

"What about Renee?" Serena hoarsely whispered as Kelly leaned his forehead against hers,

"I told her that I couldn't go to Madrid as I couldn't leave Chicago. There were things here that I just couldn't leave." Kelly quietly stated and he could see the tears starting to form in Serena's eyes. He had never been so open and direct with his feelings towards her and it was scary but his father was. All the years that him and Serena could have been together he was messing around and Kelly didn't want that anymore. He just wanted her, if she would have him.

"We do this, we can't be messing around anymore we have to be serious about this Kelly. We have to be serious about us." Serena stated and Kelly nodded his head as he began wiping away Serena's tears. Twice in less than twenty-four hours had he made her cry. This would be the last time,

"I have always been serious about you, I know I never said it before Rocket but I should have. I should have told you the start, from the first time I saw you smile at me."