A/N: This story picks up after my One Year Anniversary story. Kelly is back from Alabama, and he and Stella are excited about the newest addition coming to their family. It's got a little bit of drama, but a whole lot of love.
Never Be The Same
Chapter 1
Stella lay beside her husband, watching him sleep. She was running her finger around his face, his jaw, his lips, and his neck. She smiled at him as he slept. She missed waking up next to him. It was the first morning in six weeks that she had got to wake up next to him. His arms were still around her waist; he was holding her close. After about four rounds of making love, they fell asleep in each other's arms. Stella's mind wandered back to the past year. She thought about how life is a beautiful thing; your entire life can change in a year. And boy has the past year been a hell of a ride, at least in Stella's eyes.
A year ago, she married the love of her life, her safe place, her protector, and her world. This past year, she has been shot at while running through the woods holding her husband's hand; she had a gun in her face as she lay on the ground scared to move, and he saved her; she was involved in an explosion, and he saved her again.
She was in the hospital, and he never left her side. She started having nightmares about the explosion, and he was there, checking on her, reassuring her she was okay, and calming her down just with his touch.
They had a disagreement that almost led them to work different shifts, just because she couldn't control herself when he was in danger. She learned that he too can unravel when it comes to her that has never happened to him before. He is not a robot; he is as scared of losing her as she is of him.
An out-of-the-blue academy training opportunity came up, and he jumped at the chance. She didn't understand at the time why it was so important and why he didn't consider her opinion inconsiderate. She thought she was missing something like she'd done something to cause him to jump on the first flight to Alabama.
She spent the first two weeks that he was gone blaming herself. He called her every day and texted her throughout the day, but she kept feeling like she was missing something. She never told anyone how she truly felt about him leaving. She kept it buried inside.
She and her truck guys got involved in a gang shooting, and bullets were flying all around her. That call had her worked up, even though she told Boden she was fine. It wasn't till she went to Kelly's office so he could calm her down that she found Cruz sitting in his chair, which was a gut-wrenching punch in the stomach for her. She forgot for a moment that he wasn't there. She told Cruz that coming to Kelly's office after a call like that was on instinct, it hit her when she saw their wedding picture on his desk. The next thing she knows, she's unloading on Cruz about how she feels about her husband's sudden departure.
She was so embarrassed by her little breakdown with Cruz that she had to apologize to him. He told her it was fine, and he also told her, "I've never seen two people more perfect for each other than you and Severide." Those words brought her so much peace. That night, she and Kelly made a plan for her to come to see him.
Her short trip was definitely what she needed. Seeing her husband was the comfort she was missing. She told him how she was feeling, and he assured her that his decision had nothing to do with her. She wasn't missing anything; the training program was a great opportunity for him and 51. The weekend was perfect but leaving was hard. She cried the whole flight home.
She came back home to an empty loft, but she was in better spirits now that she got to see her husband, and they had talked about everything. The weeks passed by so slowly that she thought she was going crazy counting down the days till his return.
She got a little depressed as their first wedding anniversary was approaching. He was still in Alabama; he kept telling her he would be home by then. But she had her doubts. Their anniversary day rolled around, and just as she feared he was still in Alabama, he was trying to get home. But the weather kept that from happening. She didn't want to spend the day without him. She was upset about the situation; she knew he couldn't control the weather. She just didn't want to go another day without him.
She lucked out, though; her friends Brett, Chloe, and Violet talked her into having a girl's day. She never dreamed how much her life was going to change yesterday.
She got to spend some much-needed time with her girlfriends. But a phone call from Maggie changed her and Kelly's lives. Finding out she was pregnant was not something she expected. Yes, she's been thinking about it for a while, but life just kept getting in the way.
Maggie said she was eight weeks, which still didn't add up to Stella. He's been gone eight weeks; they must have conceived the baby his last night in town for her to be eight weeks. But then again, they pretty much made love every night they weren't on shift after their little disagreement. So eight weeks could be right.
If that wasn't enough for one day, she came home to the loft covered with rose petals and candles everywhere. It was like a scene from a movie, and seeing her husband made it ten times better. He planned a wonderful surprise for her, and though they spent the whole night making love and talking, he also surprised her with a trip to Jamaica. And she surprised him by telling him they were having a baby. The smile that graced his face when she told him, she will remember forever. Yeah, life is pretty perfect right now.
She laid her head on his chest and traced her finger up and down his abs. She smiles, and as she feels his hand run down her back, and he kisses the top of her head.
"I missed this." She tells him as they lay there enjoying each other's touch.
" Me too, babe," he replied, as he reached for her hand and interlocked their fingers.
"I love when my fingers are entangled with yours and my head is laying on your chest. Listening to your heartbeat makes me feel so safe. Like nothing bad could happen to me."
He kisses her hand and says, "I will always keep you safe. I promise."
She smiled at his words, "You know how when you're little and you have a favorite blanket or stuffed animal? And you need it with you because it makes you feel safe, and at that time it was the most important thing in the world to you. "
"Yeah, I had a stuffed puppy; his name was Rover." He tells her as he smiles.
"I had a stuffed unicorn; her name was Snowflake. I took her everywhere. She always made me feel safe." She lifts her head and looks into his eyes. "That's what you are to me; you're my safe place, and you make me feel complete."
Kelly caressed her cheek and said, "You are my safe place. When I'm with you, I can be myself, be open, be without fear, and be without control. You help me be the best I can be by showing me your love. You are the most important person in my life. I love you so much."
She kisses him softly. "I love you so much too," she whispers against his lips, before kissing him again. Simple kiss that led to another round of love-making.
Stella and Kelly waited in the doctor's office for the doctor to come in. Stella called her doctor to schedule an appointment this morning and lucked out—they had a cancellation, so she was able to see her today. Stella wanted to confirm everything and let Kelly see the baby.
"Good morning, Stella," an older woman said as she entered the room.
"Good morning, Dr. Sophia, this is my husband, Kelly."
"Nice to meet you, Kelly."
"You too, ma'am."
"Okay, so you're pregnant; congratulations." She tells them as she puts her gloves on.
Kelly looked down at his wife, who was laying on the bed with a huge smile. He squeezed her hand when the doctor applied the cold gel to her tummy. "It's so cold," she tells him, and he winks at her.
"Okay, here we go." Dr. Sophia said as she hooked up the ultrasound. She took the wand and moved it around Stella's tummy. "Yep, right there is your baby," she told them as she pointed to the monitor.
Stella watched Kelly's face as he leaned down closer to see where the doctor was pointing.
"Almost 3/4 of an inch in length and 2 grams in weight," Dr. Sophia says, you're around eight weeks old; it looks good." She gave the couple a look. "I like to explain ultrasound to first-time parents. Your fetus is about the size of a kidney bean and could be nearly half an inch long. While they still don't look like the bouncing bundle of joy, you'll give birth to, they look more human and less otherworldly. Now they have arm and leg buds, and although they're webbed, they have fingers and toes."
" Wow!" Kelly whispered as he continued to look at the screen. The look of amazement on his face melted Stella's heart.
" So, can you tell me my due date yet?" Stella asked as she looked at the monitor
"Give me just a moment." Dr. Sophia said as she continued to look at the baby. "It looks like it's going to be a fall baby, around November 26 or so."
"A Thanksgiving baby," Stella said, as she smiled up at Kelly.
Kelly leaned down and kissed her. "I can't wait," he tells her. He has never seen her this happy.
"Do you want to hear her or his heartbeat?" Dr. Sophia asked them
"Yes," they said at the same time.
"Okay, give it just a second," Dr. Sophia said. "There is your baby's heartbeat, Mom and Dad."
Stella's eyes widen, and her mouth drops as she hears the sound for the first time.
Kelly's eyes are laced with tears, and he closes his eyes, taking in the sound of his baby's heartbeat. He is brought out of the moment when he feels Stella touch his cheek. "That's our baby," he tells her as she wipes his tears away.
"I know," she tells him. as her tears start to fall. He leans down and kisses her tears away.
Dr. Sophia gave them a moment to enjoy what was happening. She had tears in her eyes. "Now, Stella, I can't have you running into fires anymore. You are going to have to put that on the back burner for now." She tells her, knowing how much she loves her job.
"She's definitely not going to run into any fires. I'll make sure of that." Kelly assures the doctor.
Stella nods, "I promise no fires, no dangerous calls. My number one priority is this baby."
"I'm glad to hear that," she tells her.
It was a beautiful May afternoon in Chicago, and Kelly and Stella have been over the moon since leaving the doctor's office. They walked up the steps, happiness beaming from both of them Kelly pulled her to him and kissed her softly. "I love you."
"I love you too." She tells him sweetly.
Kelly knocks on the door, and they stare at each other till the door opens. "Severide, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Boden said, in a surprised tone,
"I'm back, Chief," Kelly said, as the two men embraced.
"Come in, both of you," Boden tells the young couple. "Donna just left; she'll be sorry she missed you."
Stella and Kelly walked in and took a seat on the couch. "So, was the trip good? You learn a thing or two?"
"Yeah, it was an interesting one. I learned a lot." Kelly told him.
"It's just good to have you back; you've been missed."
"I've missed everyone too, and I've missed the action," Kelly tells him.
"I know that feeling."
Stella looked at Kelly and took a deep breath. "Well, Chief, we came to talk to you about something," Stella said she was now feeling nervous.
Boden eyed them carefully. "Okay, what's up?"
"I need to step back from the lieutenant spot for a while."
Boden's eyes widen. "What? Why?" He stood up. "Did something happen? Was it Carver? Gallo? Mouch? "
"No, sir, I'm...
"You worked so hard for that spot; you are an inspiration to 51; you are an excellent lieutenant," he said, cutting her off. He starts pacing back and forth. "Was it something I did?"
"Of course not."
"I just don't understand why you want to throw this opportunity away. You have a great career ahead of you. You are a natural-born leader."
"Chief," Kelly said.
"You will be making a huge mistake by quitting; leadership is in your blood, and your Girls on Fire girls admire you; they look up to you. What are you going to say to them?"
"I will tell them..." Stella started but was interrupted again by Boden.
"What are you going to tell everyone at 51? They are all proud of the leader you have become. Gallo and Ritter look up to you. " He looks at Kelly. "You were her biggest supporter; why are you letting her do this? She has a year under her belt and so many more to go."
"I'm pregnant!" Stella yelled, and Boden's mouth dropped.
A huge grin appeared "Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?"
"She tried; you were like the energized bunny you kept going and going," Kelly said, with a laugh. " We couldn't get a word in."
Boden shrugged "Sorry!" he laughed. "Congratulations," he tells her as he pulls her up to hug her. "You too, Severide." he hugs him too.
"Thank you. I still want to be a lieutenant, but we just figure it's best if you find a stand-in while I'm pregnant."
"I completely understand. I don't want you running into any fires." He sat down. "I will start calling around today to see if I can get a floater for you for tomorrow."
"Well, Kelly got me in at OFI, but I'll be on shift tomorrow. We want to tell 51 our news. I'll just catch up on some paperwork and stuff."
That sounds like a plan to me." Boden tells her. "You guys are going to make great parents."
"That means a lot coming from you," Stella tells him, and Kelly agrees.
The next morning, they pulled up to the firehouse. " Are you ready for this?" she said to him. As she grabbed his hand.
Kelly looked at her " I've never been more ready in my life. You have no idea how happy I am, " he tells her.
" Yes, I do, " She replied. as she leans over and kisses him, " I love you"
" I love you more, Stella Kidd Severide," he tells her sweetly.
" I love the sound of that."
" Me too, " he tells her before getting out of the car, he grabs her hand and walks toward the firehouse. " Well, look who decided to come back," Tony said, as Capp ran towards the couple.
"It's about time to show your ugly mug around her again." Capped said as he hugged Kelly.
"You were missed, Lieutenant," Tony said, as he hugged him.
"I've missed being here."
As the rest of the 51 came in and saw Severide, hugs, and smiles were going around. Stella smiled as she watched Kelly hug everyone. " Did you enjoy your Anniversary night?" Brett asked. giving her a smirk.
"I sure did, thank you for everything, and he is thrilled about the baby. we are going to tell everyone at the morning briefing."
" I'm so happy for you guys," Brett tells her as they hugged. They both laugh as they hear Violet's voice.
"So, Severide, are you sure you don't have any brothers, half-brothers, step-brothers, or cousins? " She asked, as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. Kelly gave Stella and Brett a confused look. Stella just shrugged at him.
About twenty minutes later, after the briefing, Boden said, "So, we had some news to discuss with you all; it will affect the whole house, mainly truck 81. Lieutenant Kidd, the floor is yours."
Everyone looked around at each other, wondering what was going on. Stella steps to the front of the room. " Thanks, Chief. It's not bad news, so don't stress," she said, looking at Kelly, who smiled at her. "I am stepping away from my lieutenant spot for a bit. I'm going to OFI...
" What?" Mouch, Gallo, and Ritter yelled. Stopping her from finishing what she was going to say.
"Why?" Cruz yelled.
"What did Mouch do?" Herrmann asked.
"I didn't do anything," Mouch defended himself. "It's Carver or Gallo."
"We didn't do anything," Gallo said, looking at Carver, who was just sitting there. "At least I didn't do anything," he said, as he watched a very upset Carver. Wondering what was going on with him.
"Calm down," Stella said, as she smiled at their reactions. "It's good to know I'm that loved," she laughed. "I am going to OFI... because."
"This is bullshit," Carver said, as he stormed out of the room.
Everyone exchanged looks. Kelly looked at Stella, who was looking down at the floor. He walked over to her and asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she tells him; he can see the confusion in her eyes. "I didn't think he would react like that"
"Don't worry about him," Kelly tells her as he kisses her forehead. "He's got some serious issues going on."
"I know." she tells him, she clears her throat, " We have wonderful news to share." She grabs his hand and pushes Carver from her mind. "There is a reason why Kelly and I made this decision." She looked up at him. "We're pregnant!" she exclaimed.
What!" Mouch yelled, running to her. "Thank God, I thought it had something to do with the Carver thing," he whispered in her ear. "Congratulations to both of you." he said, as he pulled back.
Stella smiled, "Definitely not," she told him. Her mind replayed what happened at Molly's and last shift. She has to tell Kelly soon.
" That is wonderful news, I can't wait to tell Cindy" Herrmann tells them.
"Congrats, guys," Capp and Tony said.
" It's about time," Cruz said, as he hugged them. " It's a life-changing experience."
Everyone was hollering and hugging them. Stella watched Kelly laughing and smiling; she was really happy he was home. But now she needed to prepare herself for a conversation, a conversation he wasn't going to like.