A/N: Hi friends! Long time no see (my bad). I had something different planned for E but I watched 10x21 again and this idea popped in my head and would not be ignored. Hope you enjoy!

elope

Stella Kidd thought she knew fear.

She'd overcome a traumatic youth, made it through a toxic, unstable marriage, and faced death every day in her line of work. She could handle fear.

But the feeling that washed over her when Boden's voice came over the radio telling her about Kelly's attack? That was a new level of fear.

Mouch, Gallo, and Mason had all gone quiet in the truck and Mouch immediately turned 81 around, heading towards the hospital instead of the firehouse. Gallo and Mason both pulled their phones out, checking for texts or missed calls from their teammates, looking for anything that would give them more information on what the hell was going on.

Pulling up outside the emergency entrance of Med, Stella jumped out and hurried inside, desperate to get to Kelly as quickly as possible. Weaving through nurses and Med staff, she looked at the different treatment bays, too distracted to even mutter an 'excuse me' to those she nearly collided with.

Thankfully, a nurse appeared and pointed her to the right room. Stella gave her a quick nod of thanks and then hurried inside, throwing the privacy curtains out of the way until she finally saw Kelly.

He looked awful—bruised and cut and bloody—but he was alive, and that fact alone made him the most beautiful thing Stella had ever seen.

"God, Kelly," she muttered. Stella's voice broke as tears welled in her eyes. She stepped forward with arms outstretched, anxious to hold Kelly in her arms. She hesitated though, unsure where to touch that wouldn't hurt him further. Stella gently cupped Kelly's neck, using her thumbs to stroke his cheeks. "How bad is it, really? Are you in pain?"

Kelly rested his hands on Stella's hips. "I'm OK—it's just some bruised ribs, cuts, and a little bit of road rash. It probably looks worse than it feels, but I'll let you know when the drugs wear off."

Kelly smirked and Stella rolled her eyes. The pounding in her chest had calmed a bit, but she wasn't ready to make light of the situation just yet.

There had been plenty of times throughout their relationship when Stella could have lost Kelly forever (and vice versa). This wasn't even the first time his life had been threatened or the most dangerous situation he'd been in since they'd gotten engaged, but something about this time felt different, more real.

"How did this happen?" Stella asked quietly, her eyes going back to the bandages that covered Kelly's torso. "I mean, do you think this has anything to do with the food truck?"

Kelly shrugged. "Maybe? I don't know. Boden's talking to the cops right now."

Stella nodded then moved her hands to start massaging Kelly's neck. Her eyes filled with tears again. "I was so scared when I got the call from Boden. My mind immediately went to the worst thing and I-"

"I know. Everything's OK," Kelly said quietly, pulling Stella even closer. "Stella, I love you."

"I love you too and I know I've been pushing too hard to get my way with everything lately–"

"Yeah but I think we both know that's not the real problem here." Kelly ran a hand down his face. He paused for a moment to look at Stella, his own tears starting to gather in his eyes. "It's crazy...we run into burning buildings for a living. Why the hell are we so scared of this?"

Stella stroked Kelly's face, wiping away the lone tear that had escaped. "Because we don't know what the hell we're doing. There's no academy for this."

Before Kelly could say anything, the privacy curtain opened, allowing Boden and Detective Pryma to enter.

After pleasantries, Detective Pryma launched into details on Kelly's attack and the investigation. WIth just enough terrifying detail, Stella listened as he explained the connection between Kelly's attack, Del Cante and the food truck and the ongoing Narcotics investigation into Thomas Campbell.

As she and Kelly listened to the update Detective Pryma gave them, that familiar sinking feeling—the one she felt when Boden's call first came across the radio—made its way back into Stella's gut. Kelly's attack was cold and calculated, clear-cut revenge for what happened with the food truck and a clear warning of what could come.

They were supposed to be getting married and spending the rest of their lives together, but now vengeful drug dealers were threatening their future.

If Kelly's attack was considered a "warning", Stella didn't want to think about how much worse things could get.

It was clear Detective Pryma knew more about Campbell and his men than he was letting on, but they'd tackle that later. Giving a more detailed statement, looking at pictures to ID Kelly's attackers, figuring out the next steps, maybe even sitting with a sketch artist—that would all happen in due time.

The only thing Stella wanted to do now was make sure Kelly was OK.

Boden and Pryma eventually stepped out, allowing Stella and Kelly some privacy.

The treatment room was quiet for several minutes after, Kelly and Stella each trying desperately to gather their thoughts. Stella moved back into Kelly's arms and hugged him close.

It was a few deep breaths later that Kelly spoke again. "The only way to learn how to run into a real fire is to do it. What are we waiting for? Let's just do the thing," he said, looking up at Stella. "Let's get married. Today."

Stella startled a bit, leaning back to look at Kelly. "Today? Babe, you were just attacked… by drug dealers. You could've died." Her voice cracked on the last word, causing Kelly to pull her closer to him.

He nodded, his blue eyes shining as he stared at Stella. "I know, but I don't want to wait another four months to marry you. I don't want to wait one more day, so let's do it."

Stella gave him a watery smile and stroked his face. The idea was crazy, and she had no idea how they'd pull it off but after everything they'd been through today alone, Stella didn't want to wait either. She nodded in agreement before leaning forward to kiss him. "That sounds perfect."

… … …

It was several hours later that Kelly and Stella found themselves, hand in hand, walking into the courthouse.

After Kelly was discharged from the hospital, the two rushed home to change. They had a list of things that needed to be done if they were going to make this spontaneous elopement happen.

They took their time getting ready and they each picked a special outfit for the other; the dress Kelly chose for Stella was his favorite and Stella made sure she chose a shirt for Kelly that made his blue eyes shine.

Dressed and ready, they gathered the documents they needed and headed to the County Clerk's office. They caught her right as she was coming back from lunch. Between their story and the fresh wounds on Kelly's face, the clerk took pity on them and processed their request for a marriage certificate without an appointment–though she did let them know.

Marriage license in hand, Kelly and Stella made their way to the courthouse. They'd called ahead as soon as they left the County Clerk's office and were able to snag one ot the last available appointments, meaning they had just a few more hours until they were husband and wife.

There was just one more thing they needed—rings.

Shortly after Kelly gave Stella her ring at the gala the couple visited the jewelers to order their wedding bands. Their bands hadn't arrived yet, but even if they had, Kelly and Stella were going to save those for their big ceremony. Still, Kelly and Stella wanted something to exchange at the courthouse, so they stopped at the store and picked from the available stock.

The rings they chose weren't anything fancy, just black silicone bands, but something that would still hold up to everyday wear. Plus, they'd be able to use the silicone bands even after their big ceremony; Kelly and Stella would switch their actual wedding bands for their silicone ones at work.

They had the rings.

They had the marriage license.

They had each other.

They were ready.

The entire day had been a whirlwind full of unexpected highs and lows, but walking into the courthouse was the most surreal experience. Knowing they were about to be married, legally husband and wife, was exhilarating and the adrenaline coursing through Kelly's body did wonders to fight off the pain that had developed as the pain meds wore off.

Kelly and Stella were called forward and entered the courtroom to stand in front of the judge.

He began the ceremony, speaking a few words about the joys and sanctity of marriage, before allowing Kelly and Stella to say their vows. Stella went first followed by Kelly. They kept their vows short and sweet, planning on saving their full vows for their actual ceremony, but Kelly managed to throw in a "we got this, Stella Kidd" at the very end, bringing tears to both his and Stella's eyes.

The judge instructed them to exchange rings and then, by the power vested in him by the state of Illinois, he pronounced Kelly and Stella as husband and wife. He and his aid clapped as Kelly and Stella kissed.

Pulling apart, the smiles that took over their faces were blinding. They'd done it; they were married.