let's just take a snapshot of this moment

Kelly Severide was a touch guy. Whether he believed in love languages or not, physical touch was his. Stella, being his wife and favorite person in the world, was the main recipient of all his touches—both the casual and intimate ones. His hands always found their way into hers, or onto her leg, or her back, or her arm, or, most recently, her belly.

Since finding out that Stella was pregnant, Kelly's favorite place to put his hands was on her belly. From the earliest weeks when Stella's stomach was still flat and toned, to when she was visibly and unmistakably pregnant, Kelly's hands would find their way to Stella's bump. Even now, as they lounged together on the couch watching a movie, Kelly's hands were resting comfortably on Stella's bump.

Stella loved her baby bump; her hands, much like Kelly's, constantly gravitated to her belly. Now that her belly was visible and well defined, she felt strong and beautiful, sexy even—more than she did normally. It wasn't always that way though.

The first few weeks that followed the announcement to the team were rough. On top of the usual first trimester symptoms, Stella's body had started changing, leaving her feeling off and uncomfortable in her own skin. Despite not being far enough along to have a bump, her clothes and uniforms started fitting differently. The only good thing about not having any signs of a bump yet was that she got to stay on active (albeit light) duty until they found the right fit for a Truck replacement.

Stella was happy to be pregnant, and she was elated to have and raise a baby with Kelly, but the entire first trimester, and into the second, had her feeling pretty miserable and insecure. Kelly, bless his heart, had been a saint throughout everything, taking even her wildest mood swings in stride and never letting her self-doubt or insecurities (or his own) take away from the experience of impending parenthood. He, their friends, and helpful tips from Chloe and Cindy Herrmann, were instrumental in getting Stella through the first several weeks and as she entered the second trimester, she felt like a brand-new person.

Now, with Stella nearing her due date, she was relishing every part of her pregnancy while she still could. As she felt Kelly absentmindedly run his fingers back and forth over her belly, Stella thought back to some of her favorite, more special moments over the previous nine months.

... ... ...

The Day the Belly Appeared

Stella stood in front of the mirror, slowly twisting her body from side to side. When she went to bed the night before, her belly was flat. But now, barely 9 hours later, there was a small but defined and noticeable baby bump. She hadn't even noticed it when she woke up; it wasn't until she was slipping on a shirt and her hands brushed against it.

It made sense—she'd just hit the 15-week mark in her pregnancy. Stella knew it would happen sooner or later, but she thought it'd be a gradual process.

She was still staring at her reflection in the mirror when Kelly stuck his head into their bedroom.

"Breakfast is ready!" He announced. When he saw the look on Stella's face in the mirror, he came further into the room. "You Ok?"

Stella turned around to face her husband. A small smile graced her face. "Look."

She moved her shirt (one of Kelly's button downs she grabbed from the closet) out of the way and turned to the side, showing Kelly the new growth to her midsection.

Kelly noticed the change immediately. He stared at her bump—the very real, visible proof that their baby was there and growing—for a moment before making eye contact with Stella and smiling. "That's new."

"I know!"

Kelly walked over to stand behind her. He wrapped his arms around her, his hands coming to rest on her belly. He placed a kiss on the side of Stella's head. "It makes it all that more real, doesn't it?"

Stella nodded, leaning back against Kelly's chest. She moved her hands to join Kelly's on her belly. The couple stood there for a long time, lost in the moment together. If it wasn't for Stella's stomach growling, the expectant parents would've been happy to stay in that moment for the rest of the day.

Baby's First Kicks

"Whoa!" Stella exclaimed quietly. She startled slightly and her hand flew to her belly.

She held her hand there for a moment, waiting to see if it would happen again. Sure enough, Stella felt it again a few minutes later. "Oh my god."

Getting up from her chair, Stella made her way out of the bullpen and towards the bunkroom. Squad 3 had recently come back from a call and she was certain Kelly would be in his quarters filling out paperwork. Sure enough, as she entered the bunkroom and looked towards his quarters, Stella saw him sitting at his desk.

As quickly as she could, she made her way over to Kelly. At 18 ½ weeks pregnant, Stella's bump wasn't huge, but it had grown since it first appeared a few weeks prior, and she was still learning how to maneuver the extra weight around.

"Kelly!" Stella called as she entered his doorway.

Kelly looked up immediately at the excitement and urgency in her voice. "What's up? You OK?"

"The baby kicked!"

Kelly's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Stella nodded. She had felt the baby fluttering around inside her for a few days, but this was different. It was the weirdest, but most wonderful, feeling she'd ever experienced. She stepped closer to him and grabbed one of his hands, placing it on her belly.

They waited eagerly and their patience was rewarded a few moments later when their baby kicked again. Kelly looked up at Stella, with shining eyes and a bright smile. "Wow."

Kelly turned in his chair, angling his body to face Stella completely. He brought his other hand up to cup Stella's belly and left them there, hoping to feel his son or daughter kick again.

"It figures our baby would kick for the first time in the firehouse." Kelly said with a laugh.

Stella laughed as well, moving one of her hands from her belly to the side of Kelly's neck. Her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Looks like we've got a future firefighter on our hands."

The joy and excitement was still on Kelly's face, but his voice took on a more somber, serious tone. "They can be whatever they want to be."

Would Kelly love for his kid to become a firefighter like their parents? Of course. But as someone who grew up in his father's shadow and was expected to follow in his footsteps, Kelly Severide would never put that kind of pressure on his own kid.

"Of course they can," Stella confirmed, giving Kelly's neck a comforting squeeze.

Before their conversation could continue, and before Kelly could feel another kick, the tones rang again, calling Squad 3 out for another rescue. Kelly leaned forward, placing a kiss on Stella's belly before standing up and giving Stella a quick kiss before heading out.

"Be careful!" Stella called after him. Both of her hands moved back to her bump and she stood in Kelly's office for a few more moments before heading back to her desk in the bullpen.

The Brettsey Wedding

Brett and Casey's long-awaited wedding had finally arrived. Wedding planning had been in full swing since the couple got engaged the previous winter and now, as the summer sun beat down on Chicago, all of those plans were coming to fruition.

Guests had already started arriving and were being welcomed by Casey and his groomsmen and ushered to their seats while Brett and the girls waited upstairs.

"I am so glad you decided to go with the bridesmaid dresses with forgiving waistlines," Stella joked as she walked back into the room. "Because this," she continued, running her hands over her belly to emphasize her point, "would not have worked in the other one."

Stella had crossed over into the third trimester the week before and she was feeling more pregnant than ever. There was no hiding or disguising her bump anymore and, while she'd found her style and comfort in maternity clothes, she wasn't as comfortable or confident in non-maternity clothes like bridesmaid dresses.

"Don't talk about my goddaughter like that," Sylvie replied from her spot on the couch. The bride-to-be was surprisingly calm and relaxed as she waited for the ceremony to start. "You look amazing."

Stella rolled her eyes but smiled anyways. "You and Kelly are so sure this baby is a girl. It could be a boy you know."

Sylvie smiled. "Nah, it's totally a girl. I can feel it."

"I'm still betting on a boy, but she's right about one thing though, Stella. You totally could've made that first dress work, pregnant or not." Violet said from her spot on the other couch. She and Emily had enjoyed one too many mimosas while they were getting ready and Sylvie had to cut them off so they'd be able to walk down the aisle.

Stella smiled softly and ran her hands over her belly again. She looked down at her bump affectionately and, in doing so, caught the time on her phone. Show time. Stella looked back up at the women in front of her. "Well thank you, but today is not about me."

Picking up the bride's bouquet next to her, Stella walked over to where Sylvie was sitting. She held it out for her to take. "It's show time. You ready to do this?"

Sylvie smiled and stood up, grabbing the bouquet. "Beyond ready."

And with that, the girls were off.

Four hours later and the reception was in full swing. Speeches had been given, dinner was eaten, cake was cut, the bouquet and garter had been tossed and now, their friends were dancing the night away.

Off to the side, Kelly and Stella were sitting at a table. Stella abandoned her heels early into the party and her feet were now propped up in Kelly's lap. She nursed a glass of water while Kelly absentmindedly massaged her feet as they watched the others on the dance floor. Stella focused on Sylvie and Matt, gently swaying back and forth to the music, lost in their own little world.

"They look happy," Stella said with a smile.

"Yeah, they do," Kelly replied as he finished his glass of scotch and sat it on the table behind him. He moved his free hand to Stella's belly. "I'm glad they finally got to this point."

Stella smiled at her husband and one of her hands joined his on her belly. It wasn't that long ago that they were at their own wedding. Now, they were happily married and just a few months away from welcoming their first baby.

Having watched their relationship play out from the beginning, Stella and Kelly knew their best friends would be just as happy as they were.

… … …

After Brett and Casey got married, the following months flew by. Summer turned into fall and Stella's due date grew closer.

Brett and the Squad guys teamed up in an unlikely partnership to throw Stella and Kelly an amazing baby shower at Molly's, complete with food, games, presents, and a whole lot of beer. Capp even convinced Brett to let his band play again, though she fought it tooth and nail at the beginning. In the end, baby Severide (and his or her parents) were showered and honored with love from their friends and family. It was a celebration Stella would remember forever, and one of her favorite memories from her pregnancy thus far.

Another favorite memory of hers was her maternity pictures. Stella wasn't going to get any done originally; she and Kelly both had dozens of photos of her bump on their phones. However, Brett and Violet had insisted she get some done after falling down the Pinterest rabbit hole. As a surprise for Kelly's birthday, Stella agreed to take some pictures. They turned out better than she ever imagined. Kelly was as big of a fan of them as she was, and he kept his favorite as the screensaver on his phone. It was one of the simpler ones, just her sitting crisscross on the bed, but Stella felt sexy and confident.

It was her favorite too.

Although maternity pictures were never an item on her to-do list, once they were finished, Stella felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It was as if an invisible barrier had been cleared, giving Stella nothing else to do but enjoy the last few weeks of her pregnancy.

The beginning weeks of Stella's pregnancy might've been rough, and the constant changes sometimes proved difficult to cope with, but the further along she got, the more she grew to love it.

More than she ever thought she would.

She couldn't wait to be a mom.

A/N: still dealing with writer's block, but I managed to get this out (after 2+ weeks working on it)!

Fingers crossed it ends soon!