It had taken months, but finally, she was home. Kelly pulled up outside and jumped out of the car and ran round to the passenger side to help Leslie out of the car. She now used crutches but the wheelchair was still in use for when she was tired.

"I didn't think they were going to let me come home until I could do stairs unaided," Shay started.

"How did you pull this off?" she asked.

He just grinned and said, "You'll see once we're indoors."

And instead of letting her use her crutches, he picked her up bridle style just as Casey pulled up with Dawson. Casey quickly ran over and opened the door to the apartment, and Shay drew in a breath.

The ground floor had been remodeled, so she now had a bedroom on that floor, so she wouldn't have to do the stairs. There were a few tears running down her face.

"Guys, I don't know what to say."

"It's all temporary, so once you're able to do the stairs okay, it can all be put back as it was," Casey told her. She nodded, not really knowing what to say. Kelly put her down on the couch in the much-reduced lounge area, and then he and Casey went to leave.

"Where are you going?" Dawson asked, panic clear on her face.

"We're going to get some lunch, and you two can talk," was Severide's response.

With that, the door closed, and they were gone. Dawson turned and went to the kitchen and called over to her,

"Do you want a drink?" Shay sighed and responded, "No, I want to talk."

Dawson grimaced but went and sat down next to her.

"Where have you been, Gabby? I can't even remember the last time I saw you, and that's not just because I occasionally have trouble remembering things."

"It's complicated, Shay. I don't know what to tell you," Dawson replied.

"Kelly told me what's been going on. This isn't your fault, you know," Shay told her. "If it hadn't been me, it would have been you, and do you seriously think that would have been any better?" she asked.

"But I told you to swap places with me," Gabby argued.

"That was the right thing to do though. I was going to be the new PIC on Ambo 61. I don't know if that'll happen now, but I'll just have to deal with that when I need to," Shay replied. "You'll still be PIC. Chiefs already told everyone, and Brett's happy with that," Dawson told her. They fell into a comfortable silence, and when Gabby felt Shay lean into her, she looked and saw she was asleep.

Gabby felt better, but it would still take her time to get over it. But she also decided that perhaps she needed to get Brett over here so they could actually get to know one another before Shay's eventual return to work.

Shay knew she'd been pushing herself a little bit too hard, but she was doing well. Her physiotherapist had said as much, and she no longer needed the wheelchair, so that was gone. But then disaster struck. She lost her balance on the treadmill, bruised her hip and knee, and now had to just sit on the couch while she healed. Everyone had told her off to a point where she felt like a naughty child, even Chief Boden had been on her case.

A week later, Severide stood two steps below her as she walked up the stairs for the second time that morning with the physiotherapist two above her. Doing the stairs unaided for the first time in over six months felt like the huge achievement it was. She was smiling from ear to ear, and once at the top, she took a breather and did the same back down. Her physio now had her working on her core strength, but she was getting closer to returning to herself again. It had been eight and a half months, and Severide sat nervously in the corridor of the rehab assessment unit of the CFD.

Shay was undergoing tests to see if she was fit to return to work. The door finally opened, and Shay stepped out with a piece of paper in her hand and a huge grin on her face. He jumped up and hugged her.

Shay couldn't even fake a sad look on her face as she stepped out after some very rigorous and exhausting tests. She'd been given the all clear to return to work and just couldn't hide her joy.