A/N: Gah! I am so sorry I haven't updated this story in a very long time. Can you believe I am still pissed they killed off Shay? Anyway, after seeing the third season and watching two main ensemble characters go, in such a short time, it doesn't have the same appeal to me anymore. However, I LOVED the first two seasons of Chicago Fire. I loved all those characters and their interactions. The show my have left a void in my heart, but I can at least continue telling a version of their story though my own. The first two seasons of Chicago Fire, for me, was what it is all about. Shay deserved a better story, so I will continue telling it. She may not live on in the show, but she will live on in any fan fiction I continue to write.

CHAPTER 5

SHAY made her way to the Ambulatory Bay and over to Ambulance 61. The last time she had seen 61 was on the day of the accident. She had no recollection of that day, and what she did know, she was told by Arson investigators and U.S. Marshals—and for now, that was probably for the best. It hadn't been easy for her to die, and it certainly wasn't easy for her to come back.

She pulled open the ambulance back door, stepped inside, and closed it shut. As she looked around, it felt as though she was being welcomed back by an old friend, and as she sat down on the bench, she was thankful her brain injury didn't take her memories, as she had so many fond moments with Dawson in the back of this rig.

It had felt weird for Shay to know that for the last 6 months, Mills and Brett had been operating Ambulance 61. For five years, it had just been her and Dawson, with the occasional replacement. Before everything had happened, she knew Dawson was going to be a firefighter (and a great one at that), but a part of her knew it was going to be hard to give up the best partner she ever had. However, she was comforted by the fact that at least with her still being on the ambo, one half of the duo would be keeping 61 alive. But now, with both of them having been gone, it felt as though 61 had died too.

The back door of the Ambulance suddenly opened, drawing Shay's attention to the startled blonde named Sylvie Brett.

Fumbling with her words Brett began to say, "Oh, God. I am so sorry. I didn't think anyone was in here."

"It's fine," Shay said with chuckle while noticing Brett's hesitation on whether or not she should enter. "You can come in. I don't bite."

Brett's cheeks turned a bright red as she entered the back, and Shay, while taking a seat, watched the woman look desperately around for something—anything.

"Damn," Brett finally said with a defeated sigh. "I forgot why I came in here."

Shay took this time to study Brett, the stranger of 51, as Brett plopped herself down on the seat adjacent to Shay. From what Shay could see, Brett was a beautiful and a very attractive woman. She had blonde hair—probably naturally—and piercing blue eyes. In a way, Brett reminded Shay of her pre-brunette self. She wondered if anyone at 51 had done double takes at Brett when she first came in. She wondered if anyone thought it was interesting that her replacement was an almost replica of herself.

"How are you liking 51?" Shay asked, breaking the silence that filled the Ambulance.

"It's great. I am also really liking Chicago too."

"You're not from Chicago?"

Brett shook her head. "I'm from a very small town in Indiana."

"What brings you all the way here?"

Brett remembered her first conversation with Otis on how she ended up in Chicago. This time around, she would be more truthful. "My ex-fiancé, Harrison, called off our wedding. When that happened, I just I ran as far away as I could." Brett paused for a moment, and then chuckled to herself. "The funniest thing about that is, he shows up months later, begging for my forgiveness, and asking me to take him back."

Shay could sympathize with Brett. The same thing happened with her and Clarice, sans the fiancée because same-sex marriage wasn't legal when they were together.

"That really sucks," Shay said.

"It did, at the time. And when he came back it brought back a lot of…feelings. But now, I can honestly say that it was for the better. I met this really wonderful guy and I'm happy."

Shay raised her eyebrow in curiosity. "Does this mystery man have a name?"

Brett blushed again, which made Shay even more curious.

"Is it someone from this house?"

"It's Cruz," Brett blurted out. "We just kind of bonded over Zumba."

Shay laughed, but she was glad Cruz had finally found someone who seemed genuinely nice.

Brett continued to talk about Zumba—how Cruz hosted lessons in his spare time—and other things that had happened since she had been here at 51. As Brett told stories of comradely, friendships, and facts about members of 51 that even Shay didn't know, the more she became aware of just how much had changed since she had been gone. It dawned on Shay that Brett was no longer the stranger that had come into 51 to replace her and change the working balance of the House. Instead, she was the stranger that was upsetting the working balance of 51. The realization of that alone had given her an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach that didn't go away.

AFTER shift, some of the members of 51 had headed to Molly's. As being owners of Molly's, Herrmann, Otis, and Dawson were obligated to be there, however it became a second home to most of the members of 51. There were times when the bar had become so busy that the guys would lend a hand that was greatly appreciated.

On this particular night, much like the shift at the House, it was slow. Dawson, who was behind the bar, was grateful that most of the patrons were from the House. Today had been interesting…to say the least, and all she wanted to do was to go home and crawl into her bed.

Casey made his way to the bar after he noticed Dawson acting a little more distant than usual. "Everything okay?"

Dawson forced a smile. "Yeah. Just tired. It's been a long day today."

"Agreed," Casey said before he took a sip of his beer. It wasn't everyday that people come back from the so-called-dead. However, he couldn't help but notice how different Dawson had been acting. Severide had seemed to take the news well, but Dawson—she appeared distant, like her mind was still processing that Shay was back.

As Casey studied Dawson and slowly drank his beer, Otis and Herrmann made their way to the bar with big smiles on their face.

"Dawson! Just the woman I wanted to see," Herrmann said as he leaned over the counter.

Dawson quickly scanned the small, quaint, bar before looking back at Herrmann and saying, "I'm the only girl here."

Herrmann was quiet for a moment, not realizing that the bar was lacking people with XX chromosomes – but that was an issue for another day, and he filed it in the back of his mind as one of Christopher Herrmann's-get-more-female-clientele-at-Molly's- to do list.

"We had an idea," Otis suddenly said. "In light of today's events, Herrmann and I were thinking about closing Molly's for a night and throwing Shay a welcome back party."

Casey noticed Dawson's body tense up. It was the same way her body tensed up days after Shay's funeral whenever someone had mentioned her name.

"What do you think?" Herrmann asked.

Dawson smiled briefly before she said, "I think that's a great idea."

Herrmann and Otis seemed pleased as they began to talk about Shay's surprise welcome back party, as Dawson politely excused herself to get more supplies in the back.

Casey began to wonder if he was the only one to notice Dawson's strange behavior.

SEVERIDE wrapped his arm over Shay's shoulder as the two of them took a stroll by the river walk. It was Shay's idea to go out after shift, as the River Walk was one of her favourite places in Chicago. It was also one of the places she longed to see again while she was recovering. No one would ever understand the immense joy she felt eating a deep-dish pizza and seeing the night lights reflect off the water, even in the cold.

"Are you sure I am not dreaming this?" Severide suddenly asked, and Shay gave him a small smile.

"Does it feel like a dream?" Shay asked.

Severide abruptly stopped, causing both of them to stop walking, and moved so he was standing directly in front of Shay. He put both his hands on her shoulder and looked her over.

"No. I guess not," Severide finally said. He grabbed a lock of Shay's brown hair as he added, "I never dreamed you would be a brunette."

Shay rolled her eyes as she pushed Severide off of her. As Severide chuckled, Shay said, "Again with the hair?"

"I was only kidding," Severide said as he wrapped his arm around Shay again. "I'm just so used to seeing you blonde."

"If you miss blonde hair so much, why don't you dye your hair blonde?"

Severide laughed. "Are you kidding? Blonde would look terrible on me."

Now it was Shay's turn to look over Severide. After a moment she said, "Nah. I think you'd look good. Kind of like Casey, no?"

Severide just shook his head as Shay laughed at the thought.