Chapter 20: The Beginning Again

Five years later...

Sirens blared as the doors to Firehouse 51 opened.

"Fire at seven-eight-eight Maple Street. Engine 51, Truck 81, Ambulance 61." The PA system announced.

The three trucks, led by Shay and Dawson's ambo made a right, two lefts and another right, speeding through traffic and forgoing red lights as they made their way to the burning house on Maple Street.

Andy Darden, always one to keep the tension out of a situation, put on his gas mask sideways. "Hey, how do I look?" Sitting between Hermann and Mouch, Darden gave a charming grin.

Casey turned around in the passenger seat to get a look at him. "As usual," he chuckled, "like the class clown." He spoke into his walkie-talkie. "Yo, Severide, how soon until you take Darden off of my hands?"

From his truck, Severide responded, "Andy makes squad the day after I'm no longer in charge."

Both trucks shared a laugh as they turned onto Maple Street. Brakes squealed to a stop and both firefighters and paramedics, alike, hopped out. The billowing dark grey smoke could be seen coming from the highest point of the house. Orange light flickered dangerously through the front window, where the fire could be seen.

A woman in a magenta sweater, undoubtedly the homeowner, paced worriedly in front of Casey as she told him, "The attic! My brother lives up there. He hasn't come down."

Casey pointed to the third story window. "That window there."

"Yes," she confirmed, "I haven't seen him. Oh god."

Casey and Severide dished out orders to their men.

"Case of beer, we get to 'em first." Severide challenged Casey.

"Just vent the back!" The lieutenant told him, shaking his head and turning to Darden. "Severide always been a cocky prick?"

"Only since kindergarten."

Some firefighters started towards the back of the house, while others got to work removing the fire hydrant's cap. Shay and Dawson tended to the woman Casey had been talking to.

Thirty seconds later, the truck's ladder had been raised and leveled against the third story window of the house.

Chief Boden could be heard on the radio telling his crew how to vent the house. Meanwhile in the back of the house, Severide knocked through the door, leading his men inside. Flames worked their way around the room from the north and east walls, clinging onto drapes and any other flammable materials.

"Hey! Check over there!" Severide instructed his team.

Darden climbed the truck's ladder, heading to the attic.

"Severide, do we have a vent?" Casey's voice asked over the radio.

Darden continued to climb. He stopped at the top, pulling the pickax from his supplies and slammed it through the window, effectively breaking inside the house just as Casey commanded, "Darden, wait!"

When nothing happened, Darden turned to him and confirmed, "We're good." He continued knocking away the glass of the window.

"Casey, there is no vent!" Severide shouted through the com system when he heard the glass breaking.

"Darden, back out!" Casey yelled too late. Darden had already climbed into the window, dropping onto the floor inside. The wind knocked a door closed, leaving the fire only one way out; the heating vent. Severide heard the hissing sound, turning just in time to see it getting sucked through the venting system.

"Get down!" He exclaimed. His entire team dropped to the ground and an explosion occurred. Flames roared to higher ground, looking for another exit.

Darden saw it coming and started to turn around to run back to the ladder.

"Darden!" Casey called. But again, he was too late. The fire flooded the room, engulfing Andy in its flames and billowing out of the window.

Casey ducked just in time, but not soon enough to miss the sight of his friend and fellow firefighter dying right before his eyes.

Later that night...

A knock sounded at the door of the loft that Kelly and Leslie shared. Severide pulled out of Shay's embrace on the couch and stood up, trudging slowly to the front hall to answer it. He pulled Dawson into the loft and they stood there in silence for a few moments before Dawson wrapped her arms around his strong torso and hugged him.

Hesitantly, Severide encircled Dawson. The affection was too much. He'd just stopped tearing up thinking about Andy.

"It's gonna be okay," whispered Dawson.

Together, they walked deeper into the house.

"Who was it, Kel-?" Shay turned around on the couch and cleared her throat as she stood up. "Hey."

"Hey," Dawson replied, quietly.

"I just came over to check on you guys."

"I'm going to head up to bed." Severide said. "I kind of just want to be alone right now."

Both women nodded their heads in understanding. Neither spoke until he had stepped up the final winding staircase and into his room, shutting the door.

"So, have you seen Casey?"

"Uh," Dawson blew breath out of her mouth, "yeah. I just came from his place. He's not doing too well."

"None of us are. Andy was a great guy. Amazing firefighter." Shay pushed her blonde hair out of her face and started towards the kitchen.

Dawson followed. "You can say that again."

Pulling scotch out of a cabinet, she grabbed two glasses and poured each of them a drink, pushing one into Dawson's hand before leading her back into the living room. They sat on the couch, Native-American-style, facing each other and sipping from the dark liquor.

"I'm gonna miss how freaking hilarious that guy was. I mean, he could make a joke out of anything." Shay reminisced.

Gabriela chuckled. "Like, remember the time when Cruz cooked that Thanksgiving turkey and it was still raw and everyone got food poisoning? Darden was making shit jokes for days."

The two girls laughed. "And when he and Hermann set up a lemonade stand right next to the Girl Scouts to see who could make more money."

The reminisced for a few more moments, laughing all the while. Until, eventually, it all faded and Dawson started to tear up.

"God, I'm just… really gonna miss that class clown."

Leslie reached over and grabbed Gabriela's hand, squeezing it in her own. "Me too."

They stared at each other for a few moments before Dawson sat her glass on the table and moved closer to Shay. Not wasting a second, she pressed her lips against Shay's and it wasn't long before the kiss was deepened. Their breathing became heavier, hands pushed and pulled at clothing, all the while their mouths never parted.

Coming to her senses, Dawson figured she should tell Shay what was on her mind. "This is just a reaction to today. This doesn't change anything."

Leslie agreed.

But they both knew it was more than that. They both knew it changed everything.

Fin.