Against All Odds

Everything's Changed, Gia.

Stella and Gia ponder upon their future...

Shay has a proposition, and Kelly distracts Stella from her woes.

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When the medic pushed the wheelchair through the door, Stella's first instinct was to want to cry.
Gia, her best friend, was unrecognizable, resembling someone who had been in a ring with a heavyweight boxer, her face all shades of blue, with raw cuts, and one arm in a cast. It was only her bright red hair and her emerald colored eyes that gave her away her identity.

"Well, honey....outta the two of us....I don't think I'm gonna be winning any beauty contests right now!" Gia"s mouth widened into a grin, her teeth showing.

Stella wanted to cry even more hearing her friend's upbeat greeting. After everything she had been through, it was pretty much amazing that she was still able to find humour in this situation.

"Hey, Lieutenant Severide. What a surprise seeing you here." Gia smirked, lifting her good arm, and greeted him with a wave of her hand.

"Hey, Gia....."

Kelly had been sitting next to the bed, one hand playing with Stella's fingers but dropped them as Gia appeared and stood up. He had made the squad rig detour en route back from a call, in the hope she was awake, and her smile if he was honest with himself, sent flutters dancing around his chest region.

"Erm.. call me Kelly..."

"Why..that's real good of you..." Gia teased.
Kelly blushed a little, not too sure how to take the little pixie sized dancer.

Stella beckoned Gia nearer, her eyes welling up from all the emotions of the previous days wrapping themselves tightly around her. She really needed to hug her friend and somehow seek and give solace for what had happened. The medic brought Gia closer, and as he wheeled the chair to a stop by her bed, Stella tried to sit up, wincing.

"Hey... let me help you." Kelly was instantly by her side, putting his arm around her to help her sit up, at the same time sensing Gia's scrutiny.

Reaching for Gia's hand, Stella squeezed it before gently stroking her face.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, and despite Gia's attempt at smiling, it was tremulous, a tell tale sheen of film over the emerald orbs.

"Elle.... do not apologize. You hear me? " Gia frowned. "There's only one person to blame for this...or one name. And it's not yours!"

Gia leaned forward from her chair, her hand squeezing Stella's, her face battered and angry.

"I hope those Moretti's get everything they deserve!" She snapped as Stella wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

"I feel so guilty because of Aiden...and you... It shouldn't have happened..."
Stella tried and failed to stem her tears. "It shouldn't have."

"No, it shouldn't have happened, Elle...... but I'm not having you blame yourself! That phycho family... they killed him...." Gia turned to Kelly, who was hovering near the wall, his face broken over Stella punishing herself. "Tell her...it's not her fault."
Gia blinked away, angry tears. None of this was fair! None of it!

Kelly straightened and came to stand by her bed.

"Stella, you need to stop with this blaming yourself..... " He used the pad of his thumb to gently wipe away her tears.

"His family..his parents .....he has four sisters...." Her eyes were swimming with guilt and heartbreak.

"And that's on the Moretti's. On them alone, Elle!"
Gia looked at Kelly helplessly, hoping he could do or say something to stop Stella from carrying the burden of this.