Epiphany • Severide.

0| PROLOGUE

─────❝0| PROLOGUE❞─────

The alarm blasting through her phone was what woke her up from her slumber, as she opened her eyes, rubbing them with her hand. Her head was resting on top of something hard and firm and she knew instantly it was not her pillow. Finally adjusting to the blinding light, her eyes travelled upwards coming face to face with a sleeping man.

Waking up in bed with a man was not uncommon for Jo Parsons. And with this specific man, it was less than rare. You see, these two have been doing this for the last two years and things won't change anytime soon. It started way back as a drunken one-time thing, but they soon realized that maybe being friends with benefits wasn't that bad of an idea. Of course, they had rules and conditions, but the rest was just carefree.

With the alarm still blaring, she groaned and rolled to her right, picking her phone up and turning off the sound. She sat up, holding her blanket close to her chest and ran a hand through her hair. After a few seconds of sitting there, she throws her arm and smacks the man across the chest.

"Hey, wake up."

The man grumbles but slowly he opens his eyes. "Is it time for shift already?"

Jo crouches down and picks up a shirt, too big for her, and throws it to him. "Yes. You need to go home, and I need to get ready."

The man mumbles something under his breath, that she doesn't catch, and picks up his briefs, putting them on quickly, following by the shirt Jo just threw at him. The brunette girl looks at the scattered clothes on her floor, grabbing her undergarments and some sweatpants and a shirt before slipping them on.

After they were clothed, Jo went to her kitchen to prepare some coffee. The man came out of her bedroom, and picked up his shoes, keys, wallet, and phone. "I guess I'll see you at the firehouse," Kelly Severide said to her.

"Yeah, see you, Lieutenant." And with that, he was gone.

Jo knew they were playing a dangerous game, her more than him. Being involved with a Lieutenant at her firehouse was not a good idea, even when she was not operating under his command. They were both adults and agreed to have this relationship, but no one had to know.

Things at the firehouse were normal, with the relationship everyone had there, they were a family, and no one suspected anything out of the ordinary for them. Which was good because the last thing they need is for their chief to find out.

This was how it always went for them. Get together one night of the two they had off and then when morning started, they would be on their separate ways. It was a functional and perfect plan they had and so far it's worked. Today wasn't any different for the routine, but today was the day that everything was about to get out of control.

Jo drank her coffee quickly and went to the bathroom to have a quick shower and get ready for the tiring shift that was about to come. Being a firefighter had its downfalls, but everything that was good about it overpowered the flaws.

Her journey to the firehouse was quick, just a ten minutes drive. She walked inside, greeting some of her coworkers and to the locker room to get ready for the shift. She didn't have much time to breathe as the alarm sounded and the voice over the PA started speaking.

"House fire, seven eighty-eight Maple Street. Engine fifty-one, truck eighty-one, ambulance sixty-one, squad three."

Every firefighter was quick to go to their respective vehicles and they were on their way to the call. Jo was in Truck eighty-one, where coincidentally her best friend since she can remember was the Lieutenant. That truck has brought her so many joyous memories but the downside of it all was that she was the only female firefighter there was. It was not bad, but the testosterone sometimes was too much.

The firemen that were her colleagues were some of the best people she has ever met. There was Christopher Herrmann, that treated her like she was his own daughter; there was Randy McHolland, who everyone called Mouch; the candidate Brian Zvonecek that is known as Otis; Andy Darden, the man that knew how to make her smile; Joe Cruz, Jose Vargas, and the Lieutenant Matt Casey.

They, along with the rest of firehouse fifty-one, were her family.

"Guys, how do I look?" Andy Darden, the dark blond man, asked the crew after he placed his mask sideways on his head. Jo looked at her side to take a good glimpse at him and let out a chuckle.

"As usual. Like the class clown," Casey answered from his spot at the front of the truck.

"Yo, Severide, how soon till you can take Darden off my hands?" Matt asked through the radio.

Severide's voice came from the device. "Andy makes squad the day after I'm no longer in charge." The response sent everyone into a fit of laughter as Andy rolled his eyes.

They arrived at the site of the emergency, a green house filled with black smoke. The crew was quick to get off the truck and get their gear on, waiting for instructions. "The attic. My brother lives up there. He hasn't come down." Matt looks at the woman and up at the house.

"That window there?"

She nods in response. "Yes, I haven't seen him."

Everything that happened after Jo helped calm the woman down went by so fast it was almost impossible for her to register. One minute, the crews were working together to save the man trapped in the attic, the next thing she knew, a big fire explosion came from the attic, sending Andy to his death.

That day was the day that everything changed at House fifty-one. And it was the day that brought a chain reaction to all their lives.