CHAPTER ELEVEN
TRUE LOVE WINS

Luke, the older of the two boys, stepped forward. "Dad cried every night after Mum died, thinking we were asleep. But then he met you, and the crying stopped."

Tears welled in my eyes as Luke's words shattered me. "Please, Mel," he added, his voice trembling.

I crouched down to his level. "I'll think about it, but I'll always be here for you two," I said, pulling him into a hug. He returned it tightly, but soon pulled away.

"You both need to get home now," I said, my voice rough with emotion. Lee Henry nodded, and the two boys walked off together, arms slung around one another.

As I stood there, trying to regain my composure, Maggie appeared beside me. "You okay?" she asked softly.

I couldn't find the words, only nodded, and she must have sensed it. "April, cover for me," she said, gently guiding me away from the chaos of the ER.

Once we were in a quieter corner, I let the tears fall. Maggie handed me a handkerchief, and I wiped my face with a trembling hand.

"Thanks," I whispered.

"What's wrong?" Maggie asked, her voice barely above a murmur.

"Seeing the kids... it brought back so many memories, so many feelings," I admitted, my breath shaky.

Maggie nodded in understanding. "You really like him, don't you?"

I met her gaze, my heart heavy. "Like him? I love him, Maggie. And those kids."

Tears filled my eyes again. Maggie placed a hand on my shoulder. "Go home. We'll be fine here."

"Thanks," I murmured, wiping my eyes. I made my way to the locker room, quickly changing. As I finished, I heard a knock at the open door. I looked up to see Connor standing there, a concerned smile on his face.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice warm.

"No," I replied, the honesty in my voice startling even me. It was the first time in ages I had allowed myself to be so open about my feelings.

"Hey," Connor said gently, walking over and pulling me into a hug. "Herrmann?" he asked after a moment.

I nodded, my eyes brimming with tears. "Yeah."

"The kids came by the ER today," I said, wiping my eyes, but the tears wouldn't stop.

"Yeah? What did they say?" Connor asked.

"They told me he's heartbroken without me," I replied, my voice catching.

"Lee Henry said he was sorry and wants me to get back with his dad," I added. Connor smiled softly, rubbing his thumb across my cheek.

"You're heartbroken too, Mel," he said, his voice quiet but sure. "Lee Henry was the only thing stopping you."

I stood there, my head resting against Connor's chest. He had become like a big brother to me over time—someone I could lean on when I needed support. I had no siblings of my own, and although I had a brother on my father's side, I hadn't seen him in years.

"Are you going to get back with Herrmann?" Connor asked, looking down at me.

I pulled away from his embrace and glanced up at him, uncertainty clouding my eyes. "I don't know," I replied, my voice hesitant.

Connor raised an eyebrow. "What's stopping you?"

"I don't know," I said again, my voice breaking. "I just can't risk heartbreak again."

"There's always that risk, but Mel... you love the guy. Be with him," Connor urged, his tone earnest. I moved away from him, pacing as I tried to make sense of my feelings.

"Mel," Connor said again, his voice firm. He placed his hands on my shoulders, halting my restless movements. "Can you come with me?"

"Okay," I said quietly, meeting his gaze. He nodded and grabbed my bag before we hurried out of the locker room and into his car. We drove to the firehouse in silence. When we pulled up, Connor stopped the car and turned to me.

"You okay?" he asked, his hand resting gently on mine.

"Yeah," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

We both got out of the car, and I stood for a moment, taking in the sight of the firehouse. "I'll be okay," I said, trying to reassure myself more than anyone else, as I walked towards the doors.

"Hey, guys!" I called as I entered, and the members of Squad 3 looked up from their table.

"Doctor in the house!" Severide shouted, grinning. He stood and made his way over to me, wrapping me in a hug.

"Hey, Kelly," I said, returning the hug with a smile.

"Is Herrmann here?" I asked, looking around.

Severide smiled, clapping me on the arm. "HERRMANN!" he shouted, causing the others to chuckle. He walked past me and tapped my arm.

I waited for a moment, feeling a surge of nerves in my chest, until the doors opened, and Christopher walked through. As soon as he saw me standing there, his expression softened, a tinge of sadness crossing his face.

"Hey," he said, his voice quiet, but laced with hope.

"Hey," I said, managing a smile as he walked over.

"What are you doing here?" Christopher asked, confusion in his eyes. Before he could say more, I grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him close. Then, without warning, I kissed him—hard and passionate. As we kissed, I could hear the others cheering, which made me smile against his lips.

"What was that for?" Herrmann asked, pulling back slightly, confusion still etched on his face.

"Ayy!" the others shouted in unison, their voices full of amusement.

"The kids came by the ER and spoke to me," I said, my voice soft but filled with emotion.

"Really?" Herrmann asked, his face lighting up.

"Even Lee Henry," I added, which made him chuckle.

"What did they say?" he asked, his eyes searching mine, as though hoping Lee Henry hadn't said anything else to upset me.

"He said he was sorry and wants me to come back to you," I said, my voice thick with emotion.

Herrmann smiled widely, his eyes glistening. "You want to be together again?" he asked, his voice cracking as tears began to form.

"If you want me," I said, my own tears threatening to spill.

"Yeah, I do," Herrmann replied, smiling through his tears. He pulled me into a tight embrace, and I buried my face in his chest, feeling the weight of everything we had been through. I smiled as I felt his heartbeat against mine.

Just then, Cap burst through the doors, his voice booming. "Mel is back!" he shouted, running over to me and lifting me off the ground in a bear hug.

"We've missed you," Cap said as he placed me back down, grinning from ear to ear.

"Thanks," I said, laughing as I playfully shoved him.

"Mel!" Boden called, walking into the room with a huge smile on his face. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes? Get over here!" he said, his arms wide open. I stepped into his embrace, and he pulled me in for a warm hug.

He whispered in my ear, "Thank you for coming back."

"Of course," I said, nodding, before we ended the hug.

Later that evening, I headed over to Connor's place to pack up the rest of my things. I had been staying there since Herrmann and I broke up, but now it was time to move on.

"Look after her," Connor said, placing the last box in Herrmann's car boot.

"I will," Herrmann replied, shaking Connor's hand. The two shared a brief hug.

"See you at work," I said, giving Connor a hug.

"I'll miss you," he said, his voice soft. I looked up at him as we pulled away.

"Me too," I said. Connor kissed me on the head before heading back inside.

"Let's go home," Herrmann said, planting a gentle kiss on my cheek before we climbed into his car and drove towards the house. As we arrived, I stood for a moment, smiling at the house we had once shared. The kids rushed out to greet us, except for Lee Henry, who stood on the porch with a smile.

"Right, make yourself useful. Grab a box and don't drop it," Herrmann said, laughing as the kids each grabbed a box and walked inside.

We followed them in, closing the door behind us. "Take the boxes to our room," Herrmann said, watching the kids.

"I love you," he said quietly.

"I love you too," I replied, smiling up at him. We shared a kiss, content in the knowledge that we had found our way back to each other.

End Of Chapter 11