╔═══*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═══╗

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐬.

╚═══*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═══╝

"──and I bet you the next woman who comes through that door is getting a drink and a good time from me!" Candidate Jimmy Borelli boasted to the table composed of Brett, Otis, and Cruz. 

Otis rolled his eyes, sipping his beer. "I'm telling you, man, you're a candidate. You don't have enough medals and fires for women to give you the time of day."

His statement fell on deaf ears as Jimmy kept his eyes locked on Molly's door. It opened and the young firefighter was holding his breath until a petite woman with short hair walked through. Jimmy sighed in relief knowing that at least it wasn't a woman who was too old or too young for him. Her smile looked nice too. 

Jimmy placed his beer on the table and jutted his chin to the door. "It looks like that's my cue."

The remaining occupants of the table shifted their focus to the one entering the door and their eyes widened when they saw who it was. 

"Jimmy, you shouldn't flirt with her." Sylvie told him, panic in her voice. 

"Why not?" He shot back, a smug grin on his face. "She's gorgeous!" 

"Brett, let him." Cruz said, him and Otis hiding snickers behind their hands. 

Jimmy gave them one last salute and he was off. 

"Hi there." He greeted her, smiling wide. Jimmy had stepped right in front of the woman who looked like she was searching for her group of friends. 

"Oh, hello." She replied, a polite smile on her lips. "I haven't seen you around here before." 

"Yeah. . .I'm the new firefighter at 51." He saw the way her eyes lit up when he said the phrase firefighter at 51. So far, so good. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Her smile dropped just as fast as her eyes lit up. "No but thank you though. I'm Maddie." The woman held her hand out for a handshake and continued, "Have you seen Ke──"

"And, I'm going to give you a good time." Instead of shaking it, Jimmy pressed a soft kiss to which she returned with a nervous laugh. He pressed on, "Just one beer. I'd like to get to know you."

"O──oh, well." She swallowed thickly, "I'm sure someone in this bar would like to get to know you too. Not me though. I have a──"

"Babes?" A familiar voice called from behind which made Jimmy's eyes go wide and his pulse quicken. Was that──

"Kelly!" This time her smile reached her eyes. "Hi." 

"Hey, baby." 

The former lieutenant of Squad 3 had joined them──coming up behind Maddie and snaking an arm around her waist. Jimmy's eyes bulged at the thought of making a move on one of his co-worker's girlfriends. Not to mention the look the other man was giving him; Severide looked at the candidate as if he had just pissed in his beer.

"Candidate," His voice was gruff. "I see you've met my wife."

This time, it was Jimmy who swallowed thickly. "I──ah──uhm──" Was it weird that he wanted to the floor to spare him from this awkward situation and swallow him? "Yes." The candidate croaked out, dropping her hand. "I've met her." 

Maddie smiled at Jimmy; she smiled a lot. But, he wasn't sure if her smile meant pity or embarrassment. Patting her hand on Severide's chest, she chuckled. "Don't gird your loins now, love. He didn't know I was married." 

"Hmmm. . ." Severide clicked his tongue, blue eyes skimming over Jimmy one last time. "Okay." 

"It was nice meeting you, Jim." And, they were off with Maddie weaving her fingers through Kelly's and leading him to the bar. 

Jimmy walked back to the table shoulders slumped and face red in embarrassment. Brett was gone and engrossed with Maddie in a hushed conversation while Cruz and Otis snorted in amusement. 

"I just flirted with a fellow fireman's wife." 

Cruz slapped him on the back. "We were pretty sure Severide was going to throw hands."

"I kinda wish he did."

"Not funny." Jimmy grumbled. 

The candidate observed how Severide seemed to relax as Maddie placed her hand on his back and discreetly rubbed his shoulders as if she wanted to release all the tension from a hard day of work and comfort him at the same time. It seemed to do the trick because he had smiled and looked at Maddie as if she had hung the moon. They looked pretty loved up. 

"How long have the been together?"

"Almost a year." Otis answered, "Met in Vegas, got married by an Elvis impersonator, defied the odds. All that fairy-tale crap."

"I think it's sweet." Cruz commented, "She makes him a better person. Severide has mellowed about 75% and he──don't tell him I said that." 

"I want that." Jimmy confessed, shifting his eyes away from the happy couple. "I want that kind of love──the kind that defies the odds."

Surprisingly, Otis agreed, clinking his beer to the candidates. "Me too, kid, me too." 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Maddie. . .psttt! Maddie. . ."

Sunlight beamed through the building as Maddie hunched over her desk, trying to finish a blueprint. She expertly dragged the pencil across the paper but Brianna frantically tapping tapping her on the shoulder irked her just a bit. "Hmmm?" 

"Did you get a facial scrub or something?"

"What was that, Bri?"

"You're practically glowing. Drop your skin care routine, biatch!"

"What? What? What dropped? Is it okay?" 

Brianna gave her an odd look and JJ chuckled, overhearing their conversation. "Are you okay, boss?" He asked from his chair, "Didn't get enough sleep last night again?"

Not tearing her eyes away from her work, Maddie answered. "Yep. The baby just loves to make me vomit."

"Boss. . .the what?"

"Baby!" Brianna exclaimed, eyes wide and pointing at her. "I heard baby! Maddie, are you pregnant?"

Maddie turned her head to look at the two incredulously. "Yeah. . .didn't I tell you already?"

"No!" Brianna hugged her abruptly causing Maddie's hand to fly away from the blueprint. Brianna was jumping excitedly whilst keeping her arms around her friend. "I'm so excited! Does Sylvie know?"

"Bri, the blueprint is ruined!" Maddie grumbled, slamming the pencil on the desk. "Now, I have to start all over again! And, yes, Sylvie knows! Ugh!" 

She stormed away, throwing the large paper to the trash can and stomping her way to the supply room to get some new ones. Her two friends stared at her, confused by her mild outburst; Maddie was usually calm and upbeat. 

"Oops. Hormones." Brianna guessed, "Her walking out makes me think she's having a girl."

"I think it's a boy." JJ countered, "My wife used to say that boys give their mother's beauty while girls take it away from them. An old wives tales or something." 

"We should follow her."

JJ was already up from his seat. "Yes, we should. Don't you know it's not good to piss off a pregnant woman?"

"Well, I do now!" 

The two scurry off to the supply room in search of their friend. To their surprise, Maddie came out of the women's bathroom, wiping her mouth and rubbing her temples. Her brown eyes shot up to her two friends and she gives them an apologetic look, a sheepish smile falling on her lips. 

"I'm sorry for snapping at you, Bri." She told her, "It's been. . .it's been a stressful morning." 

Bri slung her arm over Maddie's shoulder. "It's alright. I was being annoying anyway." The three of them laugh, the sound echoing on the walls. "Tell us more about the pregnancy, Mads. How far along are you?"

"Are you sleeping okay?" JJ asked, walking on Maddie's other side. "I remember my son telling me that his wife had some back problems." 

"Ugh, I relate. Plus, I vomit on most nigh──"

"You'll pay for this, you son of a bitch!" A voice boomed from their CEO's office. It was man in his late thirties with tired eyes and apparently a dirty mouth. He was making his way towards the elevator, right in front of the office and Briana's desk. 

The trio abruptly stop, eyes wide as the scene unfolded in front of them. 

Their CEO and owner of the company, Mr. Brighton, walked out. Fuming, he sneered. "Over my dead body, Burt!" The elevator closed and Mr. Brighton noticed his three workers staring at him. He waved them off, red ears and an embarrassed smile on his face. "Personal issues. Don't worry about it." 

Maddie cocked her head to the side. 

It seemed pretty serious. 

JJ poked Maddie's shoulder. "Boss?" He said, "Wanna get some lunch?"

"Yes, please!" She beamed and had practically skipped towards the break room.