If You Met Me First

Chapter 14

After Kelly finished talking to Erin. She called Captain Benson to let her know Shelby was missing. She immediately went over to Kelly and Shelby's hotel room.

Kelly heard a knock at the door. He jumped up and opened it. His face fell. He was hoping it was Shelby. "Capitan Benson."

"Hey Kelly. Erin called me."

"Come on in." Kelly step to the side to allow her to step inside. He then closed the door and turned his attention to her.

"What exactly happened?"

"Well it was after her dads lawyer grilled her and tried to trash her mother. She was so upset. She got a cab and left. Didn't tell me where she was going. She hasn't answered any of my calls or texts."

"We will find her Kelly. I'll see if we can find the cab that picked her up and where they took her. Now is there anything you can tell me that might help? Something she mentioned?"

"The only thing I can think of is she was really upset that her old firehouse wouldn't even talk to her. They wouldn't answer any of her calls."

"Okay thanks Kelly. I need you to stay her just in case she shows back up."

"Yeah okay." Captain Benson left their hotel room and went to start trying to track Shelbys movements.

****

Shelby had fallen asleep in the park. When she woke up it was pitch black outside. She sat up and pulled her phone out. "Damnit" It was dead. She shoved it back in her pocket. She got up and started walking down the streets of her old neighborhood.

Trying to figure out the best place to go to call a cab. She was sure Kelly would be worried by now. She wasn't even sure what time it was. She had been walking for about 15 minutes when suddenly their were flashing lights coming up behind her.

Shelby stopped and turned around shielding her eyes from the lights. The car stopped and someone stepped out. They started walking towards her but she couldn't tell who it was.

"Shelby?"

She breathed a sigh of relief it was Captain Benson. "Hey yeah it's me."

"Where have you been?"

"I just needed a moment to think. I fell asleep on a bench in the park. And when I woke up my phone was dead."

"Let's get you back to your hotel. Kelly is worried." Shelby followed Captain Benson back to her car. The car was warm. Shelby hadn't realized how could she had gotten.

She wraps her jacket tighter around her and shoves her hands in her pockets. That's when she felt it. A pill bottle. She did t dare pull it out in front of the Benson.

Benson took Shelby back to her hotel and escorted her up to her room. She knocked on the door. Kelly quickly opened the door.

"Oh thank god." Kelly wrapped Shelby in a hug. "You had me so worried."

"I know. I'm sorry. I just needed time to think and I fell asleep in the park. And when I woke up my phone was dead." They pulled apart from the hug.

Kelly turned his attention to Captain Benson." Thank you."

"Anytime. You guys get some sleep." Kelly and Shelby said their goodbyes and then walked back into their hotel room closing the door.

Shelby went and plugged her phone in and then turned her attention to Kelly. "So what was the verdict? Did the jury come back?"

"Yes it was a couple hours after you left.  They came back with a guilty verdict."

Shelby was going through a range of emotions. Happy that she knew what happened to her mother but sad because her dad was the one who killed her. "Does this mean we can go back to Chicago tomorrow?"

"Yes. We just need to book our flights." Kelly sat down on the couch and pulled out his phone and started to purchase their flights home.

Shelby walked into the bathroom closing the door. She finally pulled out the pill bottle in her pocket to see what she had. She popped the lid and poured a couple out into her hand. Those little white pills laying in her hand. She recognized them immediately.

Part of her said throw them away but the other part of her said to keep them. She took two pills and then she threw the bottle into her makeup bag.  She zipped the bag up and went back out to sit on the couch with Kelly.

"Our flights leave at 7am."

"We should probably get some sleep then." Kelly agreed. They went and got ready for bed so they could get a couple hours of sleep before their flight.

2 Weeks Later

Life was finally getting back to normal for Shelby and Kelly. They were able to actually be a couple and not look over their shoulders 24/7.

Shelby had yet to tell Kelly that she was relapsing. She told herself she could handle it on her own and that she could stop whenever she wanted. It wasn't like before.

She had already finished the bottle she had gotten in New York and bought another one in Chicago. She was being extra careful on when she took the pills and when she would go buy more.

Kelly and Shelby were walking into 51 holding hands. Just smiling. "There's the two love birds!"

"Shut up Capp or I'll make you detail every piece of chrome on squad 3!" Shelby started laughing.

Her and Kelly headed for the locker room. "Why you gotta be so mean to Capp?"

"Just gotta remind him who the Lieutenant is on squad 3." Kelly was smiling ear to ear. Shelby just rolled her eyes and they got changed into their work uniforms.

They then headed for the kitchen to see what was for breakfast. "What's that smell?" Shelby started wrinkling her nose.

"Otis cooked some tradition russian breakfast." Shelby and Kelly walked over to see what Otis had made.

"Hey I promise it's good!"

"What did you make Otis."

"We have some Syrniki, Vareniki, and Semolina Porridge" Otis was very proud of him self. "Just try it." Otis starts to hand Shelby a vareniki.

Ambulance 61 Person down for unknown causes.

"Sorry Otis gotta go!" Shelby and Sylvie took off towards 61. Shelby jumped into the passenger seat and Sylvie was in the drivers seat. "Saved by the bell."

Sylvie starts laughing as she pulls out of 51 with the sirens going.