CHAPTER THREE || LEARNING

"Yeah jay, First Fires done" Harley sighed falling back to sit on her bunk, Her phone held to her ear as She listened to Jay's rambling.

"how was it? You get along with the guys?" Jay questioned through the phone, The quiet sound of a door closing echoed through Harley's ears as Jay got home from work.

"Yeah it was Alright. I guess, haven't really spoke to me. don't blame them, they've lost two people. Candidate and a Paramedic. These things take time Jay, Especially after losses like that" Harley's voice barely above a whisper as her eyes quickly glanced around the room to Ensure no one was in ear shot. Her words re-igniting old memories.

"They'll warm up to you Har. but aside from that how are you doing?" He asked, The question carried more weight than most would think. The question referring to the heavy differences between civilian life vs Military life along with the complications that mix the two.

"yeah, yeah jay I'm good" she nodded as she laid on her side, phone by her ear. despite the fact her voice may have been convincing, it couldn't be further from the truth. A human brain so vastly coded to react in only a military setting, that when removed from a military setting, The same mindset remains.

"i'm just looking out. Isaac told me about last night" Harley's chest constricted upon hearing the words she hoped she'd miss heard.

"Halstead i appreciate the concern but i'm fine." Harley scoffed ending the phone without a second thought, Shoving her phone back into her pocket she did the same with the thoughts that plagued her mind: Burying them deep within the unseen parts of her soul.

Getting up from her bunk she sighed running a hand through her hair and made her way to the common room, Her lieutenant and the Rest of truck 81 sat at one of the tables while mouch remained seated on the couch.

"Candidate, come here" Hermann voiced as his eyes fell on Harley, ushering her over to the table. Approaching the men she was now working with she could feel the coldness radiating from them, The recent loss of Jones, and shay weighing on their minds.

Harley Pulled out a chair at the table before settling down with the rest of her team, Their eyes glued to her aside from Casey's as he stared down at a news paper in-front of him.

"How long you been out the army?" Cruz questioned, Otis and Hermann's prying eyes glued to her as she went to answer the question.

"Officially, Almost two months" She nodded. Her mind desperately trying to distract from the job she'd so badly wanted to get back to. Her eyes darting between the three men staring at her, their faces contorting with disbelief at her answer.

"so you passed all the tests for the CFD in two months?" Hermann asked, Harley nodded noticing Peter Mills watching her interact with the men of truck 81.

"why did you leave the army?" Otis chuckled scratching at the tuff of hair on his chin, the common room chatter slightly distracting from the conversation.

"honourably discharged" Harley shrugged as she pulled her phone from her pocket secretly wishing for the bells to ring, hoping the city of chicago could save her from the conversation.

"why?" Otis Questioned, Harley's eyes shooting up from her phone as she wondered why he couldn't just take that as an answer.

"Otis" Casey warned, his eyes raising from the paper to Otis, sending him a warning Glare causing harley to raise a brow, Something had confused her.

The dark haired man Otis seemed all too interested in her previous career, and the lack of ball busting filled her with a sense of unease. Yet she tried to reassure herself with the pressures they house had been under.

***

Harley stood infront of her locker, Pulling her gym bag out her first shift over and Had barely even had a single conversation with any one of the guys.

Maybe fearing being the new girl again was warranted. Harley sighed throwing her bag over her shoulder, Walking past hermann she was ready to go home and grab a beer when she heard her name: "Flores."

Turning She saw her lieutenant Matthew Casey, Clearing her throat she turned to face him her hands straightening out her jacket.

"yes lieutenant" She looked up to her superior officer as Kelly severide walked past the two, Matt's lips tightened as he tried to find the right words.

"good work today candidate. I hope you understand that any colder behaviours exhibited today weren't personal. The recent losses this house has faced" Casey shook his head trying to explain his men's behaviours.

"thank you lieutenant. and i get it, They'll come around" Harley nodded, There was no greater loss than losing a brother or sister in arms, The memories of her past creeping their way back as Casey nodded leading her out of the bunk room.

She knew being a firefighter was going to be hard, Especially Being the only female firefighter in house. But she'd done worse, She was ready. She didn't have another choice.

Following matt and a few of the other guys out of the house she said her final goodbyes ready to rest before another shift of silence and no ball busting. As she walked toward her car she pulled her phone from her pocket calling one of the only people she considered a friend; Jay Halstead.

"Halstead" His voice echoed after two rings, A sigh of relief escaping Harley's lips as she heard his voice.

"you off shift yet?" She questioned hoping he was free to get a beer, She had Isaac, But seeing Isaac. She knew he watched her every move when she was back at the apartment. Psychoanalysing her for any signs of that wretched disease that plagued people who were once soldiers.

"Yeah got off about an hour ago" Jay Spoke, The sound of a fridge closing in the background echoed through her ears as she climbed into the drivers side of her car.

"wanna meet me at mollys in an hour? Beer on me?" Harley questioned, and she could almost hear the smile forming on his face.

"Yeah"

***

"There she is! You alright mamas" Kevin Atwater smiled first walking up to Harley's table in Mollys, Jay and Isaac right behind him, Harley chuckled standing up as Kev pulled her into a hug.

She barely knew intelligence Aside from her Brother and Jay yet they'd welcomed her into their family within seconds of meeting them.

"I'm good kev you?" She smiled breaking the hug between her and Kev, Her eyes shooting Back to jay sending the brunette a look, she hadn't known he was dragging Kev and Isaac along, A heads up would've been nice.

"Yeah imma go get us some drinks" Kev smiled looking back at his two friends before walking up to the bar leaving Harley with Jay and Isaac.

"You catch your first fire already?" Isaac questioned, A smile plastered across his face as he settled into his seat opposite his sister, Jay sitting Beside him.

"i did i did" Harley smiled, Fire. Fire was mesmerising, Dangerously mesmerising in a way. Some would say flames are a beautiful destruction, Yet Harley had seen so many forms of destruction that running into a fire was nothing compared to the feeling of seeing death through the flames of her own grief.

"so how's 51?" Kevin questioned a cheesy smile etched across his face as he walked back to the table beers in hand as he settled on the end.

"It's okay, Different" Harley nodded, Forcing a smile upon her face as Kevin passed her a beer. Isaacs eyes glued to her as he analysed her expression.

Across the bar Sat Matt Casey, His eyes On his new candidate as Otis stood behind the bar behind him, as Otis voiced his concerns.

"so i spoke to some guy i know over at 67, He said he heard some rumours about Harley a few years after he left the army, Are you sure she's good for 81?" Otis Questioned suspicion lacing his voice over the rumours he'd heard, Casey's face contorting in disbelief as he turned to face otis.

"rumours?"Casey questioned wanting confirmation on what Otis was talking about as he sipped his beer.

"She's violent, almost got the boot when she joined cause she threw a punch at her superior
officer" Otis voice the rumours he'd heard making casey raise a brow.

"And he saw this?" Casey asked, Trying to debunk the rumour. The lieutenant wasn't one for gossip, Especially within his men.

"Well no. But we have to be able to trust the people we work with-" Casey shook his head butting in.

"Otis. A rumours just that. It's her first shift. After what happened with jones do you really think it's a good idea to go sniffing around a candidate's business?" Casey's voice stern as he looked over at Otis.

"no lieutenant" Otis nodded gulping, Despite being off shift Casey's rank rolled from his tongue with ease.

"leave it alone. Give her a chance."

****

a/n- i promise you all this will make sense...
i have a lot planned for this story
(not proofread)