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Hallie rises on shaky legs, her heart fuller than she ever thought possible as she shakes the chief’s hand, then Hewitt’s. She thanks them profusely, practically floating out of the office on a cloud of euphoria.

That evening, Hallie sits on the couch, her thoughts a million miles away as she waits for Kaia to get home from a call out. She chuckles at the memory of getting her text as she left the station.

You can head home without me.

I have to go save another damn cat.

Art says he’ll get me a badge when I reach double digits.

The jingle of keys in the lock snaps her out of her musing, and she looks up just in time to see Kaia burst through the door, an easy smile on her face.

“Hey, you, how was your first day back?” Kaia asks, making a beeline for Hallie and pulling her into a fierce kiss. “I missed you out there, could have used your cat-charming abilities.”

Hallie smiles against Kaia’s lips, savoring the sweet familiarity of her touch before pulling back slightly, her expression turning serious.

“It was good. Really good, actually,” she begins, taking Kaia’s hands in her own. “I need to talk to you about something pretty big.”

Kaia’s brow furrows as she settles onto the couch. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

Hallie takes a deep breath, searching for the right words to convey the sheer magnitude of what happened in her meeting this morning. Slowly, haltingly, she recounts her conversation with Chief Walters and Hewitt, watching as Kaia’s expression morphs from worry to shock to pure joy.

“Captain Hunter!” Kaia exclaims, leaping to her feet and pulling Hallie up with her, into a bone-crushing hug. “Fuck, I’m so proud of you! You deserve this more than anyone.”

Hallie laughs, her heart full to bursting as she clings to Kaia, relishing the feeling of her strong arms wrapped around her. “Thanks, baby. But there’s more...”

She pulls back slightly, cupping Kaia’s face in her hands as she explains the chief’s recommendation of the captain position at the Phoenix Ridge Fire Department. As she speaks, Hallie watches Kaia’s face closely, trying to gauge her reaction as the offer dawns on her. To her surprise, Kaia’s eyes light up with what looks like yearning, a wistful smile playing at the corners of her lips.

“An all-female department? Are you kidding?” Kaia eventually responds, her voice soft with wonder. “Hallie, that sounds like a dream come true.”

Hallie barely gives herself a second to hope before double checking that Kaia’s actually on board with the whole idea. “You really think so? It would be a big change, moving to a new town, joining a new station. I know you’ve only just started to find your groove with the crew here...”

But Kaia is already shaking her head. “Babe, I love our squad. I really do. But if I’m being honest... the idea of spending the rest of my career fighting to compete with men who will always see me as lesser? That sounds more exhausting than it’s worth.”

Hallie can’t help but chuckle, she knows that feeling perhaps better than anyone.

“I want to be judged on my skills, my dedication. Not my gender,” Kaia continues. “If you really want this, if you think it could be a good move for us, then I’m all in.”

Hallie feels the threat of tears prick at her eyes, emotion welling up in her throat as Kaia’s words sink in. Her unwavering support. The willingness to uproot her life and start anew. Hallie never thought she could be so lucky to have such a partner.

“I love you so much,” she whispers fiercely, pulling Kaia in for a searing kiss that leaves them both breathless. “Let’s do it. Let’s start over somewhere new, you and me.”

As the night wears on and they start to make plans, Hallie feels a sense of overwhelming peace settle deep in her bones. She thinks of how far they’ve come, from that first charged meeting in the station to the heartbreak and catastrophe they’ve had to overcome to get here.

Curled up in bed later that night, Kaia’s head resting on her chest, Hallie lets her mind wander to the future that stretches out before them both. She imagines they might have a life like her parents, madly in love and fiercely dedicated to their careers until the day they decide to retire together.

As she drifts off to sleep, Hallie sends up a silent prayer of gratitude for the twists and turns of fate that have led them to this moment. For the love that has seen them through the darkest of times, and the bright future that awaits them on the other side.

And as Hallie tightens her arms around Kaia, breathing in the sweet scent of her wild curls, she knows that there is nowhere else she would rather be. No one else she would rather face the world with.

This is their next chapter, and Hallie can’t wait to see where it leads them. Together.