Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 17, “A Beast Like This” sees Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) discussing the impending expansion of their family via adoption multiple times, only for the show to end with a twist. But are Stella and Kelly having a baby? Or will the two of them end up adopting a teenager, one with a heartbreaking connection to Stella Kidd’s own past?
Are Severide and Stella Having a Baby on Chicago Fire?
The answer at this point seems closer to no than yes, though the two were indeed approved for adoption and are now just waiting. They both seem to be getting a little anxious during the waiting period, and that’s partly why Stella keeps herself busy with Girls on Fire. That’s where she meets Natalie, a 13-year-old who hero-worships her. But when the girl runs off and Stella gives her some tough love, Natalie doesn’t return.
Stella worries, and since she is trying to distract herself from the fact that she doesn’t have an answer from the adoption agency, she tries to look for Natalie. What she finds is actually heartbreaking. Once upon a time, years ago, Natalie’s family was involved in a fire—and she actually helped rescue 4-year-old Natalie. Which probably explains the hero worship and why Natalie knows so much about Stella.
Now, we don’t know much about Natalie’s family life, only that she’s spent some time at the community center, but Stella and Kelly adopting Natalie very much fits the profile of previous Chicago Fire storylines. Cruz adopted Javi, and he wasn’t a baby. Casey adopted the Darden boys as teenagers. And Stella and Kelly adopting Natalie would make the transition to telling stories with Kelly and Stella as parents more seamless than if the two adopted a baby.
Even without the complication of a pregnancy, which would have taken Stella out of commission for a considerable amount of time, a baby would have still been a complication for both Kelly and Stella. They would need to be out of work for a considerable amount of time. We would likely barely see them on shift together, realistically, which would not be good for the show. A teenager, however, solves all of those issues.
Plus, the show has given this teenager an emotional connection to Stella that makes her the perfect candidate if the two were going to adopt an older kid. This doesn’t even mean the couple couldn’t adopt a baby in the future, either. That storyline could still be there, and they could see how they do with a teenager first, which should be easier. Even if Herrman would probably disagree, all things considered. But considering both Stella and Kelly’s history, it feels like they would both be really good with a teenager.
Plus, why would the show have brought in the girl, shown her connection with Stella, have Stella get attached and then given us the information about Stella saving her in a fire when she was four in the same episode where they remarked that both Stella and Kelly were getting anxious about the time it was taking to hear back from the adoption agency if it didn’t mean anything? It just feels like all the pieces are leading up to something. And as we’ve said before, Stella and Kelly would make really good parents.
