Big Changes for Stellaride Teased in ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 12 Finale, Setting the Stage for Season 13

It looks like the population of the Severide-Kidd household might be going up by one during Chicago Fire Season 13—and they won’t be getting a dog.

At the tail end of “Never Say Goodbye,” Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) approaches Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and asks her if she’d like to try for a baby. “You know, I was thinking … that maybe we start a family. I know it’s a huge decision…” he begins.

He notes that since Stella will be the one carrying the child, the decision is mainly on her—but he believes it’s a good time for them to start a family. Stella doesn’t give him a firm yes-or-no answer; she’s too stunned by his sudden suggestion. They’re both a bit panicked by the discussion. “I know it kind of flew out of my mouth. But I’ve been thinking about it, a lot,” Kelly admits.

The couple doesn’t have time to decide what to do—they get near-simultaneous texts from Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker), announcing to the team that he’s heading off to run for deputy commissioner, leaving his position open. If Kelly and Stella decide to have children, there’s been plenty of foreshadowing indicating they’d make great parents—even though Mayo herself sees trouble ahead.

While the notion of Stellaride having a baby might be a shock to them, Chicago Fire has been foreshadowing parenthood for the couple for a while. It’s not as if Kelly and Stella haven’t expressed a fondness for kids and a desire to have children of their own. Severide has mentored more than one kid before, and Stella runs a charity for young girls called Girls on Fire.

However, Miranda Rae Mayo thinks there may be storm clouds on the horizon. “I do think that they feel differently about this because in order for them to start a family, it means that Stella would have to put so much of her career on pause.

He could continue to be a lieutenant, she could not for a while… And it’s interesting. Stella didn’t want to get married. I think she loves kids. She loves working with kids, but she’s undecided on if she wants to have her own. And I think it’s a big question of when,” the actor told NBC Insider in May.