Author's Note: The original story introducing Kaitlyn, Chicago Fire, is posted over on the Chicago Fire site. It was written during Season 2 of Chicago Fire. I stopped writing it after Jeff Hephner left the show. Now that he is back on Chicago Med, I will continue their story. I hope you enjoy.
As Time Goes By
Chapter 1
The first day of his ER rotation was done, and Jeff Clarke felt like he had been run through a blender. He was surprised to see Natalie Manning in the ER. He didn't know that she was doing her residency at Chicago Med. It had been a pleasure to see Maggie. He had always admired how she maintained order out of the chaos of the ER.
He slipped into his coat and added his backpack. His sister in law Carolyn had warned him that Medical School was a bitch. 'She wasn't kidding,' he thought as he left the lounge.
"Jeff?"
He stopped and turned, waiting for the woman to catch up to him.
"Hi, Natalie."
"Hi. I just wanted to say welcome to Chicago Med. I hope you like it here."
"I'm sure I will. I have a feeling that it's going to be a busy year."
"It will be and you'll learn a lot. And it will fly by."
"That's what people are telling me."
He stepped aside to allow her to walk through the automatic door. The cold Chicago winter air hit them as soon as they stepped through the doors.
"Listen, do you want to grab coffee somewhere?" she asked.
She wanted to grab coffee and catch up with him. She and Jeff had had great times with him and his now ex-wife, Lisa.
"DADDY!" a child's voice called.
He turned toward the voice. Two seconds later, a child ran to him and gave his legs a hug. He bent down and picked her up., giving her a kiss on her cheek.
"Hi, Princess. Where's everyone else?"
"They're coming."
He turned to Natalie.
"Nat, this is my daughter, McKenna. Kenna, this is Dr. Manning. She's a friend of Daddy's."
McKenna held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Manning."
Natalie tried to hide her shock. Jeff had a daughter? It didn't seem possible.
"It's nice to meet you too, McKenna. That's a very pretty name."
"Thank you."
Jeff noticed a woman holding the hand of another child and carrying a baby carrier in the crook of her arm walking toward him. He smiled as she caught up to them.
"Hi, Babe."
"Hi," she said as she let go of the child's hand and shifted the carrier to the opposite arm. "How was your day?"
"Busy and long. This is Dr. Natalie Manning. Her husband and I were good friends before he was KIA. Nat, my wife, Kaitlyn."
He indicated the child standing next to Kaitlyn. "This is Evan, and the little guy in the carrier is Kyle."
"Nice to meet you, Natalie. What's your specialty?"
"Pediatrics," she stammered. She felt foolish for asking him to have coffee. She had no idea he had remarried, let alone fathered three children.
Kaitlyn nodded. She looked at Jeff. "We'll wait for you in the van. It's a bit cold to have them out for long."
"I'll be there in a minute."
"Please hurry, Daddy. I have homework."
"I'll be there as fast as I can, Kenna," he said as he set her down. "Be sure to hold Evan's hand."
Natalie watched them walk back toward their van.
"Things sure have changed."
"Yes, they have. She's been very supportive of me going to school. I am very grateful for that. Fortunately, when I decided to go to school, Kait had just made partner."
"She's a lawyer?"
He nodded. "At Reed, Stephenson, & Voight."
"Voight? Any relation to Hank?"
"His wife, Jessica."
"Small world."
He looked at her.
"Natalie, I don't want to be rude, but I don't want to keep everyone waiting. I promised Kenna I would help her with her homework. I don't think coffee would be a good idea."
"Yeah, sure," she agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Have a good night."
"You too. Thanks."
He started toward the van. She watched him go, feeling stupid for even suggesting coffee.
"Life goes on," she mumbled as she headed to the parking garage.