Family Album

***Kelly and Alyssa's life together at various milestones***

Valentine's Day 2015

Kelly had always hated Valentine's Day. It was a Hallmark Holiday designed to make people who had no one to "celebrate" with feel like they were defective somehow…and to give guys a complex over having to come up with some big, over-the-top, romantic thing that cost at least a week's pay and more often than not, wasn't what his significant other had in mind anyway.

This was the third Valentine's Day he and Alyssa would have together…but in a lot of ways it was also their first. Not just their first as husband and wife…but he didn't have to work…and he had made plans.

Their first Valentine's Day he had been on shift…at least in the beginning. But he had come home in the middle of the day because his arm had been absolutely killing him, to a point where he couldn't function. Alyssa had nursed him through two and a half days of agony…not exactly what one would call a romantic evening/weekend…whatever.

Their second Valentine's Day almost wasn't…he wasn't sure whether they were still a couple or not. He had almost blown the best thing that had ever happened to him. His neck/shoulder injury had gotten so far out of hand that he had resorted to stealing narcotics from Alyssa and from the ambo at work. His mood was so unpredictable…between the pain, the guilt, the secrecy…and occasionally the withdrawal symptoms. He had jumped down Alyssa's throat for something stupid and she had walked out on him. She was gone for two whole days and he had been absolutely terrified that he'd lost her forever. That was over Valentine's Day.

So this year he was going big. This year he was gonna do it right. They had been married almost eight months…and six weeks before on Christmas Eve…they had become parents to twin boys. It had been six weeks of constant…bliss…and exhaustion. And they hadn't had even a few minutes to themselves. Somebody always needed something…a bottle, a diaper change, burping, cleaning up after a burp…

He had gotten a package deal at the Wyndham downtown, and dinner reservations at Rosebud's. There had been a moment of panic when he had all this set up then Shay couldn't babysit. His heart just about stopped when she told him she had big plans that night with a new girl…someone she really liked. He was happy she was moving on after Clarice had ripped her heart out for a second time…and he had moved out to live with Alyssa…but did it have to be that particular night?

Mills had saved the day…or the night, however you wanted to look at it. He had been passing by and overheard the tail end of the conversation and he volunteered himself and Dawson to stay with the twins.

Kelly had jumped on the offer.

It was supposed to be a surprise.

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He was on shift the thirteenth. And at nine or ten o'clock they got a call out to an apartment fire. It turned out to be a big deal…it was a big building…five stories, eight apartments on each floor. The fire had apparently started in a laundry room on one of the lower floors, but it had gotten into the heating ducts and was running rampant through the entire building. Lots of secondary blazes…curtains burning, furniture…what a mess.

Trying to clear the entire building was like going through a maze…like one of those puzzles where you'd get so far then hit a dead end and have to retrace your steps to find the exit you missed. Things were falling all around and Severide had to dive out of the way more than once to avoid being hit. Everybody was hyperaware and every sense you had was on overdrive.

But finally it was over. They'd done all they could and the fire was out. The entire building had sustained heavy damage and lots of people had lost everything they owned…but no one was seriously injured.

As things were winding down though, Kelly started to feel some pain in his left ankle. Just a little nagging pain at first…but getting worse. By the time they were wrapping up to head back to the station he was limping…enough so Chief noticed.

"Severide…what's wrong with your leg?"

Kelly shook his head.

"I don't know…my ankle just started hurting…I don't know what I did."

"Do you want Shay and Dawson to run you over to Lakeshore?" he asked.

Kelly shook his head again.

"No…it's not that bad. I'll ice it when we get back. It's no big deal."

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But it was turning into a big deal.

They got back to the firehouse and he cleaned up and changed…then he hobbled into the common room. He flopped down on the couch and Shay came over to see what was going on with him.

His ankle was swollen up to at least twice its normal size and every time Shay touched it Kelly just about jumped through the ceiling…it was that tender. They iced it, wrapped it…but there was no question…he was done.

"You want someone to run you to the hospital now?" Chief asked.

"No…I'll just go home and Lyssa can take me to the clinic in the morning."

"You need someone to drive you?" Shay asked.

"I can do it…just…can you come after shift and take care of the kids?"

"Of course…" Leslie answered.

He hauled himself up off the couch and slowly…painfully…made his way out to the car. Maybe he should have had someone go with him.

He drove the thirteen blocks to his house and parked in the driveway. He hobbled into the house and somehow managed to climb the stairs to his bedroom.

Lyssa was fast asleep in the center of the bed, hugging his pillow against her.

So that's what she does when I'm not here…he thought. For a moment he was amused…he thought it was adorable…and it was one more little thing that showed him how very much she loved him.

He limped over to the bed and lowered himself to sit on her usual side.

The movement of the bed woke Alyssa. She saw a figure sitting on the bed and for a moment she was frightened.

"It's just me…" Kelly said.

"Kelly? What are you doing home? What happened?"

She couldn't figure out what he was doing home in the middle of the night.

"Twisted my ankle…" he said.

And then he had to bite his lip to keep from crying out in pain as he slid his shoe off his injured foot.

Alyssa was up in a flash. She helped him into bed and went to the linen closet to get some extra pillows. Once she had propped his foot up, she went downstairs and came back with an ice pack.

Then she circled the bed and climbed in on the other side. Kelly held out his arms and Alyssa laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around her husband.

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The next morning he woke up alone.

At first he was kind of pissed that Alyssa would just leave him…knowing he'd need her help. But as he became more alert he heard one of the boys…most likely Andy…screaming his little head off.

He glanced at the clock.

Oh yeah…it was breakfast time.

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Down in the kitchen Alyssa had both boys in their carriers on the kitchen table and she was warming the bottles.

Unfortunately Andy didn't grasp the laws of physics just yet and the bottle wasn't coming fast enough.

Just then Jesse, not to be outdone by his brother, put his two cents in.

Kelly managed to hobble down the stairs and across the dining room to the kitchen door.

There was his wife…trying to calm two babies at once while waiting for the bottles to heat under the hot water.

Alyssa heard him behind her and turned to see Kelly standing there. She reached out to him and he took her arm for balance as he crossed the three or four steps from the edge of the counter to the table.

He pulled out one of the kitchen chairs to sit down then angled another so he could prop his foot up. Alyssa reached into one of the carriers and handed Andy over to him. She tested one of the bottles and decided it would have to do. She handed it to Kelly who immediately plugged the nipple into the screaming mouth.

And suddenly all was right…at least in Andy's little world.

Alyssa quickly crossed the kitchen to the freezer where she grabbed a cold pack. She took a few seconds to place it on Kelly's ankle before grabbing the second bottle and getting Jesse his breakfast.

And both parents breathed a sigh of relief as their boys were silenced.

"How are you doin', Baby…" Alyssa asked.

"I really did a number on myself…that's for sure. Leslie's gonna come right after shift so you can take me to Occupational Health."

Alyssa nodded.

"And we can stop at the store after…what would you like for your Valentine's Day dinner?"

Yeah…about that…

"I kinda had a surprise for you…" he said sheepishly.

"What's that?"

"I was planning to kidnap you for the night. I booked us a room at the Wyndham…and got reservations at Rosebud's over on Walton…"

"And what about Thing 1 and Thing 2 here?" she asked.

"Dawson and Mills are gonna babysit."

"Well, don't you think we should cancel it? How are you go downtown tonight?"

"The doctor'll prob'ly put me on crutches anyway…I got a special package deal for Valentine's Day. We'll still have to pay for it even if we don't go."

He pulled the empty bottle away from Andy and put the little boy up against his shoulder. Andy made a noise that sounded like it should come from someone much bigger…

"That's my boy…" Kelly said with a grin.

He looked over at his wife. She wasn't entirely convinced about his plans.

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Shay arrived right after shift and Alyssa and Kelly headed down town to the Occupational Health clinic for all the city's employees with work related injuries and illnesses.

Everybody going on medical furlough or coming off it had to pass through these doors.

And there were a lot of people…they had to wait over an hour.

Finally, they came to take him to x-ray…then Alyssa went with him to an examining room.

She made him as comfortable as possible given the Spartan conditions…carefully propping his foot up on the pillow from the examining table.

A very harried doctor who apparently had perfected his bedside manner in a barn came in to examine Kelly. Even with Alyssa standing right beside him rubbing his back and his shoulders trying to get him to relax...he still gripped the edge of the table till he lost circulation in his hands.

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Once he saw the x-rays the doctor diagnosed what he called an avulsion/fracture. What that meant was Kelly had twisted his ankle so hard that he'd torn a bit of ligament away from the bone…and a chip of bone came with it.

They left the clinic with Kelly wearing a walking boot…and on crutches.

"Honey…" Alyssa said once they were settled in the car. "Are you sure you want to go away tonight?"

"Yeah…I told you…we'll still have to pay for it, even if we cancel."

"I don't care about the money, Kelly."

"Do you not want to go?" he asked.

"I just think you might be more comfortable at home."

She went to start the car…but he reached out to take her hand.

"Lyssa…this is really important to me. We haven't had any time to ourselves since the twins were born."

"That's kind of par for the course…" she said. "That's what happens when you have kids."

"I get that…" he told her. "And I'm not saying I don't love Andy and Jesse…but I don't want us to end up being those kind of people who can't talk about anything except their kids."

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Mills and Dawson arrived prepared to camp out for the night.

Alyssa was distracted though…as she showed Gabby where everything was.

"Hey…" Dawson said to her. "Everything's gonna be okay. Pete and I can handle this…"

"I know…it's not that. I'm worried about Kelly." She said. "You didn't see him at the clinic…but he insists he wants to go through with this…"

Dawson reached out to her friend and hugged her.

"Welcome to loving a firefighter…" she said. "It doesn't get any easier."

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Alyssa drove them downtown…and pulled up to the valet stop at the Wyndham hotel. They got out of the car and the bellman unloaded their suitcases onto a cart. Then Lyssa gently laid her hand on Kelly's back and they made their way into the front lobby.

He hobbled over to the front desk.

"Hi…we have a reservation…under Severide."

The desk clerk punched a few keys on the computer.

"Here we are…room 619. The Valentine's Day Special. Did you need help with your bags?"

"Yeah…please." Kelly said.

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A bellman took them to their room…and opened the door.

It was way nicer than either of them expected.

There was a king-size bed…and a bottle of champagne chilling in a silver ice bucket. There was a box of chocolate covered strawberries from Godiva…and a dozen long-stem roses in a crystal vase on the dresser.

The bellman set their bags inside and hung their hanging bag in the closet. Kelly tipped him, and then closed the door behind him.

He hobbled back into the room…and wasn't surprised in the least that Alyssa had already cracked into the chocolate covered strawberries. She smiled as she took a bite of one…then held the other half up for him.

Sweets swallowed down, he reached out for her. She stepped closer to him so it wasn't so much of a reach…and slid her arms around his neck. He drew her closer until she was flush up against him and leaned down to capture her lips in a deep, passionate, all consuming kiss.

But eventually they had to part for some much needed oxygen.

As he caught his breath, Kelly couldn't help but think air was somewhat over-rated. He'd die a happy man if he could go kissing his wife.

He took a step back from Alyssa and laid one of the crutches aside. Then he took her hand and awkwardly led her over to the bed.

He sat down on the edge and shoved the other crutch aside. Then he brought Alyssa to stand directly in front of him. He slipped his hands inside her loose cardigan sweater to span her tiny waist.

You'd never know she'd just given birth to twins…she was still as petite as ever…maybe even more so, because she never had a moment to sit down anymore.

Well, he intended to make sure she sat down…and more.

She slid his leather jacket off his broad shoulders…and he brought her in even closer. He began to undo the buttons on her blouse one by one…then reached up to push the whole thing off, blouse…sweater and all.

He caught his breath as his wife stood before him naked to the waist save the red satin bra with the soft black lace trim. He'd never seen that one before…and he smiled when he realized he wasn't the only one anticipating a happy Valentine's Day.

Alyssa tugged his shirt up in the back, and he pulled it over his head in one quick motion.

Then her hands were on his bare skin…softly rubbing his chest and shoulders…and making him tingle with anticipation.

He hurried to undo her jeans and slide them down her shapely legs…and he took a moment to appreciate the panties that matched the red and black bra.

He changed positions on the bed and easily brought Alyssa with him. He turned her gently onto her back and slid her bra straps off her shoulders…all the while trailing kisses down the side of her neck and across her shoulder. And he left a few little marks…

Alyssa left a few of her own as her fingernails raked lightly over his back…and Kelly thought he'd burst out of his jeans.

That created something of a problem. He still had the boot on his foot…and he's have to take that off in order to lose his pants. And things were moving too fast to put the brakes on now.

But Lyssa solved that problem for him.

Her tiny hands made quick work of the button and the zipper and he got a moment to breathe once he was free of the confining garment. But only a moment…as Alyssa slid her hands inside his boxers.

She pushed his jeans and his shorts down…then turned him onto his back. Kelly thought he'd come right then and there as his wife straddled him…the satin and silky lace of her panties rubbing against his most sensitive parts.

He had to have her…and he pulled the panties off of her. Then there was nothing to stop them…nothing to get in the way. Alyssa leaned over him to kiss that special place along his collar bone that drove him absolutely wild. She was so soft and warm against him…and he couldn't wait another second.

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By the time they cabbed over to Rosebud's he was starving.

As the maitre'd led them to a corner table he thought again how beautiful Alyssa looked in her little black dress.

They settled in…and their waiter brought over a wine list.

Kelly didn't know anything about choosing a wine…other than red went with beef and white went with chicken…so he let the waiter recommend something. And after they had gone through the customary opening the bottle and him tasting it…for all the good that did…fermented grapes were fermented grapes…they were finally alone.

He reached across the table and took Alyssa's hand in his.

"Are you glad we did this?" he asked.

Alyssa smiled at him…and he felt his heart melt.

"I am…you were right, Kelly. We need this."

"Now there's something you don't hear too often…" he told her with a wicked grin. "That I was right…"

She smiled back, with a gleam in her eye.

"Well, don't get used to it, Severide…"

They both laughed and he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

Then he picked up his wine glass and raised it slightly in toast.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Mrs. Severide…"

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