Title: Old Flames, New Sparks
Authors: JENTWCSINYFAN and THESDA
Rated: PG-13(minor cursing)
Summary: DK's old flame, Kerrigan Doherty returns to his life with secrets and new sparks rekindle old flames. What will happen?
DISCLAIMER: We do not own anyone except Kerrigan.
Author's Notes: Jen and I have been RPing Kerri and DK for about 4 years now so this has been coming for a while we finally got together on things. Enjoy please read and review.
Chapter 1
Old Flames
Lead Arson Investigator Kerrigan Doherty and her Daughter, KayLeigh Marissa, came into the firehouse. Kerri had carried the pajama-clad girl up the stairs, carrying her briefcase, and duffle bag. The brunette girl was sleeping a slight snore came out. She pushed the door open and walked in, "Excuse me I'm looking for Jimmy Doherty," she said, as she stood holding the five-year-old girl.
DK said, "He'd be up the stairs and to the left, in the office marked Lieutenant now, Kerri." Then his head lowered and he massaged a stiff muscle at the base of his left shoulder.
"Thanks," she said. How did he know it was me? She thought as she walked up the stairs to Jimmy's office. She knocked with her foot, thinking Come on Jimmy answer the door, She was starting to loose her grip on KayLeigh.
Jimmy said, "Come in." He was looking at files on his desk and putting some into a drawer. "Hey Kerri, Hi KayLeigh," He smiled slightly, "What's up?"
DK was popping Advil and Walsh said, "So who was she?" DK said, "Just someone I once knew. No big deal, I'll be up on my bunk or on the roof for a bit, brother."
He walked up the stairs thinking God she still looked beautiful and that little girl is a cutie.
Kerri came in, "I'm sorry to bring her with me Jimmy," she said, "My sitter is sick, so is she," she said. "Downtown called me this morning. I am now the lead Arson Investigator. I am so far behind in cases it is not funny. Oh and I'm assigned here." she said, dropping the duffle bag and briefcase.
"It's all right. And I have had everything possible that a kid can bring home or in here. Congratulations and welcome to the family. The extra office is across the hall and set up for you. Uh….did you happen to see DK?"
She was glad she shut the door and laid her daughter down on the couch, and sat next to her, running her hand over her daughters brown hair. She shook her head, "Yes, I've seen him but I don't know honestly if I should tell him now or wait till I settle in and he gets used to my presence here" she said, "What do you think?" She looked up at Jimmy.
Jimmy said "I think I'd let that wait a while, hon. He hasn't been himself the past few days and he has been talking about wanting a vacation. I would not want you to get your head fed to you. He's even been snapping at Billy and those two are like brothers."
She nodded, "Can I leave KayLeigh here, while I get settled?" she said, standing knowing her brother could not turn down his niece. She kissed his forehead, and walked upstairs with her briefcase and duffle bag in hand. She ran a hand threw her long brown curly hair. She saw DK on his bunk she took a deep breath, waiting on the top stair.
Jimmy said, "Sure she can color or whatever if she feels like it." He tucked a blanket around the small girl and gently felt her forehead for fever. He smiled at his sister and wiped her lip-gloss off his head with a paper towel.
DK was on his bunk trying to get a nap and waiting for the Advil to kick in on his sore body as he laid there. He had taken off his uniform shirt and had a pale blue tank top on while he was under his blanket and curled up in his usual ball.
She walked in slowly trying not to make too much noise. She sighed the only bunk open was next to DK. She shook her head, put her briefcase on the bed, and opened it quietly. She really did not know what to do at this point. She would have to ask jimmy later if she could switch bunks with him. He would understand.
Something fell to the floor off DK's bunk as he moved in his sleep. It was just a stuffed brown bear in a firefighter outfit that a little neighborhood girl had given him after 9/11, one rainy shift. He had kept it around for just the memory of that time and that there were good people out there. He snored slightly despite his Breathe right strip that he wore.
She sat on the bunk and put her head in her hands. She heard the bear fall, picked it off the ground, and put it on his bed. She pulled out her Lead Arson Investigator shirt, and stripped off the Polo she had on. She had a Tank underneath it, pulled on her Arson shirt, and sighed tucking it in. She ran a hand through her hair.
DK rolled over and had his left arm around the bear as it was clutched to his side. He mumbled something and then turned to face the wall on the other side of the room. He wanted to be on a nice sandy beach somewhere and leave the firefighting and hero playing behind for a while.
He pulled himself out of the bunk and just went to the window to look outside quietly and thinking he was alone.
By this time Kerri had sat on her bunk, head in her soft hands. Her now long curly hair cascaded over her fingers. She heard him move and she looked up. She heard him mumble and her heart hurt for him. Had she done that to him, had she made him so hurt so bad that it was finally showing? Once he was outside, she stood and followed slowly, "Mind if I join you?"
He turned and said, "Sure if you want. Feels like fall is coming soon." He leaned against the brick wall of the firehouse and moved his neck from side to side slowly.
She looked at him, her hands in her pockets. "Yeah I can't wait, its better than Summer you know." she said, "DK, There's not going to be a problem with my working here is there," she said, softly running a hand through her hair.
"Yeah the air just feels different and you get to wear the sweatshirts and stuff."
He looked at her for a moment just taking her profile in quietly. "No there won't be I'm just tired and worn out. Think I need some down time for a few days to get back my love for the job." He stretched slowly wishing he did not feel old today of all days.
Kerri looked at him. Love for the job, what about love for her, their daughter. All Kerri wanted to do was scream that KayLeigh was his daughter. She wanted him in her daughter's life. "Why don't you talk to Jimmy you know he'd give you the time off" she said, "Take a personal day, you need it" she said.
"Well, yeah I could do that. And hmm the boss is your big brother huh? I guess I'd better really be nice," he said it with an edge slightly.
Anger flashed through her. She knew that if she did not keep her voice down everyone would hear. She spun her hair going with her. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she said.
"It was a stupid comment and I'm tired and not feeling all that great today." DK sighed and ran a hand through his hair slowly. "I'm sorry I just wasn't prepared to see you again after all this time Kerri."
She looked at him hurt on her face, "You meant something by that," she said. Did he stop caring about her when she left him? She was scared and young. "What did you mean?"
DK said, "I meant that i'm an ass plain and simple." "And I can't go back there again hurt too damn much when you left; the hell of it is i'm still stupid in love with you." He was quiet and just looked down at the tile on the rooftop
He still loved her. She opened her mouth to say something. It had been five years. He did not even know that KayLeigh was his daughter. She sighed, "You are," she said. IT might be her mistake but she wore a ring on her left ring finger that looked like it could pass as a wedding band.
"Yeah I am I guess I like punishing myself huh?" He said" I cannot do this it just makes me hurt all over again Kerri. "He moved past her and slammed the door to the roof accidentally and then went downstairs in the direction of Jimmy's office. He said, "Lieu i need some time off my head isn't in it and i feel like crap."
Jimmy said" Take a few days i was wondering when you'd wear out after the double and triple shifts you'd been putting in the last few weeks." DK nodded and went to change into street clothes
She looked at the sky before, "WHY?" she asked to sky before going back inside to plop on her bunk. Holding her head in her hands. She popped 4 Excedrin and took a deep breath
DK meanwhile was changing into some sweats that he liked for being at home in his apartment and a faded blue t-shirt that showed his tightly toned abdomen. He was not doing it intentionally just had it around his bag of spare clothes. He was dressed and headed through the locker room area to the stairs not noticing Kerri at first.
She was so angry at him. She had tearstains on her cheeks. She had to tell him about KayLeigh Marissa being his daughter but how he hated her enough as is. She did not want him hating her daughter. She saw him come in and she sniffed pulling a picture of her daughter off the shelf above her bunk to look at it. YEah her daughter was there with her but if KayLeigh saw, her crying too many questions would emerge. Questions she was not ready for
DK saw her crying and felt like shit for making it happen. He wished that he could just be calm and happy to see her again but he could not. Sometimes he wondered why he even tried when he just seemed to hurt everybody around him. He felt his stomach turn over and pushed his way into the men's room. He waited a while and then sure enough it erupted. He stood there with his eyes watering and then flushed the toilet quickly. His face was pale in the mirror and his eyes were moist when he looked at himself.
She stood and headed towards the bathroom. Yeah so, it was the men's room. She sighed, grabbed a can of Sprite from under Jimmy's bunk, knocked softly before pushing the door open, and handed him the soda, "It will help settle your stomach," she said, softly.
Thanks." He said tiredly. "Must have picked up a bug or something I guess." He wiped his eyes with one hand and splashed some water on his face slowly. Then he opened the can of surprisingly cold soda slowly and took a sip.
"Yeah a bug or something" she said, She touched his forehead with the back of her hand, "You don't have a fever." she said, the cold metal of her ring hitting his head. She looked at him. Her eyes showed her emotions for the time she had been in the same room with him. Fear, Love, Overwhelmed, Hatred, Anger, Relief, Sadness, Hurt.
Fear, that when he found out that she had his daughter that he would turn her away. Love for her daughter and her own love for him. The feeling of being overwhelmed, work and the fight they had just had. Hatred for the way he was treating her. Anger at the same and at her self for not just telling him about KayLeigh even through she knew she had to tell him. Relief, that he still loved her, which gave her a glimmer of hope that he would want to be in her daughter's life. Sadness and hurt over the fact she could not tell him with out her heart breaking.
"You can get an upset stomach without a temperature." He said it quietly. "Thank you for checking on me and all that." He said, "So you're married now, who is the lucky guy?" He was quiet as a range of emotions ran through him. Hurt over her, exhaustion in general, stress from burnout of the job, sadness for what he could not have back and love for her that he could not seem to put out of his heart.
"I'm not married, it's a scare tactic to keep people away" she said, "My daughter is my life," she said, our daughter, she thought. "I know you can," she said dropping her hand
"Well single motherhood is tough but does the dad help out financially if he's not in the picture?" "And you would be good mom." he felt her touch even though she dropped her hand. Funny how things stayed with you when they were gone.
She took his you would be a good Mom comment totally wrong. She pulled picture from her pocket and place it on the counter gently, "Not that you need to know, but no he doesn't HE doesn't even know about her, because I broke his heart and I was afraid to tell him." she said, "Damn it DK, your her father," she SCREAMED at him.
She turned and left on her heels and ran down the stairs sobbing she got to her office and slammed her door, so hard the station shook.
DK said" Wait whoa what the hell. "He was totally thrown and felt like someone knocked the wind out of him or had hit him right in the stomach. He had just one thought in his head. Jimmy had to have known and never told him. God if anything he knew how much he wanted kids. He went down the stairs and just kicked over one of the kitchen chairs to the floor with a bang.
Then he pounded on Jimmy's office door. "Open up Jimmy now I have something to say to you." Jimmy knew DK was pissed from the explosion of his sister from upstairs. He just tried calming KayLeigh who was scared. DK hit the door again and his hand broke the glass on it. "Ow my hand son of a bitch." Blood poured down his knuckles and there were glass pieces all through his fingers and palm.
Kerri heard the cursing and screaming she grabbed her knees and cried. She heard the breaking glass of jimmy's door and she was on her feet running for her Daughter. Her door swung open and she saw utter Chaos. She pushed passed DK and the glass and ran to her daughter's side. "Its ok KayLeigh" she said, glaring at DK. She knew he was not after her but. "DEREK STOP, YOUR SCARING HER" she said, "I TOLD JIMMY NOT TO TELL YOU"
Alex came shooting up the stairs Blood DK's Blood, "DK Come on" she said coming over to DK
DK took a slow breath. "You have no right to call me Derek; you took someone that I would have wanted to have in my life." He just glared at Jimmy then. "I thought you were my friend man, god you knew how much her leaving killed me. If I had known about my daughter maybe, i would have found a way to work it out. "His eyes were empty looking then.
Jimmy said" Go home until you feel better and have your head on straight." "Walsh, Lombardo cleans this mess up or goes with him in the bus i don't care. I just want everybody out of this area and no other noise unless it's making dinner got me."