This story is brought to you by mom2jlg and Chicago Firestarter. We are combining forces to bring you a Severide centric story that we hope you all enjoy. After all, two brains are better than one, or so we've heard!

Kelly Severide turned up the collar on his worn, black leather jacket...then stuffed his hands deep into his pockets.

2014 had just begun and he hoped it was gonna be a damn sight better than 2013 had turned out to be.

He couldn't get over how less than six months before he had been looking for a new apartment ...someplace he and Renee could raise their baby. He'd been stunned speechless when she showed up outside of Molly's...nearly six months along. With that his plans to have a baby with Shay had come to a screeching halt. But he was ready to be a dad.

Then everything had gone all to hell...in just a matter of weeks.

Shay pointed out that the numbers didn't add up. He was furious with her. He was sure she was just jealous that it wasn't her with a bun in the oven...but the more and more he turned it over in his head the more he came to think she was maybe onto something. He confronted Renee...and she slapped him.
But then he came home to find her packing. He tried to talk her out of it...he was just scared...it was such a big change. Then she handed him the test results. It wasn't his baby. It was some guy that she hooked up with in Spain who was the father. She must have fallen into bed with the guy the moment her plane touched down...but it was what it was.

That was just the first of a bunch of crap that just kept snowballing...Shay's dark and twisted journey down the rabbit hole after one of her frequent flyers blew his brains out right in front of her. Benny's slimy power play to take 51 from Boden...so he could run away from another family.

The one good thing was that he had a sister...and he was trying to make a relationship with Katie. So far it seemed to be going okay...but they still had a lot of stuff to work through.

2014 had to be better than 2013. He sure didn't want it to think about it being any worse.

Chicago was in the midst of one of the worst winters in the past thirty years. The snow was coming down hard...but tomorrow they were supposed to go into a deep freeze with wind chills of about fifty below. He was making a quick run to the mini-mart around the corner from his apartment to grab a few extra provisions. He didn't have to work...so he had no intention of so much as sticking his head out the door.

As he turned to corner he had to cross an alley way...and he thought he heard something. He peered down the darkened corridor between the buildings and could just barely make out something moving around the trash cans by the rear door of the hot dog place next to the mini-mart.

What was it? Was it a dog? The wind?

He took a few steps closer. Whatever it was...it was little.

It was a kid.

Kelly quickened his steps to a jog and he almost slipped on a patch of ice. He skidded to a halt just as the little form turned in fright.

"It's okay." he said...trying to keep his voice calm and reassuring. "It's okay...I'm not gonna hurt you."

He knelt down in front of a little girl, wrapped in a dirty pink hoodie and nothing else in terms of a coat. She was shivering as she looked up at him with scared, blue eyes that seemed too big for her little face.
"It's okay." he said again. "My name's Kelly..."

"That's a girl's name." the little girl said...with just the slightest hint of a lisp.
"I used to tell my mom that all the time." He told her with a grin. "What's your name?"

"Mikayla..."

"How old are you?"

Mikayla tentatively held up four fingers on her right hand.

She looked like she couldn't be more than two...three tops.

"What are you doin' out here?"

"Hungry..." she said.

Now it was starting to make sense...this poor little thing was foraging in the trash cans.

"Well...there's nothing here that's good to eat..." he said. "C'mon...let's get something inside."

He stood and held out his hand.

Mikayla's eyes followed him as he drew himself up to his full height...then she looked at the outstretched hand with fear and trepidation in her eyes. But hunger won out over fear...and she slowly slipped her hand into his.

It was like holding an ice cube...and after a few steps, Kelly just reached down and scooped the child into his arms. He'd cover more ground if he didn't have to slow his steps so the child could keep up...and the sooner he got her into someplace heated the better.

He took her into the hot dog place...and bought her a dog, fries...and juice. He sat at the counter with Mikayla in his lap, just trying to warm her little body as she wolfed down the food in front of her like she hadn't eaten in days.

After she had scarfed down the hot dog, he bought her a cookie and a hot chocolate...which she made short work of as well.

"Where's your Mom and Dad, Mikayla?" he asked.

He needed to get to the bottom of why a four year old was rummaging through trash cans at ten o'clock at night looking for dinner.

"I don't got a Mommy..."she said in a little voice. "I just got a Granny."

"Well...where's your Granny?"

"She's sleeping..." Mikayla said, her voice trembling. "I try to wake her up...'cause I was hungry...but she wouldn't wake up."

It sounded like the woman was in trouble...

"Why don't you take me to your house?" He suggested, again trying to keep his voice calm. "Maybe we can wake her up together?"

The little girl looked up at him, tears swimming in her big, blue eyes.

"What's wrong?" Kelly asked.

"I don't know which is my house!" she cried. "I never goed out by myself! But I was really hungry!"

Severide gathered the little girl in his arms, hugging her close.

"Shhhh..." he told her. "Don't cry. Don't cry. It's okay. We'll figure it out. We'll find your house."

He continued to rock the little girl in his arms, and she burrowed in against his chest...grabbing a hold of his shirt for good measure.