Yes, I'm stealing, I mean borrowing, the Nietzsche quote, "That which does not kill you makes you stronger" for this story. It's all Severide drama and turmoil, of course! Don't worry I'm not killing Kelly.

Sorry, I'll take the "bad" one every time. Sawyer over Jack. Karev over Derek. Pacey over Dawson.

This is what I see happening in season two, picking up with Renee showing up pregnant. I've outlined the entire season and hope you enjoy where I'm taking Kelly.

Thanks to everyone who reviews. It's fun to see what you like and what you don't like so much. Well, here we go...

"Renee!" Kelly's shocked look turned to excitement as he took a step closer to this woman he had loved. He considered running away to Madrid with her to try and live out a happily ever after. Hell, he'd even bought the plane ticket.

"Hi," she said softly.

"I didn't know that you'd be in town," said Kelly with a huge smile dimmed only slightly as he glanced back at Shay.

He was confused, not sure what was going on. They had very little conversation since she left. A few random texts, but no real communication. Renee's heart had been broken. Kelly knew this and wasn't proud of it.

Shay gave a quick grin but then smile fading away as certain realizations were setting in.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you in person." Renee placed both hands on her stomach displaying a definite baby bump.

Kelly's smile was gone, replaced by a look of utter shock, disbelief in what he was looking at. He glanced back at Shay. For what? Some indication of what to do?

How could this be happening? Now?

Shay gave him another small, forced smile.

Long pause.

Renee's worried look only grew more intense with each passing second, each moment of no response from Kelly.

Kelly couldn't respond. He was at a loss. Yes, he was ready for a baby, looking forward to a baby. A baby with his best friend, with Shay.

He fully expected to be a father within the next couple of months.

He couldn't wait.

Shay couldn't wait.

The day had been full of drama - the prison standoff, almost losing a friend, the disappointing news from the clinic, then the high of being asked to be Kenny Hermann's godparents. Jesus, one hell of a day.

Finally, Kelly put one hand on Renee's stomach, on the baby, his baby.

He quickly shifted his eyes back at Shay again. He felt like a rope being pulled in two very different directions. A rope that was about to snap.

Kelly's lost smile was back as he looked reassuringly into Renee's eyes. He pulled her in close and kissed her on the head. Renee closed her eyes as relief swept over her.

Kelly held her tightly against his body, stroking the back of her head, no words.

Smile gone.

Shay was feeling the part of outsider, not a role she was used to with her best friend. She finally looked down, her eyes unable to take in this sight of this couple clinging to each other. Her heart not ready for this. As each second passed she could feel her baby dreams slipping out of reach.

By the time the three headed upstairs Kelly felt like a windup toy just going through the motions. He was numb. He also realized they had to talk tonight. None of this would wait till morning.

Shay excused herself to her room and Kelly's heart broke a little as she gave him that tight lipped smile one last time for the night. She quickly pat Kelly's back a couple of times on her way up.

Kelly felt like he just let down his best friend. He hadn't meant to, hadn't planned for any of this. But, nonetheless, messed up again. He would let her down the same way all the Severide men let down their women...and their children.

-0-

"Daddy, daddy! Look at me!" Kelly was climbing back on the large tree stump in his front yard, waiting for Benny to look, then he jumped off, arms outstretched like he was flying. He did this over and over. Proud. Each time was like the first.

Benny grew impatient. He was in a hurry, going to be late. How the hell was that going to look? Lieutenant of squad strolling in late.

"Yes, Kelly. Good job," Benny yelled in the general direction of his son.

He was looking for a particular pair of gloves and one was missing in action.

"Benny, you haven't forgotten have..." began Corinne, Kelly's mom.

"Of course not," interrupted Benny. "Do you think you could help me look for the other one?" asked Benny holding up the lone glove.

Corinne found the matching glove in Kelly's room under his bed. She smiled thinking of how Kelly would pretend to be squad's leader imitating Benny, barking orders.

Benny smiled when he saw the glove and called to his son. "Kelly, c'mon, let's go! Double time!"

Kelly knew he had to hurry. He didn't want his dad mad. At this young age he knew not to do that.

Kelly slipped off the stump and landed on his knees. He got up quickly not even looking at where the hurt was coming from.

"Jesus Christ, Kelly. Look! " Benny said pointing to his son's knees.

"I'll get him cleaned up, it'll just take a second," said Corinne sweeping Kelly up in her arms.

"No time! Look at him. Gotta go. Sorry, son. Next time." Benny rubbed his son's head roughly. And with that he was gone.

Only then did Kelly feel the tears come to his eyes. Benny was gone without one thought of the four-year-old he left crying, bleeding, and so disappointed. Kelly sobbed into his mom's shoulder.

Corinne held him tight knowing there was time enough to clean up bloodied knees and wipe a tear soaked face. Now was a time for broken promises and watching a hero's cape slip a little closer to the floor.

-0-

Kelly and Renee settled at the dining room table, an awkward silence filling the room.

What was this, thought Kelly. There'd never been any awkwardness with them. They hadn't dated long but it was full steam ahead with them. They had seen each other as much as possible, conversation came easy, along with the sex.

Then Kelly let Renee get on that plane to Madrid. Alone.

He knew he couldn't run away from his problems, from the crack in his vertebrae, from squad, from his best friend.

He ended up following the advice of his dad, "Disappoint anyone. Hell, disappoint everyone. But don't EVER disappoint yourself."

Renee and Kelly broke the silence at the same time.

"Kelly, let me explain..."

"You look beautiful..."

They laughed, all awkwardness gone.

"Ladies first," Kelly said.

"Well..." Renee began slowly. "Let me start with, I am pregnant."

Nervous laughter.

"I was as surprised as you look. I took five pregnancy tests. I just couldn't believe it. You know I was on the pill."

Kelly knew that. He hadn't worried about birth control. This was an educated woman who wasn't getting knocked up by accident.

"I missed a day. Just one day and I doubled up the next day. You remember? My stomach was a little queasy because I took two pills and we ended up not going to that Chinese place."

Kelly did remember. They had stayed in and it ended up being a great decision. His neck pain totally forgotten that night. Damn gymnast and that flexibility.

"You said it was no big deal," questioned Kelly.

"It wasn't. Well, I thought it wasn't. Apparently wrong," Renee smiled nervously. "I'd done it before many times. My OB/GYN said I was part of that tiny, unlucky percentage that gets pregnant after missing one pill. Almost unheard of," Renee's voice trailed off.

"Lucky," said Kelly simply.

"What do you mean?" asked Renee.

"Don't say unlucky. It's our baby, Royce," said Kelly gaining a little of his former self. He was already feeling less shell shocked.

Kelly was realizing this would be the most important thing to ever happen to him. This was his chance to do the right thing. Hell yeah he could step up, he thought. No more listening to his dad's bullshit advice. There was no way he was disappointing Renee right now and sure as hell not disappointing his baby.

"God Kelly, I didn't know what to do. I dreaded telling you. My stomach's been in knots. I knew I had to tell you. I just didn't know how." Renee felt like she could breathe for the first time in weeks.

She'd been going through the motions at work, putting on a fake smile, deciding to book a flight, actually getting on the plane, and now here...sitting at a table with Kelly. Telling him everything. She'd run the scene through her mind so many times, all the possible reactions. Yes, she could now breathe.

"We got this. We're gonna work it out. It's gonna be great." Kelly had a huge smile on his face. He grabbed Renee's hands and held them tight.

Renee let the tears fall, tears of relief, tears of happiness, tears of hope for their baby.

The next morning Shay was already gone when Kelly woke up. He spent a sleepless night on the couch getting maybe two hours of sleep, tops. He must have just dozed off when she slipped out.

They had to talk. He could only imagine what she was thinking. That damn disappointment again. He knew there was no avoiding disappointing Shay.

No choice.

Shay couldn't wait to get to the station away from her roommate and his, his, what was she? Ex-girlfriend? Mother of his child?

"Dawson, hey you're never gonna believe this," started Shay but before she could say another word her friend told what had happened at Casey's. What she found. How broken he really was.

"Jesus, had no idea."

"Yeah, none of us did. We gotta do something for him. All of us."

They began a plan to feed Casey, keep Casey busy, just be there for him. They'd enlist everyone's help. Shay didn't tell Dawson that Kelly would probably be busy. She didn't mention any of it.

No, didn't seem right. Hallie was dead and Casey was in crisis. Her baby drama could wait.

Kelly didn't come in. He spent the day with Renee. They shopped for baby things. The idea of a baby was becoming more real to him with each purchase.

"What do you think about this?" Renee held up a jumper that was supposed to be unisex.

"If we have a boy, there's no way in hell my son is putting that on. That looks, looks..." Kelly saw the amused look on Renee's face.

"You're screwin with me, right?"

Renee laughed as she put the offending outfit back on the rack.

"Yeah, I'm screwin with you," she laughed harder. "Don't worry Severide. If we have a boy, only boy clothes, I promise."

She let herself think about a mini Severide running around, all boy, all Kelly.

"You hungry?" asked Kelly.

"Uh, yeah, always. I think I'm going to weigh 200 pounds before this baby gets here."

Kelly grabbed her hand and headed to a diner around the corner. They'd been there many times. She smiled when she realized where they were going.

"This feels right," Kelly said as they entered.

Renee couldn't have agreed more.