A/N Hello again! I just want to thank everyone reading for your lovely review, favorites and follows. Image in The Flames is not only my longest published fanfiction to date, but also has the highest statistics and I'll admit, that absolutely makes my day. In case I don't have another chapter posted by next week, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Holidays!-Alisabeth
Warm, childlike laughter echoed throughout the loft, the pitter patter of tiny feet on hard wood causing Cayson to grin as she watched her nieces and nephews chase Rogue as she sat at the breakfast nook, a cup of coffee in her hands as her brothers and sister-in-laws chattered. Attention flitting between the conversation at hand and the chase she flinched in amusement, watching her brother Cam's oldest, Daelyn, literally bounce of a wall before he kept going. Chuckling as Cameron rolled his eyes Cayson raised crossed her own.
"So Cayson," Christopher's wife Illiana started, a smile tugging at full lips as the dimmed lighting played with the lowlights in her soft blonde hair. "Any new boyfriends?" Always the playful instigator, Ana as she preferred took her role as 'older sister' straight to the heart, including the need to know every little detail of Cayson's nonexistent love life.
Refilling the mugs that rested on the granite counter top Cayson pretended to ponder the question. "Well, Ana, as it has been for over a year, my love life has been nonexistent. And please, if you love me, do not set me up on anymore blind dates. That last one was…" shuddering, Cayson tried to shake the image of the slightly overweight business executive she'd been set up with who talked only about work or his mother and spit when he spoke.
"Hey!" Ana protested, " Richard wasn't that bad."
Snorts came from both Cameron and Christopher who's given Richard the predate speech about hurting their sister. Watching the man quiver in his expensive Italian loafers had been the highlight of their day. Placing a consoling hand on his wife's lower back Christopher grinned.
"Now sweetheart, I'm sure Cay appreciates you looking for a suitable mate for her, but a little birdie told me she's starting to sniff around someone," the oldest Valois smirked, blue eyes dancing.
Spine stiffening ever so slightly Cayson raised an eyebrow. "And which little birdie was that so I can let them know to get new sources?"
"It wasn't Tommy if that's who you're mentally accusing and this one, I think I may actually approve of, he seemed nice enough," Christopher grinned from behind the lip of his mug.
Confusion etched along her features, Cayson ignored the fact that she'd nearly burned herself on the Keurig. "Who are you talking about?"
"Oh what was his name… Tall, dark, muscular. He was wearing one of those pendants like Uncle Keith's buddy used to, uh… Damon, the firefighter?"
Taking a moment to figure it out, it finally clicked. "Kelly? Where'd you meet him?" Cayson asked, incredulous.
Before Chris could answer Cameron cut him off. "You're dating a guy named Kelly?"
Huffing Cayson shook her head. "We're not dating, we're just friends. And don't make fun of his name, he could probably snap you like a twig."
Christopher cleared his throat with a minuet glare. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, we met at your last gallery showing, where you had your first installation of your 'City's Hero' exhibition. I was walking around watching reactions to your pieces and noticed him smiling. I asked his opinion, he responded that you'd captured Firehouse 51 at it's finest and we went from there."
Flushing in pleasure at the idea of Kelly liking her work she swatted at Cameron's wife, Alice, when she giggled. " Oh, alrighty then," Cayson smiled, biting her lip and picking up her youngest niece, Cameron and Alice's two year old Jahna. Bouncing the toddler on her hip she jumped when her back pocket vibrated, her cell phone wedged against her in her comfortably worn jeans. Wiggling around to extract it she glanced at the screen, answering the unknown number cautiously and with her voice raised over the din of her company.
"Hello?" she answered, hearing heavy traffic on the other end of the line.
" ? It's Lieutenant Casey, I work with Severide and Shay," came the male voice, bringing forth the image of the tall, blonde male who'd been nothing but kind to her. "I'm sorry to call your personal phone but I need to ask you something."
Making faces at Jahna she stuck out her tongue. "No problem. Go ahead Lieutenant. What's up?"
"Have you seen or talked to Severide today? There was an…incident last night and no one's seen or heard from him since. I called Shay and she redirected me to you saying that if anyone knew anything it'd probably be you." Matt said gently, causing the skin at the back of her neck to prick.
Setting her niece on slightly unsteady feet Cayson shook her head despite the fact that he wouldn't be able to see her. "I haven't had any contact with Kelly aside from some text messages since Sunday. What happened? Is he alright?" Concern bubbled in her stomach, her tone of voice drawing quiet from everyone around her. The silence didn't help at all.
Matt made a noise of agreement. "Severide's fine. One of his men was injured on a call and placed on permanent disability. Let's just say that he didn't take it well and called Severide and I last night from a roof top. After we defused the situation Severide kind of just…disappeared and we were hoping you'd spoken to him."
Her heart sinking both at the thought of Kelly missing and the fact that he was probably blaming himself for the injury to one of his men she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Thanks Lieutenant for calling but I haven't heard from…" she was cut off by a knock on the door, her hope sky rocketing as she raced to peer out the peep hole. "Matt? He just knocked on my door, I'll either call or text you back." Not giving him a chance to respond she hung up, tossing her phone onto the hall table as she thrust the door open.
"Kelly!" she exclaimed.
Seeing him unsteady on his feet, his eyes blood shot and rimmed with sleep deprivation bruises caused her to frown, the wrinkle in his brow and the grease smeared over his hands hinting at his where about for at least some of the missing hours. Guiding him inside she shut the door behind him softly, glaring when she felt all eyes on them. Leading him to her bedroom she closed the door to block out prying eyes and in hopes of some privacy.
"Oh Kelly, what happened to you?" she said gently, reaching for the box of baby wipes she kept on her vanity. Plucking a few loose she wiped soft circles over his flesh to remove all the grim she could, fairly disgusted as she threw the soiled cloths into her trash can. "Everyone's been worrying about you."
"'s at Jonny's workin' on the 'Pala," he slurred, though there wasn't a single trace of alcohol on his breath or on his clothes. "'M okay, nothin' happened." Just the mention of his cousin's garage and the '67 Impala his uncle had left to him hinted at what a bad day it'd been.
Stroking a lock of hair off his forehead she tried to let him talk on his own terms. "Matt called, do you want to talk about it?" she asked after a few moments of silence passed.
Scoffing Kelly shook his head. "Casey needs to mind his own business," he pouted, just like her nephew Tyler would've done if he'd been 'tattled' on. "Vargas called me first, not him."
Remembering the hulking, kind man who'd had nothing but nice words for her as she put two and two together Cayson nearly deflated. Poor Jose. "Jose's the one that was hurt."
Nodding sullenly Kelly rested his elbows on spread thighs. "It shoulda been me. I was supposed to vent, not him."
Quick as a flash Cayson reached out and pinched him, pleased to hear him yelp in pain. "Don't say that Kelly Joseph Severide. Yes, no one deserves what happened to him, but imagine the pain it would cause those who care about you if you were in Jose's shoes," she snapped. His snort caused her to pinch him again. "You are going to march yourself through the shower because, frankly, you reek and when you come out you better not be in a self deprecating mood or I'm going to kick your ass," she threatened.
Padding to her dresser in her pink Carebear slippers she opened the final drawer on the left and pulled out the clothes he'd left with her following one of the times he'd crashed on the couch when Shay had a 'friend' over. Thrusting them at him, along with a fresh towel and washcloth she pointed to the en suite bathroom and only left her bedroom once the shower had started. Tapping out a text message to both Matt and Shay she sighed, stopping short when she realized her family was still there, waiting for her.
"Just a friend my ass," Alice beamed, the first to break the silence as she hugged Cayson.
Turning beat red, Cayson rubbed the back of her neck. "Seriously, I'm just a friend, in the friend zone, however you want to term it. But do you guys mind rescheduling the gossip for next week, there's been a problem and…"
Christopher, always the mediator, cut her off. "Don't worry about it kiddo, we've got to get the munchkin's home anyway. We'll see you at our place for Christmas, right?"
Muttering her appreciation as she hugged Chris, Cayson nodded. "I'll be there with bells on and an assortment of desserts at hand. One O'clock, right?" Receiving an affirmative, she thanked them all for coming, hugging her nieces and nephews as the shuffled into their winter wear and out the door. Her cell phone pinging the moment the door shut she checked it, eyes watering when she read the message from Chris.
"Kelly can come too."
"I didn't run them away, did I?" came Kelly's voice from behind her, causing her to turn and watch him as he dumped both his dirty clothes and linens into her hamper. Freshly showered, color seemed to be returning to his face as well as a sense of coherency, his damp hair plastered to his forehead with the silver around the temples more prominent.
Beginning to clean up the mugs and tray of holiday cookies she shook her head. "Nah, they were leaving any ways, the children were startin' to get tired." Loading the dish washer she used the silence to gather her thoughts. "You're looking better."
Scrubbing a hand along his near permanent, day old scruff he nodded. "I feel it too, thanks. I'm sorry about just droppin' in like that."
Waving it off she loaded the last dish and adjusted the settings, preparing him a mug of hot chocolate while switching the TV on. Leaving it on the baseball game Tyler had been watching she paid little attention to the sport. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Leaning against the back of the couch he shrugged. "I don't know what to say."
Making a noise of disagreement she handed him the Snoopy mug, pat Rogue on the withers and curled up in the corner of the couch, watching him from beneath her lashes as he eased down beside her, flipping the channel to a rerun of Duck Dynasty. "You seemed to say enough earlier if you plan on reiterating." And despite the words she'd said, Cayson dropped it, knowing that like any other man, if Kelly wanted to talk it out he'd do so when he was ready.
Hearing the gently snoring as Cayson fell asleep a little while later Kelly released a sigh of relief over the fact that he didn't have to explain, pulling her close and kissing her forehead as he pulled a throw blanket over the two of them. Whispering a thank you against the crown of her head he closed his eyes, turning out the lamp and the TV as she cuddled closer. For some reason, when he'd decided to show up at her place, he knew that though he may not share everything, he'd end the evening feeling a little more relaxed, and as she fisted the hoodie he wore he felt at ease. Calm washing over him along with the minty scent of her shampoo he adjusted their position, thanking St. Florian, the patron Saint of firefighters, who seemed to be pointing him in the direction of the one person who seemed to make even his worse days a little brighter.