Thank you to everyone enjoying this one and taking the time to drop me a review. They make my day – I love that you love Linseride as much as I do! If only the ChiFi writers did. Shout out to you no account peeps - EK, RIPShay, Aryal, ErinSeveride, Jackie, Natalie, Sossy, Shaylover, Rose, Joy, and Guests for your amazing comments. Thankful for you! To those with an account, you know I love y'all! Much love to 2NYwLove and Robigna88 for giving me feedback and love when those words are just not flowing. Enough chatter… hope you enjoy this one.
Mills knew his lieutenant was in trouble, saw the little cloud of red coming from his leg, realized what that meant. Heart pounding out of his chest, Pete let his training kick in. He could reach through the square opening in the grating and touch his lieutenant, prying Severide's fingers off the metal. Felt like they were frozen on.
He pulled Kelly through, Capp joining him, both men bringing their leader to the surface. Tony grabbed Severide, depositing him onto the waiting gurney. Shay and Brett cut off his clothes, toweling him off gently, their hands trembling as much as his.
Kelly looked down at his toes and wondered how they could be shaking. He'd been cold before, really cold … he lived in Chicago, but this was somethin' else. This was a cold he didn't think he could warm up from. He quit shaking and figured that was good, not hearing the concerned tones of the two paramedics.
He watched as Shay threw another warming blanket on him. She was near his legs, fiddling around down there. She cursed him, or cursed his leg, telling it to quit moving already. He wanted to smile at her swearing, but too cold. The fireman felt the ambo pull away and needed two things right then – warmth and Erin. As he closed his eyes, he had the fleeting thought that one might lead to the other.
The Intelligence Unit was positioned around DePaul University, running background for their newest investigation, a small ring of drug dealers with ambition and smarts. Those were two things that could blossom the start up into a thriving business. Voight decided he would burn them to the ground before that happened.
Ruzek was trying to pass himself off as a graduate student to a group of co-eds in the University Center; they seemed to fall for his graduate work, PhD story giggling at the way he pronounced doctoral. Erin was nearby at some pool tables, flirting with a couple of jocks who had a taste for some pretty strong pain killers. Those dimples were doing the trick, opening those mouths wider, lips looser. Jay was, where? Somewhere on campus, no concern to her. The frigid temps Kelly faced were nothing compared to those Halstead waded through daily with his former partner.
Voight rushed into the UC, spotting Adam first, shaking his head wondering if the young one was garnering a date or intel. He scanned the game room finding Erin surrounded by young men, holding court.
"Lindsay. Take a walk with me," interrupted Voight leading his detective by the arm to the front doors. "He's okay…" Hank started.
"Where is he?" asked Erin, her fingers not cooperating as she tried to reach for her keys and Hank's hand at the same time.
"I'm driving," Voight said, taking her hand in his, the strength and warmth in it calming her instantly.
Holly Thelan stormed down from Peds the minute she got Shay's text. She took charge, ripping Kelly's chart out of the attending's hands before he muttered one word in protest.
"So you went for a dip in Lake Michigan?" asked the redhead, kissing Shay on the cheek, but talking to Severide.
Kelly shook his head yes; thankfully, the rest of his body had stopped shaking in the ambo.
"You'll feel better soon," comforted Holly moving to the side of his bed. "We pushed a warm IV, these warm compresses will do wonders too," she added adjusting one on his chest.
Holly pulled back the sheet, looking at his leg. She peeled back the thick white gauze, inspecting the stitches in his thigh. "Those look good," she commented to herself.
"You are going to be fine. This one," she smiled now, staring at Shay, "knows how to take care of her friends."
Leslie smiled not moving from Kelly's bedside. "You scared me," she whispered, eyes filling.
"I scared me," Severide admitted, closing his eyes, still wondering what the hell happened. The suit filled up so quick, had to be damaged before he even went in, he thought. Impossible with how often they checked their gear. "When you gonna spring me?" asked Kelly, eyes opening again.
"Not up to me. Your attending will probably want to keep you overnight. First thing tomorrow?"
"Any chance I can get out now? Before Erin gets here. Please tell me you said it was nothin." Kelly shifted his gaze to his best friend, willing her to give the answer he wanted.
"I couldn't reach her. I called Voight," Shay reluctantly admitted, knowing this was not what he wanted to hear.
"With the halligan thing, now this… Jesus, I think she's gonna kick me to the curb, Shay." Kelly closed his eyes again, wishing the whole day gone, the whole week gone.
Erin didn't stop to acknowledge Brett who was trying to reassure her that Kelly was fine. She vaguely heard a, "He was responsive," before she blew by and into his room.
"Oh, God," Erin broke, taking in the pale look of Kelly's face, his leg propped up on a pillow looking twice its normal size with the huge gauze cocooning it.
"I'm good. Tell her I'm good," he said to Holly. Erin worried made him worry. The only look he wanted to see on her face was a smile.
"He is good," Dr. Thelan piped in. "Stats all normal. Few stitches, looks worse than it is."
Erin didn't answer her, going to the Shayless side of her husband.
"Hey, don't cry. Please. Can you guys give us a minute?" asked Kelly looking at the women surrounding him. The room emptied quickly.
"Hey, look at me," he said brushing his finger under Erin's chin. "Look, I'm good," he confirmed, doing a ridiculous little jazz hands motion.
"I know. Just with everything. I d- don't think I can take…" her voice trailed off into something so sad, Kelly would've called it a whimper if he thought Erin was capable of a sound like that.
"I'm getting out tonight. They don't even want me wasting space, taking the bed from someone who needs it." Friends in high places, don't let me down, he thought.
"You still feel cold," Erin said, running her hands over his face, feeling underneath the warm packs on his neck, his chest.
"Nah, I'm feelin' good," Kelly insisted, shuffling his legs a little.
"No, you're still cold," Erin repeated, pulling back the sheet, sliding in carefully on the side with his perfectly fine, but chilly limb.
"Maybe I am," agreed Kelly, smiling wholeheartedly now, feeling his wife's warm body press against his. This was just what he needed. The only thing he would ever need.
Erin was asleep when the attending came in. He wouldn't hear about a midnight release. "Asshole," muttered Kelly when he finally left after poking and prodding the fireman.
"Lieutenant," whispered Brett, peeking her head in the door, "just wanted to check on you before I took off." She walked to Kelly's side, the one free of Erin.
"You need to get the hell home," Kelly whispered not wanting to wake his girl for many reasons.
"Yes, I'm going now. Glad you're okay, lieutenant. Guess I'll see you back at 51," she said awkwardly, giving him an even more awkward rub on the shoulder.
"Yes, you will," Kelly replied, maybe catching a glimpse of what Shay was talking about for the first time. "Now get outta here, Brett."
"Goodnight, sir." Sylvie left his room forcing herself to move one leg in front of the other. She wanted nothing else but to pull up a chair and hunker down for the night. Or better yet, fill the current Erin Lindsay spot. I am officially crazy, she thought shaking her head, as she spotted the waiting Harrison.
"Thanks for picking me up," she said plopping into his Ford, giving him a quick peck on the cheek as he reached over to her.
"Not a problem. So what happened? Everyone okay?" Harrison tried to keep his tone even. The sad look on her face said that everyone was not okay.
"Yes, everyone's fine."
Harrison slumped his shoulders, remembering to pick them up quickly.
"Lieutenant Severide had a close call, underwater rescue, but he's good. Shay says he's indestructible. I'm beginning to see that," she smiled thinking of him getting out of the hospital tomorrow.
"Good to hear, Sylvie. But no one is, you know," Harrison mumbled, trying to keep a neutral smile on his face.
"No one's what?" Brett asked confused.
"Indestructible. No one's indestructible," he repeated, hoping he was right.
"Is it bad that this was the best sleep I've had in two weeks?" asked Erin stretching out, trying not to rattle the bed or her husband. She could see by the frown on his face the pain pills were wearing off.
"I liked not looking at your back for once," grumbled Kelly, thinking about how she flipped over on her side far away from him every night recently.
"Seems stupid now," Erin admitted. "I'm sorry, hero," she added, kissing him on the forehead to smooth out that scowl.
"I can't stay mad at you and it pisses me off," he replied, kissing her on her cheek. "At least not the way you can hold a damn grudge."
"I'm sorry about that too," she said kissing him back before rolling off the bed. She knew her issues were not fun to live with. "I'm a bear sometimes, I know," Erin admitted thinking about the cold shoulder she'd offered her husband the past week.
"Had another word in mind. Starts with B…" Kelly mumbled under his breath, trying to find a comfortable position for the leg.
"So do we need something for the pain, babe?" Erin asked, already moving out the door to the nurse's station, ignoring his little comment.
"You look better," she remarked, returning with a small cup of pills and fresh pitcher of water. Rubbing her hands over his arms, she noticed how toasty warm he felt, color back to normal.
"Just once I'd like for you to forgive me without me havin' to fall through a building or off a cliff or something," Kelly remarked, swallowing the pills greedily.
"Oh, so now you're falling off cliffs?" Erin's eyebrows raised, waiting to see what bull was coming her way.
"Maybe. Could happen."
"Seriously. I am sorry. You were right, Kel. No one was dead. It did work itself out." Erin admitted, that aching in her heart. The pull that said once again she had a hard time just being happy, accepting it. Believing she could have it all.
"Did you just say I was right? Casey! Clarke! You out there? I need this recorded because I think Erin just admitted…" Kelly yelled.
"Shut up!" she snapped, hitting him lightly on the arm.
He grabbed her hand before it could retreat pulling her in for a long kiss.
"Yes, you're better," she whispered, closing her eyes, thanking God above.
"Told you. See I'm right more than you give me credit for, practically all the time," Kelly suggested, pulling her in tighter.
"You are?" she asked breathlessly. "You are right about one more thing," she confessed so lightly it almost sounded like air.
"Hmmm?" Kelly closed his eyes letting those pills do their magic.
"We do need to get away. Did you cancel that beach trip already?" Erin yearned to go the minute she saw the pictures, but her need to punish Kelly got in the way. Always.
"You're kiddin' right?" asked Severide, eyes snapping open.
"If you did, it's okay," stumbled Erin. "I just thought that if it was still on the books, maybe…" She didn't want to fight, so done with the fighting. Hard to read that Kelly scowl this time.
"No, it's all good. I've been hopin' you'd change your mind. Can't believe you did," he looked a little shell shocked. "It's on." His face letting the hint of a smile creep in. "It is way the hell on," he said wanting to jump up and take his girl in his arms. He settled on pulling her on top of him, ignoring the pain in his leg with the motion… his only thoughts about the trip, about getting a week away from the Chicago winter blast, and about Erin strolling around in a bikini.
St. Bart's was the most expensive of the island getaways Shay researched. Kelly settled on it when he read the "doesn't she deserve the best" line on the Travel & Leisure website. No amount of Shay discouraging, saying Mexico would be just as good and half as much, could change that stubborn Severide mind.
Now, Kelly knew he'd been right. The pristine white sands were as soft as Erin's skin and nearly as beautiful. The dimpled smile meeting his own crooked grin confirmed that this was exactly where they needed to be.
He was sprawled out on a chair that he hadn't even hauled out to the beach. Some guy, if you could call him that, brought it over for him, another one for Erin. The tanned, oiled young thing had on bottoms that Kelly was sure came from the women's section and were a whole lot smaller than what his wife had on.
Kelly choked down a laugh as beach boy bent over dramatically to situate an umbrella over the couple.
"How about you put these on," requested Erin flinging over a red Speedo with the word Italia on the back.
Kelly slung shot them back at her, shaking his hands out as if the touch actually burned. "Not on your life Lindsay will that thing touch my body."
"But it's such a fine body, husband. And I don't know what I might do if you were to put these on," she purred now kneeling at her husband's feet.
"Divorce my ass," muttered Kelly, watching the Speedo get closer to his legs as Erin slinked slowly, delicately up his body. She crawled on him moving up his calves, thighs, landing on his waist for a kiss on his stomach. She continued her Severide journey, chest now resting on his, face directly in front of his.
"Don't be such a grump," she said tempting him with the briefs resting on his chest.
"There ain't no way in hell, detective," affirmed Kelly, looking at the swimming gear with disgust.
"Ahh, it was worth a try. A hundred bucks from Shay if I got you to try 'em on," she laughed, her husky rasp growing louder. She stretched them on Kelly's head before getting up to run to the water. She looked behind once as he flung them to the side, pushing up to give chase.
"Slow down. I'm hurt," he called after her, catching up quick. He tackled her when she hit the water, picking her up by the waist and swinging her around before dumping her in deeper water.
She came up wiping her eyes, the stinging of the salt water making them red.
"Jesus, I'm sorry, babe," Kelly said, lifting her up.
Erin was laughing as she pushed him back hard, jumping on his back to bring him down. He was always surprised by her strength. He knew she had the emotional, but that physical power shocked him. Every time.
She brought him to the water, her husky laugh ringing out when he finally gave up. He knew he'd hit the damn jackpot. This girl was no "stop, you're messing up my hair" piece of work always touching up her makeup. He'd had plenty of those. Too many.
No, Erin was it for him. He was done for the second Vince Keeler showed his ugly face at 51 and Erin rose from the fog to protect him. Done for the minute she flashed her dimpled smile when he introduced himself. Done for from that first night at Molly's. Defying the odds, and all the firehouse bets, Kelly Severide was a done for, married man. A happy man.
Erin didn't go through her usual night time ritual, wash her face, brush her teeth, slip on an old comfy T-shirt, usually Kelly's. They started the night with a long, hot shower, washing away every remnant of beach on their bodies. She slipped into "something more comfortable," a piece of lingerie that Cailin had teased her endlessly about when she made the mistake of showing it to her a day before departure.
"How do you even get into that contraption," snorted her friend, holding it out at arm's length. "I know Kelly's good with gadgets, but I think this is gonna have that one confused."
"Give that back to me!" snapped Erin snatching it from the blonde's hands, ruing the moment she decided to show it to her. "He'll figure it out," she added, stuffing it into her suitcase.
"What do you need from me?" asked Cally, trying to get the vision of Erin stuffed into that "device" out of her brain. The tough as nails detective who grew up on the streets did not equate to the black lacy number with buckles and netting and snaps in all the wrong places.
"Will you grab the little bag on the countertop in the bathroom? I think that's the last of it." Erin went through a mental checklist of everything she needed.
"The pills?" Cailin inquired spying the blister pack of birth control with only a few pills missing.
"You know what, just leave it all. I'll throw the bathroom stuff in tomorrow," Erin answered nonchalantly.
"Are you takin' these?" asked Cally again, holding the small pack of pills, not sure why she was pressing. None of her damn business, she knew. Just a sixth sense… something.
"I'll worry about those," Erin answered, a flush coming over her face. That girl is good, she thought. Better damn detective than I am.
Now, Kelly was staring at his wife in the little black number that Erin decided to bring with her. He thought he'd died and gone to heaven. Variety truly is the spice of life, he mused, raising his eyebrows at the non-Erin looking lacy thing.
"Too much?" she asked, now embarrassed and regretting even packing the expensive lingerie.
Kelly picked her up with a low growl, throwing her on the bed and pouncing. He was like a caged animal who had just received a taste of freedom. Things had been glacial in the Severide house since the Harrison halligan fiasco. Erin put on the deep freeze, doling out his punishment like she was reprimanding a child. Then, the stitches in his leg acted like an anti-Erin force field, causing her to treat him as if he were a delicate piece of glass, ready to shatter into infinite tiny pieces if she came near.
That was all forgotten, brushed to the side now.
"This is what we needed, Kelly," Erin whispered softly as she let herself go for the first time in weeks. Her husband proving he was in fact "all good."
Another guttural sound came from Kelly as he pressed his lips down her neck hard. The words telling Erin how much he loved her were stuck somewhere between his brain and his tongue… the tongue currently tickling her stomach as it made its way back up to her neck again.
"I love you," Kelly managed to whisper in her ear. When he opened his mouth to speak again, Erin closed it with a kiss, long, hard and painful.
She opened her eyes slightly to look at his beautiful, muscled body… the one she always doubted was real. Only touching it would convince her it was. Hands running along his back, she could feel the slight tremble in his shoulders as his arms held his weight off of her.
Eyes closed, Kelly tensed as Erin's back arched and body shuddered, all control in the detective gone.
Her eyes now closed, Erin listened to the sounds of pleasure Kelly was making as his little reserve of energy was depleted. She wrapped her legs around him tightly feeling him tense up again and then relax. A smile was affixed on his now panting face causing a throaty laugh to erupt from the beautiful brunette.
He rolled over on his back still breathing heavily. Erin propped up on her elbows playfully, waiting for him to open his eyes.
"I like that little number," he said moving his head in the direction of the black lingerie a heap on the floor.
"Oh you like that kind of thing, dirty boy?" asked Erin moving on top of her husband's chest, kissing his neck.
Kelly nodded his head. "Glad you brought somethin' other than those red things you tried to get on me."
Erin was also glad she decided to throw the black lacy barely there item in her bag at the last minute despite the judgment from Cally. She thought about the things she didn't bring with her still sitting on her bathroom counter. She knew that was a good decision too. A scary, exciting, life changing decision. But, looking at her husband's face, she knew it was good one.
So, what do you think? Good decision?