Kelly really hates being alone truth be known but to push away anything he loved when in pain was a hard won default setting. Liv doesn't know that because last time she refused to let him push her away. This time she's swept up in the current and fighting for more than one person.
She's fighting for Vivi who has moved from drinking to wallowing.
Kelly knew Erin was the type of friend to stick her nose in and protect her friend but he never thought Liv would let her.
He stared up at the ceiling where smudges of green paint hit the edges of the white ceiling.
He picked up his phone. He hit her name and it dialed her up. She answers on the third ring. "Did you make it home okay?" she asked all quiet and tired.
"Yes."
"Goodnight then."
"Livvy don't hang up!" he rushes to get the words out.
She sighed. "Why?"
"Because, I miss you already." He replied softly even though no one is there to hear his tender honesty.
She yawns before replying. "And you didn't miss me up at Silver Lake?"
"I knew you'd be there when I got home. This time… you feel gone." He can barely get the words past the lump his throat.
Her frustrated groan falls on his ear. "I didn't leave you Kelly. I do and you'll know it. I'll use little words with big meaning. I will just say I'm done or I want a divorce. You'll know you've been left."
"Can we just not even have this conversation no matter how hypothetical it is? It makes me want to throw up just thinking about it." He said rubbing the center of his chest to force away the stabbing sensation her words left behind.
"That might be the alcohol making you want to vomit." She said dry and sarcastic. God does he love this girl.
He snickered. "That your medical opinion Doc Livvy?"
"No that's my I've never seen my husband that drunk. I hope doesn't puke in my truck. Wifely opinion."
"I'm really am sorry Livvy, you looked beautiful and I keep messing shit up. You're always beautiful, but wow… I was going to get some tonight wasn't I?"
She sighed stifling a laugh. "God Kell, you're so damn full of it. If I didn't love you I'd find you annoying."
"If you didn't love me you'd be Owen." He quipped.
Liv burst with laughter and Kelly smiled without the aid of alcohol for the first time that night. "Come home." He tries not to sound desperate.
"I don't know how to help you. Erin says you gotta do this your way. I can't get in your way Kelly. If I push to hard…"
"Baby you can't help me if you're not here and I want you here I always want you. Erin doesn't know me, not like you do. You think I need a push then push me. Yes I have to do this my way but I have to do this with you. Because I refuse to lose anything else." He said in perfect honesty only Liv got from him.
"Why didn't you come home?" She asked softly.
"I keep seeing Shay everywhere, the firehouse, our place, the freakin' coffee shop you name it. That first shift was harder than I thought."
"And you couldn't just say that to me?"
"Say what I see my dead best friend every time I turn a corner. That it kills me that when we adopt Klaire she won't be sitting next to your sister in the courthouse. That being happy even for half a second makes feel guilty as hell. That my last thought as I dove into that stairwell wasn't of her? It was of you and that I might never know if you were pregnant or what you'd called me for? That sometimes I wished I could trade place with her and others I'm glad I can't.
"Nothing I can say will help you Baby." She said near tears. What he said having brought them on.
"Come home and go to sleep next to me. I don't like being alone. I married you so that you could stick those icy cold feet of yours on my back in the middle of the night for the next fifty years." He asked trying to sound light, happy even."
"My feet aren't cold!"
"Bitch please."
"They're not!" She defends.
"Says the woman who cannot feel her feet they're tiny delicate blocks of ice."
"Did you really just say Bitch Please?" She asked with a chuckle.
"I watched Rupaul's Drag Race with Viv, bad news? Some of those queens were kinda hot. Good news? Vivi is asleep and didn't cry to get that way." He confessed.
"Thank you for that."
"Don't thank me just come home Livvy." He begged.
"The baby is asleep and Erin is having Voight drama and I am having breakfast with them to air some shit out. If I get away I'll bring you lunch deal?" She offered.
"It's a deal babe. Just don't let him turn Klairey out as informant." He said only half joking.
She laughed. "No matter how far you backslide I love you Kelly." She said honestly. She hoped to somehow reach him.
"Shay's the only other person who loved me like that." He said barely above a whisper.
"I know and I'm sorry it's gone." She returned equally as somber.
"Go to sleep Livvy." He ordered gently.
"You called me." She points out and he can hear her smirk.
"Eh whatever night baby."
"Night my love." She said hanging up.
Seconds later Kelly's phone chimes with picture mail. Klaire is curled up against Liv sucking her pacifier in her sleep. "Sweet dreams Daddy."
"Aww and now I miss tiny Severide! Give her back!" He texts in return.
His phone chimes again. "Um No, She's half mine and I'm cuddling her so back off Jack! Goodnight!"
-/-/-
Liv walks into the 21st precinct and rolls into the elevator with Klaire strapped to her chest. "Wanna go see Hanky and Auntie E?"
"E!" Klaire squeals.
"It's not a word I don't care what Erin says it's a letter it doesn't count as your first word." Liv said pushing the button to go up. "Last time Daddy lugged me up the main stairs. He needed to feel manly. I say always work smart not hard unless hard work is required."
Klaire cooed in response and kissed the side of Liv's hand as she held it hostage to stare at her favorite shiny thing after the wrapping paper in Viv's room. Liv's wedding ring and its sparkly diamonds.
Liv rolled out of the elevator and into the bull pen. "Someone help. Take the baby. I swear she's a member of the bright and shiny cult from bubble boy." She said.
"Bright and shiny!" Erin sang. "Do not act like you don't love it." Erin walked toward her.
"What just happened?" Ruzek asked suddenly confused by Erin's demeanor.
"Liv's here she acts normal." Hank said picking Klaire up. "Well Hi there, How's my Klairey girl? Huh you good?" The baby smiles at him and when he smiles back kissing her cheek everyone stares.
"And babies make Voight human." Liv said grinning.
"Last one to the car is buying my IHOP let's get this show on the road." Liv said turning around and heading back for the elevator Erin races to catch up to her unwilling to buy her friend's breakfast.
Hank ever competitive takes the stairs still carrying the baby,
=/=
"You're going back to Severide aren't you?" Erin tries and fails not to snarl as she steps on the elevator.
"I didn't leave him Erin. We had a sleep over." Liv said dryly impatient. She pushed the down button with too much force.
"Too soon, make him think and work for it, I get that you've never been this in love but-"
"And you've never been married!" Liv snaps back.
"I'm only trying to help you." Erin said with a deeply tired sigh.
Liv puts her hands over her face. "I know… it's just…shit Erin I love him, okay? I love him and he's in pain. Pain that I can't fix and until something outweighs the love I'm going to keep trying and giving him chances because. He's my everything. I want a love like my parents have and you have to work at that and forgive." She said as the elevator stopped on the bottom floor.
"Mind if I remind how lucky he is?" Erin said stepping off the elevator.
Liv gave her friend a sidelong glance as she rolled for the door. "Not at all. So this thing with Hank I know your Mom she's got you spinning cause hey that's just Bunny and whatever digs she made at me and Hank? We are your family. Hank is your Dad, and ultimately whatever has you pissed off he did to protect you."
"He went to IA to keep his job Livvy. He said no lying and he lied!" She half shouts and Liv stops and turns to give her a measured look.
"Keeping his job protects you, to protect your job…"
"The things he knows Livvy." She hissed out.
"He would never betray and you know it. You're pissed because you didn't have all the dirty deets. All parents lie. It's just a gradient. "Oh no honey, that's not broccoli under all that cheese or I'm not truly a dirty cop." It all shades of the same thing, would you want him to be dirty?"
"No."
"Then just let it go, he's your Dad and you only get one, I know I lucked out big time but so did you." Liv pointed out.
Hank cleared his throat from behind them. "I believe I owe you breakfast Kitten. Oh next time your husband pulls a bender I'm tossing him in the drunk tank." And with that Hank walks off still carting her baby around.
-/-/-
Kelly's phone rings. "Hey babe, how was breakfast with the Chi-town version of Wayne Unser?"
"There's a kid, he's got a gun." She whispered.
His heart drops. "Livvy Where? Where are you?"
"Hospital. One of my patients got moved to the adult wing. I was checking on them."
"Liv where are you? Are you safe? Baby I'm on my way."
"They won't let you in; we're on lockdown til PD gets here. Please just talk to me I'm scared, I can't get to Klaire…" She said sounding panicky.
"Baby, that daycare is the first thing they'll evacuate." He said scribbling. "Gunman at hospital call Erin!" on to a pad. He throws it too Mills who's closest of all of them who'd stopped to stare.
"Where are you? Are you hidden?" he asked so scared he could barely talk but he needed to keep her calm so he forced himself to maintain a level voice.
"Under the nurses' desk. My patient… I need too…"
"I don't care about them! I care about you Olivia! Do not move, Stay hidden do you hear me? You move you're a target. I am not losing you so park your ass no heroics do you hear me?" He ordered firmly.
"So only you can be a reckless hero?" She joked but it fell flat.
"Damn straight."
"Glory hog." She quipped startling a laugh out of him.
"Swat is about to deploy it's on the news." Mouch said.
"Livvy, the cavalry's comin' baby."
"I told you…" She starts to reprimand him.
"SWAT Baby. SWAT Team just breached. I'm on my way to get you and Klaire."
"I see Erin. She just mouthed got you. You get Klaire I'm okay. I love you."
"Love you Livvy." And she hung up but Kelly's heart was still lodged in his throat.
=/=/=/=
She's giving her statement to Burgess and when Kelly finds her. "I was coming around the-"his kiss cuts off her words and she sighs just a little and his insides finally unclench. "Hi…" she said a little dreamily.
"Are you alright…I'll kill the guy." He said gruffly.
"I'm fine Kelly, totally fine. It was a messed up kid. Where's Klaire?"
"She's fine Doc Livvy." Mills said from behind Kelly. "She's happy as a pig in poop." He finished and she can see Klaire cuddled into his chest babbling at him.
"Good I was so scared for her…" She said and Kelly took the baby and sat her in Liv's lap before kissing her again soundly.
"I should be a hostage more often it makes you amorous." She joked.
Kelly gives her an odd look. "That's not funny. You scared the shit out of me."
"Welcome to my everyday reality Severide." She retorted.
"Olivia…" Hank said. She looked over at him. "Your statement Darlin'."
"Oh yeah, they accidently transferred one of my cases to the adult care floor. I wanted to check in on her and make sure the care she was receiving was appropriate. She needed extra pain meds I turned to the nurses' station to record and report the upped dosage. I saw him standing over a patient with a shot gun. I froze for second; I handle gang shootings and the like all the time but…"
"The dude was on your turf…" Erin said. Liv nodded. "What'd you do next?"
"Dove for the floor. I remember you telling me to never alert a shooter to my presence if it could be avoided. So I hit the floor. I called Kelly, I just wanted …in case, never mind."
"In case he shot you, you wanted the last thing you heard to be Kelly's voice." Erin finished for her.
"You hit anything on way down?" Hank asked.
Caught my chin, elbow, maybe a hip my stomach. My sensation gets hazy I can't be sure…"
"Get checked out." Hank orders.
"You hit your stomach?" Kelly asked almost in accusatory fear.
"I dove blindly under a table Kelly." She said giving him a "Duh" look.
"You should get a look at the baby." He advised.
"Baby? What baby?" Erin said. "You never did tell me those results, I thought…" Erin squealed and hugged her.
"I was going to tell you I just wanted to get past the point of miscarry." Liv said glancing up at Erin as she continued to squeeze her.
Liv's phone rings. "Mom, I-Mom listen I- Mommy! Mom, stop crying. I'm fine." Liv spit out.
Erin took the phone from her. "Mama Mara, you're spinning. Relax. She's fine…. A few bruises but she's going to get checked out. Yes, I doubt he'll leave her unless he has to rescue a cat or douse a fire but I'm staying too. Okay, just spread word amongst the ranks. Klaire's perfect Mama. Alright we love you too." Erin said before hanging up and handing Liv her phone.
Erin gets cleared to join them and they make their way to obstetrics. "I do not rescue cats." Kelly said offended as they stepped on an elevator.
"But you would babe." Liv pointed out.
"Only if it was Klaire's cat, otherwise I'm just a cliché."
Liv laughed. "Kelly…"
"Yeah babe."
"You make me so happy."
"When he's not a drunken asshole." Erin muttered.
"Erin…"
"What you have to forgive him for being a thoughtless douche I don't."
"I thought of a baby name." Liv changed the subject.
"We're naming it Cinder Blaze." Kelly said concretely.
"No, Kelly we're not." Liv pushed the button for the obstetrics floor.
"But-"
"I carry it, I name it." She said using her no none sense doctor voice.
"Erin or Aaron with A if it is a boy Shay for the middle name."
"If it's a boy his initials will spell out ass." Kelly said slightly exasperated.
"Come on I thought you'd like it."
"You thought I'd like my son's initials to be A.S.S." he said as the elevator landed.
"No, naming the baby after both our best friends. You know what forget it. I thought it would be a nice way to honor Shay excuse the fuck outta me for trying." Liv wheeled off the elevator angrily
"For the record. I think its sweet Livvy, and technically his initials would only be A.S." Erin said.
"Like I said forget it, it's not like anyone else lost Shay Huh Kelly? It's not like my sister lost anything either."
"Hey! Livvy, I like it. We'll just tell him not to tell the school yard bully his name." Kelly said trying to smooth things over.
"He's a Severide he'll be the bully." Erin murmured.
"Might be a girl." Liv said.
-/-/-
Kelly sits her gently on the exam table. The care he takes makes Erin smile. She watches them slyly out of the corner of her eye. Liv lift's his left hand and threads their fingers together. "Aren't you meant to be at the firehouse right now?"
"The truck and guys are outside. Mills followed me in to make sure I didn't mow anyone down to get to you and Klaire likes him."
"So-"
"Ah the don't say it rule still stands woman." Kelly said giving her a soft half smile. He turns her face so he can see the purple bruise blooming along her jawline and chin. "Why the face? I love your face." He kissed the bruise and she laughs softly. "What?"
"You just kissed my boo boo."
"Well, someone needed too. We okay?"
"We're okay." She kissed him.
The doctor comes in "Hey Liv."
"Tyler…" Liv greets a young Italian looking guy who smiles brightly at her.
"You look twelve." Kelly and Erin say together.
"Oh I'm not the main doctor, I'm second year. On Talik's service. I'm here for prep. Lay back please Dr. Severide."
She does as bade and the young doctor does a cursory touch exam. "Any pain?"
"No." Liv shakes her head.
"Good an ultrasound tech and the doctor will be right in." He said exiting.
Then a few moments later. The doctor comes in a tall cocoa skinned austere woman. "You should be fine Liv; I wouldn't worry but let's have a look for double assurances." The doctor said as the tech set it up before turning the wand over to the doctor. A black and white image and a floating blob fills the screen.
"That's the baby, the gray blobby thing?" Kelly asked.
"Yes and it looks healthy, wanna hear the heartbeat?"
"Yes!" Erin interrupts creeping closer to Liv with Klaire on her hip.
"You okay E?"
She nods and reaches down with her free hand to brush Liv's hair back seeing Kelly was already holding her hand. "I'm… you're going to have a baby." Erin said in quiet wonderment.
A loud steady whooshing sound filled the room. "There we go, nice and steady… I don't know which of you to address." The doctor nodded between Erin and Kelly
Liv laughs "Husband," she points to Kelly. "Best friend and daughter." She points to Erin and Klaire.
"This is cool baby; sorry I missed the first one." Kelly said as leaned down to kiss her.
"Hey Yo Kid!" Erin hollers as Klaire chows down on the badge lopped around her neck. "What the hell Liv! Feed her!"
Liv just grinned. "She found your shiny thing!"
"Do what?"
"If it's shiny it must go in her mouth. It's a Klairey life requirement." Kelly said smiling as he leaned over and kissed Klaire before helping Liv back into her chair.
-/-/-
Kelly still drinks when he's off shift but he's doing it on their couch and not at Molly's so she counts her blessings and just cleans around him as he watches the game.
"Baby," He calls out.
"Yes Kelly." She calls back while mopping in the kitchen.
"Why're you cleaning like the Queen of England is going to eat off our floor? Sit down, well metaphorically speaking I mean and watch the game with me."
"Bears lose because we suck. I know how it ends." She rolls over and sticks her head into the living room.
"Uh, you wound me." He clutched his chest.
"I do I'm sorry, we suck less than the cowboys." She said all fake innocence and bright smiles. Glad to just see Kelly's playful side again. It's rare these days. She shakes her head and continues her statement. "I have to clean now, because the DCFS visit landed in the middle of next shift. They can't know we live like slobs because I'm a doctor and having a life outside a hospital is difficult enough without pesky things like moping." She said with a shrug.
"I'll hire you some merry maids. Sit down. Baby, please?" he grins at her and she almost caves.
"Why?"
"Because I asked. For the record we're winning." He points at her with the remote. She caves and moves into the living room. He grins like he won something.
She transferred over onto the couch. "Now what?" she sits her hands in her lap.
"Relax." He said while reaching over and rubbing the tension out of her neck.
"I need to get Viv, outta that goddamn room."
"I got that trust me; I'll get her up and looking semi alive if you will just sit with me."
She leans back into him and he puts his arm around her. "I'm here, relaxed. Gimmie my book." She said tilting her head back to look at him. "Cover your eyes Klaire." He said to the baby girl sitting at his feet in a walker.
He kissed Liv. "Wanna do it on the couch?"
"I wanna finish reading the new Nora Roberts book." She smiled and pecked him on the lips.
"Will I ever get any?" He said exaggeratedly.
"If the bears lose maybe…" She quips turning to her page.
"I don't want pity sex; I want some naughty Liv sex."
She leaned forward and eyed him. "Who is this naughty Liv you speak of?"
"She's this total whore who randomly takes over my wife's body and I kind of love her." He said dead seriously.
"Kelly!" She shouts but dissolves into laughter.
"I noticed you did not deny her existence." He said primly.
"Horny jackass." Liv muttered.
"Always baby, til I die." He retorted dropping a kiss into her hair.
"Like in general or…" Liv clarified.
"Nope you've ruined me Zoya could flash me and I'd still just want you."
She snickered but returned to her book.
-/-/-
Liv is walking out of the trauma bay behind impalement when Gabi comes up to her. "Kelly asked me to tell you he's fine but truck 51 got in an accident and come hell or high water, he will be at the DCFS visit. He's fine Liv."
"The others?"
"Mouch is banged up and Mills took a fall but we're whole. The other truck not so much." Gabi confided.
"Can I borrow your radio?"
"Yeah." She held it out.
"Kell?"
"Busy Livvy, talk fast baby." He replied quickly.
"I'll see if they can push the visit." She radioed over.
"No, if we push it again we look worse I'll be there baby."
"Okay… you know where to find me."
-/-/-
Kelly watched them give Molina's wife bad news and his stomach drops. "Chief? I gotta go find my wife the DCFS lady will be at our place in thirty minutes."
"There's nothing you can do here. Leave your radio on." Chief replied.
"Yes Sir."
"Mills get your head checked over that fall looked nasty no excuses before next shift. Clear?"
Mills nods and Kelly runs off.
-/-/-
"You've got to be kidding me?" Liv said as they walked into their house. Women's clothing and beer bottles litter the first floor. "We're going to lose Klaire." Liv said numbly.
Kelly shakes his and starts up the stairs. "No we aren't."
"Kelly… we have twenty minutes." Liv worried her bottom lip nervously.
"I can kick out a skank and shower your sister in that time. Just clean up the bottles."
Liv is carrying Klaire and picking up trash when Elvis Presley's burning love fills the house. Shay must have told him Viv wasn't a fan it makes Liv smile.
"The King doesn't leave the building until you get your face outta whore-cilla's snatch and get in the shower." Kelly orders after ripping the door open and flipping on the lights.
"What the fuck Kelly! Get the fuck out!" Vivi screams and scrambles nakedly for the blankets.
Kelly stands with his hands on his hips he rolls his neck and tries not lose his cool. He even counts to ten but it fails to work so he roars at her anyway. "It's my house; I live here with your sister and your niece! The one we're adopting! If you don't royally fuck up our chances."
"Oh and you had nothing to do with that first time did you? You're a dick." Vivi snarls clutching a blanket to her.
"Honey you ain't seen shit, get in the shower or get dressed and get you and your hooker outta my house." He orders in a cold all business way.
"I'm not a hooker!" the girl says.
"I bet that's what you tell all the pretty boys." He grins at the girl. "Get. Out." He said eyes icy and angry.
"Hello, Antoinette." Liv said. Holding out the girls undies "I believe these are yours. Put them on, along with the rest of your clothes and get out or I can always call Erin, you remember her? She's a cop, likes to put away sorry ass cokeheads." She flicks the garment at the girl like it's a bug and waits knows she's got the girl over a barrel.
"Damn your fast." Kelly said.
"Your best friends Dad is the scariest cop in town you know how to clean up a party." She said watching the other woman dress and scurry off, She points to Vivi. "Throw her in the shower. Make it cold maybe it'll wake her stupid ass up."
"Yes ma'am."
"Shay deserved a goddamn medal for dealing with you both." Liv muttered to herself.
-/-/-
Vivi scrubs up quickly. "Lose the turn out gear, makes it look like you don't have time for Klaire. Tell Liv take down her hair and put on lipstick. Appearance is part of it. You guys will do fine. You aren't destroyed by the death… you're fine got that fake it." She said through the shower door.
"I'm not a great at lying." He said leaning on the wall outside the bathroom.
"You are too, when you're at work or with Liv you lie and make yourself believe you're fine."
"I adore your sister." He defends.
"I know you do but it doesn't mean every single second you feel happiness isn't some kind of betrayal because it is, isn't it. You feel empty and Livvy doesn't because you make her feel fulfilled. She used to make you feel the same, but feeling whole feels like a sin because you can't tell her, you can't tell Shay a damn thing and you wanna die for it but you can't so lie until you don't feel like dying." Vivi advised.
Kelly cleared his throat. "And that's what you're doing?"
"No, I'm just getting through… make the bed." She replied.
"That's disgusting you just had sex in it."
"It's every straight man's dream. We're in hurry do it." Vivi orders.
Kelly and Vivi troop down the stairs. ViviAnne walks up behind Olivia. "Sorry about that, I lost track of time." She hugged her and pulled out her ponytail. "And snap."
Liv tossed her head up side sown and back up. "Lip gloss and lose the scrub top and you're good."
She stripped off the top and tossed in the laundry hamper. She grabbed her clean fire wife tank top off the back of the couch. "Tell me I got this, say something Mom would say." She looked to her sister in worn sweats her wet hair pulled up.
Vivi applies her lip gloss. "Mommy would say be you, everyone loves you when you turn on the charm its fine… you have got this in the bag Liv. You," She points to Kelly "Don't lay it on too thick."
Vivi kissed Liv's cheek. "Where has your mouth been?"
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers too." Vivi grins.
"We're talking about the Nettie thing Viv." Liv stated plainly.
"Later!" and Vivi left.
Kelly grabbed Liv's hand. "Next time we move? We're not telling your siblings where we live."
She looked up at him. "But then who would help us move?"
"Movers."
"Ready?" She asked.
"Yeah, where's is Klairey?" He looked around for his daughter.
"Play pen."
"Stand up."
"Why?" she looked at him perplexed.
"Just do the standy thing." He said impatiently.
She affixed the chair to standing and he kissed her. "Whoa. Hello Kelly."
"Missed you all day." He said against her lips and kissed her again.
"You ruined my lip gloss." Liv pouted.
"Ruined or put to use?" He countered.
"Your lips are red." She wiped at the stubborn red with her thumb.
The doorbell rang. "Well shit, you wipe your mouth and get Klaire. I got the door." He watched him disappear upstairs.
"Baby! She puked!"
"Of course she did!" She shouted back.
Liv opened the door. "Hi Althea. Come in have a look around I assure you all things have been baby proofed, and safe guarded by Kelly himself. I gotta clean Klaire up; I'll be right with you."
"Baby I got her. Does she need to match? Will we look like bad parents?" He called down.
"No. you won't Mr. Severide. "
"Klaire stop smiling at me! This is ill timed and not funny." He chastised.
"He's really very good with her would you like to observe?" Liv said going to the elevator.
When they go to Klaire's room Kelly is changing her into a green bubble suit. She tries to catch the St. Florian's medal dangling from his neck.
"Has the recent tragedy within his firehouse affected his ability to parent?" Althea asked lowly.
"No, it's affected a lot of things but never my love or ability to care for Klaire." He answered the whispered question.
She finally captures the medallion and promptly tries to put it in her mouth. "Nope, that's Daddy's shiny, I'll get you one. She is like a bird loves anything that shines." He gently pries her hand loose.
"She'll probably be a penny swallower in my medical opinion. But… I know how to extract foreign bodies from tiny bodies up the nose or down the gullet I got it." Liv said in a hurry.
Kelly laughed. "Livvy is a great mom. She's patient and she lets Klaire learn within reason, and she's in great health. Babies put things in their mouths because it's tactile learning." He said picking Klaire up.
"I'm aware."
Klaire starts to fuss. "I got it…" Kelly said.
"I know you do honey." Liv smiled softly.
"Bouncy trick?" he asked Klaire. "Bounce…bounce…We're a regular Tigger huh Klaire?"
"He's nervous, we both are… we love our daughter." Liv said trying to stifle her laugh."
"I can see that she's well and deeply loved." Althea.
Kelly's radio cackles to life. "Humboldt and 20th. Entrapment Squad 3."
"Shit!" Kelly cursed.
"Hand her over… turn out gear is on the first floor." Liv held out her hands.
"She's gonna cry." He worried.
"Only if you do. Kiss her and go babe." He hands her over and kisses them both then runs down stairs as Klaire does in fact cry.
"Told you so!" he called out.
"Be careful!" and he's out the door. "Hey, now Klaire is that truly necessary?" the girl continues to cry. "Ok it is? Really? Wanna eat?"
After the rescue.
"Your Bae as Erin would say is still very pissed at you." Liv said.
"Really?" He said kicking back on his bed.
"Totally gave the DCFS lady the stink eye but she did eat. I still think she felt teased with midday Daddy time. On the upside I think we impressed the lady." Liv said.
Next shift.
Liv comes rolling in as fast as she can go. "Where's the fire Severide?" Platt said as she brought Mouch brownies Liv stole one off the plate as she rolled by,
"Where's Kelly?" she asked biting into her brownie.
"Right here Babe, doing equipment check." He walks over to her.
She hands him envelope. "It's tagged DCFS Viv has been on lookout for and brought it to me." She watched him look over the envelope. "Well open it!" Liv demanded.
"Why she get a brownie?" Otis asked.
"She likes me, and I'm pregnant." A hand flew to Liv's mouth. "Shit!"
Kelly laughed. "It's okay baby. We're due in January." He tore open the envelope.
"February Kelly. What's the letter say?"
He reads aloud. "The Department of Children and Family Services is sending this letter to notify you of the adoption finalization of one Klaire Katherine Eliza Severide, formerly Alaina Pena on the following date. Livvy, its next month…." Kelly grin blooms slow and it warms Liv's heart.
What's the date?"
"August 14th."
Kelly watches Liv go pale. "What baby?"
"That's my adoption date too… I should call my mother." She said in awe.
Kelly opened his phone and dialed Benny. "Dad, I need you to come into town on August 14th."
"Hey, son."
"Oh hey, sorry I'm excited we're officially adopting Klaire on the 14th."
"Call Katie, She'll want to fly in." Benny advised.
"Hi Benny!" Liv butted in.
"Hey Livvy!"
Liv's phone rings. "On my way." She hung up. "I gotta get back." She kissed Kelly's cheek
-/-/-/-
Liv went into the guestroom. She transferred onto the bed and crawled up by her sister to wrap around her like the protector she'd been in childhood. The big spoon. Vivi's listening to slam poetry and Liv listens to Andrea Gibson's Photograph.
"Are you okay? Why'd you call Nettie?"
Vivi just sighed. Livvy wrapped her arms around Vivi's middle and squeezed. "I keep telling Kelly and I forget to tell you. I love you so very much. It's going to be okay!"
"How?" the word shudders out of Vivi.
Liv paused and listened to the poetry, I hope you're smilinglike god is pulling at the corners of your mouthcause I might be naked and lonelyshaking branches for bonesbut I'm still time zones awayfrom who I was the day before we metyou were the first milewhere my heart broke a sweatand I wish you were hereI wish you'd never left but mostly I wish you well I wish you my very, very best
"I don't know how ViviAnne but I know an okay day is coming." She said.
"You gave me the CD before I met Leslie and now…" Viv turned to face Liv.
"Now it's hers." Liv finished. "I've forgotten how much I love spoken word work. Kelly's a classic rock guy." Liv brushed one of Vivi's corn silk blonde locks behind her ear.
Vivi gave her a tear stained smile. "You and Kelly are an enigma. You shouldn't fit… but that's the reason you do. She used to say it was small miracle. I know you thought she disliked you, she didn't she loved you for the way you see him."
"I loved her for making you feel seen." The statement makes Vivi tear up.
"It's like I don't know how to breathe anymore. I thought I was the one who was safe it's not like she runs into burning buildings. I thought I was safe and my worst fear being having to hold you up when he died and those well-wishers and mourners marched past you in their Sunday best. I never thought I'd be the one in these shoes and I can't even think to breathe Livvy, I don't know how I'm alive right now. I have no fucking clue." Liv wiped her falling tears.
"You just are Vivi. Maybe that's the point. We just live on because we've no other choice we live on because even though your mind forgot to breathe and your heart is broken your body still functions."
"I don't want to function." She confessed.
"I know, but she wants you to where ever she is? She wants you to live and feel joy, and cry and laugh until you cry because she loved you and you loved her and it stands as a marker that she was here!"
"Have you told Kelly that?"
Liv shook her head. "He can't hear it; I think he has survivor's guilt."
"Me too. I have I was a shitty girlfriend guilt."
"No you weren't! Shay was fucking up your lives! For Devon! She wasn't perfect Vivi! People fuck up, they fight with people they love and sometimes hell most times you die without a satisfactory goodbye."
"Does the goodbye help?"
"When I lose a long termer? Nah, goodbye is just a word sister. Grief is something you have to do alone."
"It's killing you isn't it? Not being able to fix it."
"Yeah." Its Liv's turn to tear up. She breathes deep and sucks it all back in. "Listen I got a fire wife function at Molly's but I'll be back. Mills and Mads have Klaire Kathrine Eliza! Oh shit! I came in here to tell you, August 14th she's ours!"
-/-/-
When Kelly walks into Molly's bar for the Molina fundraiser he's surprised to see his proper lady like wife sitting behind the bar in a cut to shit baseball tee and jeans her hair in a messy bun at the back of her neck and damned if she ain't beautiful fixing up some fancy drink for Gabi. When she lights the thing on fire he gives a startled laugh. "She was a bar tender in college." Erin says near his shoulder. "Go tip her. Fire wife with the most tips gets a Mani –Pedi on the chief."
She douses the flame on Gabi's drink as he steps forward. "Chug-a-lug Sista."
She smiles at him brightly. "Hiya sugar! What can I get ya?" she asked him tossing a dish towel over her shoulder.
"What I want ain't on a drinks menu baby." He leans over the bar and kisses her as a blush creeps into her cheeks.
"You're bad…" She said smiling.
"You like me that way." He said slipping a 50 dollar bill into her tip jar.
"Irish Car Bomb?' She asked
"Yeah…then I'll just watch you do your Coyote Ugly thing." He leans on the bar watching her move, he secretly loves this blue collar side of his Livvy.
"Baby, I don't need a fake name and dance moves. Just my wheels my boobs and my smile." She slid the beer to him and handed him the shot to drop in the beer to chug.
"All things I like." He downed the drink and winked at her.
AN: I only own the Grayne's, Liv and Klaire. The emboldened words are excerpt from Photograph by Andrea Gibson. I do not own it, just inspired by it. If you liked it please review! The edit was a bitch! LOL!-MM