Title: Plan B
Chapter 21 – The Arsonist Always Taunts Twice

"Not here!" Benny's voice hisses in his son's ear as Gish stops and turns around and smiles.

"Did you want to say something else to me?" Gish asks Severide with a daring glance. "You know, I'd like to know where Lesley Shay's gravesite is so I can go and lay some flowers."

"Sick bastard," Severide curses in an undertone. "Go to hell!"

"Have a good day now Mr. Fireman," Gish states in mild sarcasm once more as Severide takes a step toward Gish; Casey's hand shooting out and pulling his friend back.

"He wants a showdown. Don't give it to him," Casey warns as Gish heads back into the building.

"Why'd you just let him go?" Severide turns and growls directly at his father, jerking his arm free of Casey's grasp.

"What could I do? He confronted us as he…"

"Planned! Right so he's the damn bastard in control again?" Severide asks with a snap before he pulls back and looks at his father's somewhat placid expression. "He killed Aurora's mother!"

"I know we suspect him but…"

"Ah don't give me that garbage!" Severide huffs as he turns away in anger; Casey and Benny in pursuit.

Gish watches from the safe inner confines of the lobby of his building, his eyes fixated on Kelly Severide's angry frame. She was special to him…he's the one that should suffer…I will enjoy this…now it's personal…I like personal…hasn't been personal for a long time.

"Kelly, wait!" Casey hurries after his friend and stops him from getting into the front seat, snatching the keys from his grasp.

"Give me back the damn keys!" Severide demands; Casey holding his ground.

"You driving off in this frame of mind will only get yourself and maybe others hurt or worse."

"He killed Shay," Severide tells Casey before looking past his friend to his father. "You know that and did nothing!" His voice bellows at his father.

"What we can do is alert CPD to his presence and have them tail him or…" Benny tries.

"Gish has been hiding for twenty years! That storage fire was a damn fluke. You think Gish is just going to allow himself to be followed and then offer us front row seats to the next fire?"

"I'll tell them…"

"He laughed in our faces just now!"

"Okay I'm just as pissed as you, but storming in there right now and roughing him up is exactly what he wants!" Benny argues back.

"Okay fine!" Severide argues back.

"No not fine!" Benny holds his ground. "Don't you get it? He has nothing to lose. Nothing! You have everything to lose and he know that. You go in there and you're screwed! Then he could say we're all a bunch of biased bullies, targeting a man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and then this whole investigation is screwed! Do you want that? No. Neither do I. As much as is does suck we have to wait."

"On what?"

"On him to make a big enough mistake or…"

"Kill someone else? Yeah…great!" Severide retorts sourly as he stomps around to the passenger side and gets in.

"I get his frustration but we can't move on Gish without solid evidence. We could do more harm than good."

"I know and I know Kelly knows that," Casey replies with a heavy sigh. "He's frustrated and I don't blame him. Let us know as soon as you can."

"I'll talk to CPD and see if they want to tail him or bring him in but it's not our call right now. Tell Kelly to stay away from Gish," Benny warns as he looks at Casey and then through the window at his son. "This bastard is just itching for someone else to target."

The gravity slams into Casey full force as he watches Benny turn and head for the red AI truck waiting across the street. Gish wasn't a fool to suffer lightly and while Llewelyn like to pursue his hobby in his own dark privacy, Gish didn't mind the exposure of hurting others in public; in fact today's confrontation showed them all that he almost thrived on, probably got off on it.

"Don't say it," Severide sourly warns as Casey gets in behind the steering wheel.

"We're on your side, you know that. But Gish wants to make it personal and he's already proven he can kill and then just gloat about it to your face."

"I just wanted to lay him flat," Severide admits through gritted teeth. "And when he said Shay's name…" Severide's voice trails off as he pulls his phone. "Erin, it's Kelly…I have a name for you."

"What? How did…"

"Don't worry it was legal," Severide explains as Casey looks over in concern. "Adrian Gish. I'm sure you'll find the same stuff AI did but he's the guy. We need something on him to nail him for Shay's murder. We went to talk to him but he got the jump on us."

"What do mean you went to talk to him? Kelly…"

"Ah he came up to us and just rubbed in our faces about Shay's death."

"Who's us?"

"Matt, dad and I. Look he's the guy. Lemme know what you find out."

"Okay but if he is the guy and he's proven he's capable of killing more than once, than you gotta stay back. He's already made his point by throwing it back in your face in public. Just watch your back."

"I will thanks."

Severide hangs up and then looks at Casey with a wince. "What if he…"

"Kelly…"

"I gotta be prepared!" Severide replies sharply and then recants. "He's all I can think about right now. To know he's been here…the whole time. Just…waiting."

"Your dad was right he had to get control back."

"And I hate that we gave it to him."

"Had you got into a fight with him that would have really given him something to gloat about," Casey replies as they near Firehouse 51. "Now we just…"

"Sit back and wait…again."

"At least this time you know your father has a name to follow up on. Erin knows and they'll be watching him. Maybe Gish will just tire of the whole thing."

"After twenty years and knowing he's probably responsible for that many fires and deaths, tells me he's not going to go away quietly into the night. Do you think that?" Severide tosses back.

"No," Casey is forced to admit with a heavy sigh.

The two of them head into 51 with heavy minds and hearts; knowing they know who Shay's killer is but being helpless to do anything about it. At least when Hadley was targeting them they got to know his MO; Gish was random. The basic ingredients were the same but the rest was unpredictable and that made him a scary killer to tangle with.

XXXXXXXX

"He was so smug Chief, I just wanted to pop him," Casey confesses to Boden as they stand at the end of the hallway staring at Severide's closed door. "He was so calm when he threw it back in Kelly's face."

"He wanted a fight," Boden ponders correctly as Casey nods. "This guy is dangerous Matt. He's proven that over the past few years and he could make it personal for Severide. He saw him get angry…he got a rise and that's probably what he wanted."

"Damn it," Casey curses in an undertone. "I hate that Kelly unknowingly gave him what he wanted. Just walked right up to him."

"Gish thinks he has nothing to lose and right now he's right. He has no family, no pets…no mortgage. Nothing anyone can threaten to take away that he would care enough to lose. I doubt threatening to take away his job will work either. "

"Kelly has everything to lose," Casey states gravely.

"And the more he pushes Gish, the more Gish will happily push back," Boden reminds him. "You gotta keep an eye on him."

"Right," Casey agrees with a heavy sigh as he pulls away from Boden and slowly heads down the aisle toward Severide's office.

Severide's eyes drift from a picture of him and Aurora to the clock; his brain yelling at the little minute hands to move faster! He tries everything to keep his mind occupied on anything other than Gish's smug taunt but it's useless. He hears a soft knock and looks up to see Casey's face peering through the glass in wonder.

"I need to do something," Severide utters with a small groan.

"We could go and restock the trucks?" Casey suggests weakly; knowing they still had a few hours on shift but it was better than nothing.

Severide can't help but laugh at Casey's mock excited expression and finds his anxiety slightly subsiding. "Our candidate might be jealous," he snickers as he pushes himself upright and follows after Casey into the main truck garage area. "What did Boden say?"

"Same stuff as your dad. Don't piss of Gish or he'll come back at you and take away everything you love. Kelly, they're right, Gish has nothing to lose."

"I know," Severide agrees with a mournful gaze. "When he said her name…there was almost joy."

Their talk is interrupted by the overhead paging system and Severide for one is grateful that there something work related to keep his mind occupied on something other than Adrian Gish. However, when he hears the address, another warehouse fire, his whole frame shudders.

Casey slaps him on the back as he rushes past and hops into the front of Truck 81; Severide hurrying and jumping into the front of truck 3 as both of them slowly roll out of the large bay doors. The trucks from Firehouse 51 reach the call and all stop and look up at the fiery structure.

"Let's all keep our wits about us. Stay sharp and focused," Boden offers them all a friendly reminder as Severide looks at Casey and both nod.

"Herrmann! Mouch! Take the roof!" Casey calls out as Severide, at the same time calls out orders to his team; Boden watching with a strained expression as both teams hurry toward the burning structure; the medics waiting anxiously a few meters away.

"It's dark in here!"

"Check the corners!"

"Fire department! Call out!"

"Found the kid!"

"Capp, take him out!"

"Copy!"

"Matt! Help me with this!" Severide calls out as Casey nears his friend in front of a locked door. "Ready?"

"Yeah!" Casey nods as he prepares to kick the door, turning backwards while Severide gets ready to make sure it doesn't close back on them. "Now!"

"We're in! Chief, we're in!"

"Hermann second floor, back corner! Vent the window! The doors open!"

"Copy that!"

"Casey!"

"Oh man…is she?"

"Chief, found the mother. She didn't make it," Severide tells Boden over the radio. Severide pauses over the woman's fallen frame and instantly feels his eyes wanting to water. Shay…his mind laments for a few brief milliseconds; the room starting to get warmer and warmer.

"Severide!" Casey's voice finally breaks him from his stupor, snapping him back to reality.

"Keep going!" He gestures to Casey as they push further into the room. But just before they reach the middle; Hermann arrives at the window and the door slams shut.

"Hermann no!" Casey calls out as both he and Severide drop to the ground just in case a backdraft was coming. Thankfully Hermann gets the order in time and he waits until Casey scrambles back to the door, this time busting it so it stays open for good. "Now!"

Severide stays crouched low as Hermann vents the window and then stands up and hurries toward the left corner, Casey taking the right.

"All clear Chief!"

"Heading back into the main living area."

"I got the dog!" Otis's voice is heard.

"Find the father!" Boden tells them gruffly.

"Check there!" Casey directs as he and Severide parts ways at the end of the smoky hallway.

"Fire department! Call out!"

"Severide I found him! I found the father!"

Severide hurries back into the hallway and notices Casey struggling to get a piece of ceiling off his fallen frame. "Casey! Look out!" Severide shouts as another burning board breaks loose and strikes Casey in the side.

"I'm okay!" Casey calls back as both of them attack the board at the same time, finally moving it and allowing Severide to scoop him up into his arms and then follow Casey back outside.

"We'll take him!" Mills tells Severide as he and Brett instantly attend to the unconscious man; the child already on its way to the hospital for treatment; the dog with the neighbors.

"Mother didn't make it," Severide laments sadly as Casey looks at him in remorse. "I know the feeling."

But before either Boden or Casey can comment further, Severide pulls away and heads for Truck 3; his shoulders gently slumping.

"He'll be okay. With all this Gish stuff, it's just bringing up bad memories," Boden says to Casey in a low tone.

"Yeah…for all of us."

Back at Firehouse 51, Casey goes in search of Severide, wanting to see how his friend had fared after that tense call. Not finding him in the usual places, he heads outside and finds him sitting on the front of Truck 81.

Severide looks up and nods as Casey approaches and then sits down beside him. "Nearly broke a picture in my office," Severide admits with a small huff as he casts a faraway glance into the distance – focusing on nothing in particular.

"I know that couldn't have been easy," Casey simply states. He wasn't going to suggest his friend run to Nick, his therapist every time they were presented with a tough work related situation; that came with the professional territory. But he'd keep an eye on him to make sure Severide didn't internally withdraw to his own emotional detriment.

"Can't get it out of my head. Shay…Gish…and now this fire. That father…he's left with only his son and…damn bastard Gish. Matt…"

"Want to come with me to the hospital?"

"What?" Severide looks at his friend in shock. "Are you serious?"

"I am," Casey replies resolutely.

"No way. I just told you I feel like crap and…you want me to go there and subject myself to more?" Severide asks sharply; his tone slightly rising.

"Might not hurt to just see how he's doing. Talk to him a little…you're in a better place to sympathize with him right now than I am," Casey admits in an inoffensive tone. "I just thought it might be better than sitting around here doing…"

"Nothing. Do you think it'll help my bitterness subside?"

"Will anything right now?" Casey correctly retorts.

"Ahh," Severide groans in defeat as he tosses away the small toothpick he had been fondling.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you later."

Severide watches Casey slowly get up and start to walk away, his brain trying to process the request. As much as it would hurt him to go to the hospital and try to help the man see that he could survive for the sake of his child, the talk bringing up tormented memories about Shay's death; sitting here dwelling on getting his hands on Gish's neck was just as pointless.

"I'm coming!"

He didn't really want to subject his friend to more misery, but for some reason he'd take an angry Kelly Severide over a moping Kelly Severide any day. It was what he had grown used to. On the way to the hospital, Severide calls Pauline and tells her to bring Aurora by the Firehouse later as they were doing a charity drive for something at one of the Herrmann's kid's schools and there was leftover cupcakes to spare.

"You know Christie mentioned that they were going to head up to Gurnee on the weekend," Casey mentions as they near Lakeshore. "Might be kinda fun to join them, take Aurora up to Six Flags."

"Sure," Severide replies somewhat absently.

"And then I thought we could drive up to Milwaukee for a pizza."

"Sure."

"And then I thought the three of us could rob a few banks saying we needed the food for Aurora."

"Sure…what?" Severide finally comes back to reality; Casey snickering as Severide shakes his head. "Shoulda left me at home," he sighs as Casey tosses him a sympathetic glance. "So…banks huh?"

"The banks and the trip to Milwaukee was false but Christie is going to Six Flags on the weekend. Thought that might be a nice distraction. There are some rides that Aurora can go on with any of us."

As much as he at first wants to brush off his friend's suggestion, his mind drowning in its own personal misery, he tells himself that it would be fun and it would all be for the sake of his beloved daughter. "Sure…why not," Severide agrees firmly as Casey stops his truck in front of the ER.

For a few split seconds, Severide's mind tries to focus on their upcoming happy outing at Six Flags and how much fun his daughter will have on some of the rides. But as he nears the ER area, where Mills and Brett are, his heart rate starts to rise and his mind gently panics.

"Hey guys," Brett greets Casey and Severide as they approach. "What's going on?"

"We just came to see how…"

"Mr. Baker. Ted."

"Ted Baker is doing," Severide concludes as Brett looks into the ER waiting area.

"His son is still being treated. You can go and talk to him if you want," she suggests with a small shrug.

"Okay," Severide replies quietly as he pulls away and heads for the distraught father, Casey a few feet behind. "Mr. Baker?"

The still soot stained man looks up as they approach. At first he wants to tell them to take a hike but when he sees their firefighter gear his eyes instantly well. "It was my fault," he instantly states as Severide sinks down onto the bench on one side, Casey on the other.

"We're very sorry for your loss," Casey starts as Severide silently nods.

"They said…they'd bring her body here but…but my son is still in there and I'm not sure what to do."

"Do you have anyone you can call?" Casey inquires; Severide still silent.

"Sister but um…we're not that close. I haven't called her yet."

"If you'd like, our paramedic Brett over there can call. She'll be discreet but she'll just call her to come down here if you'd like."

"Sure," the man says as he hands Casey his phone. "Uh…her name's Agnes. Agnes Miller."

Severide watches Casey get up and walk over to Brett with the phone. "Sorry about all this," Severide states in a soft tone.

"What do I tell my son? This was…"

"It wasn't your fault," Severide interjects firmly and then winces. "You know what…blame is natural," he huffs as the father looks at him in mild surprise. "I blame myself…" his voice dies out to a soft whisper.

"How do I go on without her? Our son's only seven and she'll miss out on so much."

"It will be tough but you just gotta try. For his sake."

"Why do you people…you emergency people think you can tell us how we'll be when you haven't experienced what we HAVE! What the hell do you know? NOTHING!" His voice rises to a watery pitch; all eyes instantly zooming in on him. "Sorry…I uh…I didn't mean…didn't mean to yell."

"It's okay man, I get it," Severide nods as he looks at Casey and then at the man. "The mother of my daughter…she uh…she died in a fire. I was there. I couldn't save her. I still blame myself."

"Oh…oh God I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry," the man whispers as Severide's eyes well and he nods. "What I said about you guys…I uh…I'm sorry."

"No offense taken," Severide tells him in haste. "But I have been right here. Telling the doctor's there's been some mistake and she's not dead. My daughter needs her mother. That I'm to blame for what happened. And then…I learn it's some monster who!..." this time it's Severide's voice that rise and then quickly rises and drops back down to a respectable level. "Just don't think you have to do it alone. I thought I could and I literally self-destructed."

"Sorry."

"It's okay but I nearly left my child without both parents and that um…that wasn't fair."

"What did you do?"

"I took time…maybe not enough but some time to grieve and I got some professional help. There's a guy here…great guy who has been through what we have," Severide tells him as Brett comes back with his phone. Severide takes the phone and types in Nick's office number. "You don't have to do this alone," Severide states with a firm nod. "Don't do it alone."

The man looks at Severide as soft tears stream down his face, his hands reaching out and grasping Severide's and giving them a friendly squeeze of appreciation. Severide sniffle back his own rising fluid emotion, putting on a brave face and telling the man he could get through this. He wasn't going to promise it would be easy because even now, almost two months later it was still hell and much like Nick reminded him, every milestone going forward, every small or significant date and the date of the anniversary of her death would punch him right in the gut. But with loving support from surviving family and friends he could cope a little bit easier.

"Your sister is on her way," Brett tells the man in a kind tone as her hand rests on his shoulder. "You can come and see your son now."

"Thank you," he looks up at Brett and then at Severide. As he stands up he offers Severide a hug and then turns and follows after Brett into the ER treatment area, disappearing from view and out of their lives.

"I know that wasn't easy but I'm sure it helped him," Casey admits softly as his hand rests on Severide's shoulder; Severide's watery gaze fixed on the closed doors a few seconds longer.

"Let's get back to the House," Severide turns to Casey with a small smile before he pushes between him and Mills and heads outside.

"How's he holding up?" Mills inquires.

"He'll be better when Gish is gone for good," Casey admits in truth before he turns to leave.

"Won't we all," Mills agrees with a small hiss of his own.

On the way back to Firehouse 51, Severide has to admit that it did help to talk to the man, even briefly and offer Nick's number for some professional help and that by telling the man he could make it, strengthened his own inner convictions.

As soon as they get back, Casey heads in first; Severide lagging behind a bit but not seeing two very different cars getting out; the occupants of which are about to collide in a showdown of future destinies.

As if sensing something impending, Casey turns and looks past Severide to see who was approaching and his eyes instantly widen. Oh my Go…

"Is this the firehouse of Lesley Shay?"

What the hell?

Severide turns to see Adrian Gish walking toward them with a small bouquet of flowers in his grasp; his eyes holding a silent but very visible taunt directed at the 51 squad leader.

"What?" Severide asks almost inaudibly.

But at the exact same time, his beloved daughter calls out "daddy!" as she rushes toward him and Benny Severide's words would come back to haunt them all – in that instant Kelly Severide knows he has everything to lose. And now he knows that Adrian Gish knows.

At the same moment, the taunting glint in Gish's eyes turns downright devilish and an evil smile starts to twist his lips upward. "Daddy?"

A/N: uh oh….anyone see that one coming? (runs after my muse lol) lots of angsty tension in here for sure. Casey doing his best to keep his friend in check but Severide is feeling it coming at him from all sides. Make Gish a bit more evil than in the show and hope you're all on board with him taking things to the next level with our fearless squad leader. How will Gish react? And what's his next move? Would love your thoughts so please do review before you go and thanks so much!