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More with the Saga of Kelly and Dani…
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Chapter 22- Squad 3
That all changed when he saw her red eyes and tears streaming down her face. She walked right into his awaiting arms, burying herself in his chest, letting all her tears come out.
Severide wrapped his arms around her, alternating between rubbing her back up and down and digging his fingers into her hair for comfort.
"Hey, Dani, what's going on?" he asked instantly concerned.
"She went to the 21st district today and gave them information about Cody that could help their investigation" Bobby said from behind his sister.
Kelly met his gaze and knew what he was saying. She had to talk about losing Katie and everything Cody has done to her.
He nodded and squeezed her tighter into his chest, leading her into the house and straight up to his room.
"You should have told me, I would have been there with you" he said, kissing the top of her head, moving hair from her face, as she rested against him.
"I had to do this alone Kelly. I had to do it for me, for our daughter. He killed her. The stress of everything made my body reject my baby girl. After everything he's done, I had to help them anyway I could. I needed to prove to myself that I was strong enough to deal with this" she said against his chest.
He tilted her head up so she could meet his gaze, "you are the strongest person I know, no doubt. You wouldn't have been able to get through everything you did without strength" he reassured her, leaning down for a kiss.
"Well, I just hope the information I gave them helps with the investigation" she replied.
Dani ended up staying wrapped in Kelly's arms the majority of the night, only parting ways when Squad 3 got called out.
He didn't really want to leave her like this. He could tell that she was emotionally drained. Whatever happened at the district did not help her any.
Looking down, she had fallen asleep on his chest. He moved to lay her down on his bed, carefully trying not wake her when the alarm rang for Squad 3 to ride out.
He leant over and kissed her cheek, "I'll be back princess" he said before grabbing his boots and hauling ass to the truck.
"Hey Severide, everything okay with Dani?" Casey asked when he saw Kelly running to catch up to the rest of them.
They all saw her crying when she came in. They were worried when the couple went up to the bunk room without stopping to greet everyone first.
"No, I'll fill you in after this call" he replied.
Matt looked at his friend and could read the worry on his face. He knew there was something serious going on, so he didn't push. He just nodded and got into the truck, following Squad out of the garage.
The call was to bridge overlooking the water, near Wabash St. Arriving on scene, they saw CPD surrounding the area.
"Ruzek" Kelly called, recognizing Adam from the Intelligence Unit.
Adam walked over to the trucks to fill them in on the situation. "It looks like we have a jumper. Patrol was chasing this guy who committed a robbery when he jumped on the bridge, threatening to jump" he said.
"Okay, Squad 3, Truck 81, set up a jump bag. Casey, Severide, get suited up" Chief Boden ordered everyone.
Now that everyone knew their roles, they got to work. Matt and Kelly walked up to the bridge and got ready to work.
Kelly started getting roped up as Matt started talking to the guy willing to jump.
"Hey my name is Matt, what's your name?" he asked.
"Jose" the guy replied.
"Okay, Jose, want to tell me what's going on here?" Casey asked.
"I have to do this. I can't go back to jail" Jose yelled.
"Okay hey, listen, there are other options okay. You didn't hurt anyone right. I am sure that Officer Ruzek can put in a good word for you" Casey tried to reason with him.
"I can do that" Adam added to confirm Casey's thought.
"No, no man, it's too late. This ain't my first time doing this shit. I can't go back to jail. This is the only way out" he said before he jumped into the water.
Severide ran and jumped in right after him.
Cruz, Tony and Capp ran around the other side of the bridge to set up the ladder and floater device to pull them in when Kelly found him.
"I don't see him" Cruz called out to the chief.
It took a minute but finally they saw Severide come up, gasping for breath. Taking a few deep breaths before going back into the water looking for Jose.
He had to do that a couple times before he finally found him. He had whatever he stole in his jacket pockets, which was holding him down in the water and preventing him from floating.
Kelly reached down and emptied his pockets, watching the jewelry and cash sink to the floor of the water. Once Jose was free of all the excess weight, he easily floated up and out of the water.
"There they are" Capp called out, pointing to the middle of the lake.
It took Severide several minutes to swim over with Jose dead weight in his arms. It was a good thing he was in shape because they hadn't done a water rescue in while and this was a workout.
Once he was close enough, Kelly hefted Jose up the ladder to Capp and Tony who were waiting, helping him climb up the ladder and got him on the ground.
Brett and Dawson checked him over and saw that he was okay, but they still c-collared him and got him on the gurney with a police escort.
Casey handed Kelly a towel and heated blanket before patting his back, "nice save Severide" he said.
Kelly nodded and stopped when he walked past the gurney, looking at Jose, "it's up to you to do the right thing now" he said before making his way to the Squad.
"Severide, you need to get checked out" Dawson called to him.
He shook his head and waved them off, "nah, I'm good. I'll have Dani look me over when we get back to the house" he replied.
"Well get out of those wet clothes as soon as you can to avoid getting pneumonia" Brett stated.
He nodded, "thanks" said making his way to the Squad. He turned the heat on blast.
Dani woke up to an empty firehouse. She couldn't believe she fell asleep. Feeling refreshed after her power nap, she walked downstairs to the kitchen and common room, to find pouch sitting on the couch.
"Hey girl, they left you huh?" she asked.
Pouch raised her head up to a rub and nuzzled into Dani's hand as she pets her. "Well, what do you say to making some dinner? I am starving" Dani questioned.
Pouch barked and jumped off the couch to follow her to the kitchen. Looking through the fridge, there wasn't much to work with, but she could at least make some broccoli fettuccini with some salad and roasted vegetables.
She was in the middle of pulling the pan of vegetables out of the oven when she heard the trucks and the guys start coming in.
"Looks like the herd is back" she teased pouch, dropping some meat on the floor.
Pouch barked and took off running to the noise. The guys froze when they walked into the common room and saw Dani behind the counter.
Severide told them what happened on the way back from the call, so to see her up and cheery, was a little odd. They didn't really know what to say.
"Hey Dani, what are you making? It smells delicious?" Dawson asked, making her way through the crowd.
"Well, there wasn't much to work with, but I managed to scrounge up some broccoli fettuccini with roasted vegetables and some salad" she stated, arranging the pans on the counter.
The smell is what brought the guys closer to take a look. "You made all this from what we had in there?" Cruz asked pointing to the fridge.
"Well, I made the basics, but I made my own sauce for the pasta. I couldn't feed you guys generic store-bought pasta sauce. The Italian in me wouldn't let that happen" she teased.
"Heaven sent us an angel" Mouch stated, looking up, thanking the Lord for Dani's cooking, causing her laugh.
"You might want to check on Severide though. We had a water jumper" Casey stated.
"Let guess, he jumped in after the person before he could change and then refused medical treatment when the rescue was over" she already knew what happened.
The guys laughed, "yeah, that was pretty much how it happened" Tony replied.
She nodded and turned to Gabby, "can you pull the veggies and pasta out of the oven in about 20 minutes. I have to go make sure Kelly hasn't given himself pneumonia" she teased, passing the spoon and oven mitt to Dawson before leaving the kitchen to grab her medical bag from her locker and making her way up to the officer's quarters.
She saw Kelly coming out of the shower and walking to his room. "Hey hot stuff, I heard there was a patient in need up here" she teased.
Kelly turned around and saw her walking towards him with her medical bag and smiled. He leant against the doorway, not even phased that he was in a towel.
"Maybe, what kind of services are you offering?" he asked.
"I think I have some services that you might like" she stated as she walked right up to him.
He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into him and into his room, shutting the door behind him.
He cuddled her for a little bit, "you feeling okay?" he asked seriously. She was wrecked when she came in earlier.
She nodded against his chest, "yeah I am fine. The nap and the cooking helped" she stated.
He laughed, "cooking? Well hey, whatever works" he teased.
"Now, I heard that you are in need of some medical attention. What were you thinking diving into the water without getting suited up? Do you want to get pneumonia? It's -20 degrees outside" she reprimanded as she had him sit on the edge of the bed and started taking out her medical supplies that she would need.
"What was I supposed to do Dani? Let the guy die? I had to jump in and save him" he replied.
She wrapped her stethoscope around her neck and reached up to take his pulse. "Okay, I get it, but now you have to have me check your vitals without any complaints" she said before looking at her watch to keep track of his vitals.
Once she was done with that, she checked his temperature and finally listened to his breathing.
"Take a couple deep breaths" she instructed.
Every time Kelly took a deep breath, she inhaled her vanilla cinnamon spice body wash and tried to nuzzle closer to her.
Realizing what he was doing, she pulled away and took out an ear of her scope, "focus Severide" she teased.
"Only if I get a treat later?" he retorted. He was waiting for that one.
She just laughed and resumed listening to his lungs. "Okay, just breath normal for now" she said moving to listen to his heart from the front.
After a few minutes, she pulled away and wrapped her stethoscope around her neck, standing before him with her hands on her hips.
"Your lungs sound clear. No sign of congestion or anything abnormal. You don't have a fever. Do you feel congested or sick in anyway?" she asked.
Realistically, she knew it was too early if he did have anything serious, but she wanted to be sure he wasn't coming down with something.
"No, I feel fine. Can I have my treat now?" he replied, pouting for extra effect.
Dani couldn't help but laugh. Before she could say anything or do anything else, they heard knocking at the door.
"Hey Dani, just coming to check on the patient? How's he doing?" Casey asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Pouting like a 5-year-old" she teased.
"Come on, you promised that I would get a treat if I checked out medically and I do" he stated.
Dani shook her head at his antics and turned to grab something out of her purse. Matt burst out laughing when he saw what she had in her hand before Kelly could see it.
She turned and gave him a sucker with a smile, "here you go, for being such a good patient" she teased.
Kelly looked between her and the sucker in shock. Growling, he grabbed her hand with the sucker and gently pulled her down to him so she was sitting across his lap.
"Not the kind of treat I was hoping for babe" he replied.
"And that's my cue to leave. Try not to make too much noise okay, we'll all be downstairs when you decide to come up for air" Casey joked, dodging the pillow that was thrown at him.
"I should probably head home, it's really late. I don't want to bug you anymore than necessary" she said when they were alone.
Kelly turned her chin so she was facing him. "How many times do I have to tell you that you do not bug me. I want to be there for you and am glad that you felt comfortable enough to come to me after everything" he replied.
"I do, I know we started out slow, but I am glad that everything worked out really well. I want to keep it like that. So, why don't you get dressed, walk me to my car so I can go home and clean up a bit" she suggested.
He laughed and pecked her lips really quick before nodding. "Okay, give me a second" he replied with a smile.
He changed into his uniform and grabbed his boots before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side.
"I'll see you guys Sunday. I am having a brunch at the house, so you are all invited" she said.
"Babe, don't invite them for food, they are never going to leave" Kelly not so silently whispered in her ear.
She laughed, smacking his stomach, "be nice" she warned.
"Don't worry Dani, we'll be there" Hermann reassured her.
"Do you need us to bring anything?" Brett asked.
Dani shook her head, "nope, I got everything. I plan to go shopping tomorrow. My sisters are coming over to help me start cooking, so just bring yourselves" she replied.
The guys all waved and nodded in appreciation. They would gladly be over to eat more food; they didn't need to be told twice.
"Well, I'll make a quiche" Brett stated.
"I'll make my Spanish potatoes, just pick up some stuff for me?" Gabby asked Dani, who nodded. Gabby wrote down a list of her ingredients that she would need and handed it over.
"Great, thanks guys. I'll see you Sunday" she waved as she walked out with Kelly.
This was the best therapy she needed. Surrounded by her family, in her home with Kelly and cooking. There was nothing better than this.
"So, why are we doing this here again?" Bobby asked as he raided the fridge for another beer.
"I wanted to do something to thank everyone for helping me the last couple weeks. I told Jay to bring the unit by after their shift. And don't think I didn't notice you drinking all Kelly's beer. You better replace those" she warned her brother.
"I'll pick him and Matt a couple cases tomorrow. You know you don't need to thank us. We are your family and they are your friends. They want to be there for you to help you" he reasoned with her.
"I know that, but this is my way of saying thank you. Can you just go with it? It's not like you are helping" she argued.
He put his hands up in surrender and took a seat in front of the TV. There was some type of game on that he was watching.
The girls were in the kitchen working on the egg casserole when Dani's phone rang.
"Hello, this is Dr. Taylor" she greeted.
"Damn, I must have the wrong number. I was trying to call Dr. Severide" Kelly teased over the phone. He was sitting his in his office doing paperwork when he glanced at the clock.
It was mid-evening, so he figured Dani would be cooking by now and getting things ready for tomorrow.
Dani laughed, "Well lucky for you, you've reached the right place. How's your shift?" she asked with a smile on her face.
"It's not bad babe. How's the cooking? Bobby better not be drinking all my beer" he stated.
She laughed and looked at her brother, pulling her phone away to take a quick picture and send it to Kelly.
"Check your messages when you get off with me. He'll replace it tomorrow. Cooking is good. I made some salad, pasta salad, got stuff for Gabby's potatoes, fruit salad, yogurt, bacon, Italian sausage, rolls, vegetables, and we are currently making the egg casserole" she informed.
He groaned at the amount of food she was making. She was making enough to feed an army. "You are making me hungry Sunshine. We had your left-over pasta today. Without it, we would have starved. It was Capp's turn to cook" he informed her.
She laughed, "well, I am glad you liked it. I can make some more for lunch tomorrow. I made plenty of sauce for the boys to take home if they need to" she replied.
"You're amazing. I got to go babe, I'll see you tomorrow morning. I love you" he said.
"Love you too lieutenant. Be safe. Goodnight" she replied before hanging up the phone.
As soon as he hung up, Kelly opened his text messages. When he opened the one from Dani, he couldn't help but laugh.
It was of Bobby sitting on their couch, a beer in his hand, feet up, watching TV. He was saluting the camera.
"Asshole" he laughed to himself before getting back to work.
"You two are so cute it's disgusting" Lena teased.
"Says you, let's not recall the amount of times I had to hear about you and my brother's sexcapades when you first started dating. That was just cruel" Dani replied, hitting her with an oven mitt.
"We have a very healthy sex life thank you very much" Lena defended her and Johnny's relationship.
"Okay, can we not talk about this while I am in the room. I do not need to hear about my sister's sex lives" Bobby commented from the couch, causing the girls to burst out laughing.
"When do you want to go shopping for the promotion ceremony?" Alyssa asked Dani.
"Not sure, whenever you guys are free I guess. The ceremony is next Saturday night, so maybe we can go after work on Wednesday? Kelly is off" she suggested.
"That works for me, we have half a day at school that day" Lena stated.
"Good, it's a date then" she replied.
The girls pretty much spent all day and night cooking and preparing the house. Bobby and Johnny brought up some extra tables and chairs from the storage unit and set them up in the corners of the room, so Dani could set up the food.
She put the plates out to get everything ready in the morning and start serving.
"What time do you want us back tomorrow?" Alyssa asked as she put her coat on. They were getting ready to leave.
"I told the guys to be here around noon, so any time before then. I will probably spend my morning setting up the dishes and heating up the food" she replied.
"Okay, we'll be here at 10. Give you and Kelly some alone time" Lena answered.
As she said bye to her family and after cleaning up, Dani headed straight to the bathroom for a good long soak in the tub.
She pulled out her phone and sent out a mass reminder text to everyone at 51 and the Intelligence unit, plus Sergeant Platt.
"Hey guys, it's Dani. Food will be ready at 12pm tomorrow for brunch. Be there or be square" she sent out.
Within seconds she got replies. Jay sent her a thumbs up and a text saying she was a dork as a response from Intelligence, the Med team asked if they could bring anything and 51 sent her a smiley face and emoji of food.
"Love you princess, good night" Kelly answered her privately.
She smiled and facetimed him. It wasn't a second before he accepted her call.
"You are such a dork, you know that?" he greeted her.
Dani laughed when Dawson smacked him on the shoulder. "That's not nice" she heard Gabby reprimand him.
"True, but you love me anyway" she stated.
He smiled and laughed, "always and forever baby" he replied. "So seriously, you doing okay? Feeling okay?" he asked.
She smiled and nodded, "yeah babe, I'm good. I took a nice hot bath and am about to change into some pj's and hit the sack. I am so tired. We made a lot of food today, so I hope you all come hungry tomorrow" she replied.
"You never have to worry about that with us Dani" Mouch called out from somewhere behind Kelly.
Kelly just laughed and got up walking to the officer's quarters for more privacy. He caught something in what she said.
"You in the bath huh?" he asked.
She laughed and directed the phone down so he could see the bubbles. You couldn't see anything of her body, just bubbles.
She could hear Kelly groan, "that's not nice babe" he replied.
Dani just laughed, "I am going to get changed and get into bed. I'll see you tomorrow lieutenant" she said before hanging up with him.
Sunday…
The guys were really excited to get over to the Severide/Casey house for brunch. They knew that Dani likely cooked up a feast, so they were over the moon.
"What time do you want us by lieutenant?" Cruz asked Kelly on their way out of the firehouse.
"Dani said the food will be ready by noon, so any time after that" he replied, throwing is bag over his shoulder and digging his hands in his pockets.
It was a cold Sunday morning. He just needed to get in the car and get home to his wife. Both Kelly, Matt and Gabby arrived home at the same time.
They walked in to see Dani setting up plates and serving dishes around the living room and kitchen are of the house.
She had her music on the speaker and she was dancing around as she cleaned up and put the last-minute touches on things.
Kelly smiled at his friends before quietly putting his bag down and creeping over to wrap his arms around her waist.
Dani jumped from the surprise, turning her head to see them standing there staring at the with amused expressions.
"Morning princess" Kelly kissed the crook of her neck, nuzzling his head there, keeping his arms wrapped around her waist.
She smiled, "good morning, how was the rest of your shift last night?" she asked everyone.
"Not bad, it was a pretty quiet night" he replied.
"Dani, this looks great" Matt commented, taking a walk through their kitchen and living room.
"Yeah, everything smells delicious. Give me like 10 minutes to change and then I'll start on the potatoes" Gabby stated as she ran into the bedroom she shared with Matt.
She changed into some jeans and a sweater before walking back into the kitchen to see Dani standing there setting everything up with Kelly and Matt next to her picking at everything.
"Stop" Dani picked at their hands, slapping them away.
"Go change and settle in front of the couch while Gabby and I finish getting everything ready" she instructed them.
The guys made themselves scarce. They changed into some jeans and a t-shirt before sitting on the couch and picking at the food that Dani had set up on the coffee table.
Gabby and Dani got to work in the kitchen heating everything up, serving it up in dishes and setting up the bar and the table with food and drinks.
As it got closer to the time the guys were coming over, the girls layed out the plates of food and set up the bar with paper plates, silverware, napkins and drinks with cups to go with them.
It wasn't a minute after noon when they heard knocks on the door. "That would be the guys, they are never late for free food" Gabby teased.
Dani laughed and moved to take out the egg casserole from the oven and put it on the hot plate on the bar for everyone to serve themselves. Dani set everything up like a buffet style.
Kelly went to get the door and greeted the Taylors and the guys coming from the firehouse. They piled in and were eager to get to the food.
"Hey guys, thanks for coming" Dani greeted everyone.
"Dani, this looks delicious" Brett stated as she walked in with a container. She put it on the bar and opened it to transfer it to a serving dish and gladly accepted the spatula from Gabby.
"Thanks for the quiche Sylvie, you didn't have to bring anything" she greeted her.
"It was my pleasure, trust me" the paramedic replied.
It was definitely an eclectic gathering Dani threw together. Her parents, brothers, sisters, nephew with her family and friends from the firehouse, hospital and police department.
From an outsider looking in, the only thing they would have in common is being service men and women, but she knew better.
Once they all made a plate and gathered around the living room tables that Dani set up the night before, the conversation flowed easily.
Most of the guys were talking about the Squad 3 accommodation coming up and Kelly's promotion. Everyone was excited for their lieutenant and firehouse to be recognized for something good for once.
"So, Halstead, any news on the investigation into the psycho that attacked my daughter?" Chief Taylor asked.
Everyone stopped eating, forks in mid-air, turning to look between the chief, Jay and Dani. Jay looked at Dani for an answer as to how he should respond, when he found her glaring at her dad.
"Dad, I already told you that Intelligence is on it and they have what they need now to figure everything out" she answered for him.
"I understand what you told me sweetheart, but that does beg the question if they are capable. The guy is still roaming free. They haven't caught him yet" her dad argued.
"Chief, with all due respect, Dani is a friend of mine. She's like family to me and my brother. How the investigation is going is between her and I. It has nothing to do with you. That being said, I understand that she is your daughter and you are worried about her, so rest assured, we are all over it" Jay firmly stated.
He just wanted to get the chief off his back and he knew the only way to do that was to tell him what he wanted to hear.
"I sure hope so detective, especially with the firehouse activities coming up at the district" he just had to get the last word.
The rest of the lunch/brunch went smoothly. They just didn't bring up the investigation anymore and all was well.
Her parents were the first to leave. Her dad had meetings to go to, so the mood was more calm and serene. Just the way Dani wanted it.
"I'm sorry about my dad Jay" she apologized for his actions as they all got comfortable with some coffee.
"Don't worry about it, Dani. I get where he is coming from. I would be worried too if that happened to my daughter" Jay waved off her apology. She had nothing to be sorry for.
"Well, I just want you to know that I have every confidence in you and your team to have my back. Especially with the promotion and the accommodation coming up" she stated.
"We already are noticing police presence more at the hospital" Connor added to her benefit.
All her friends were briefed on the situation. They knew to keep a look out, especially in situations where she would be isolated, like at the hospital, where there was a lot of ground to cover.
"Yeah, you ready for that Severide?" Jay asked.
"I hope so. I mean, there's not much for me to do. I just show up with my squad and look pretty" he teased.
"And we all know that Severide is good at looking pretty, don't we?" Gabby teased, causing everyone to laugh at the lieutenant's expense.
It was really nice to hang out and be carefree with all her friends for the afternoon. It made her feel like normal again.
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The next week was hectic. She was busy at the hospital and trying to help Kelly get ready for the promotion ceremony and get ready herself. It was just a lot going on all at once.
Wednesday night she got off work and met Kelly at the firehouse. They were all going to hit the mall and get her a dress for the ceremony. He had to be in his gear and then his dress uniform, so that wasn't a problem.
"Hey Dani, you ready to go shopping?" Gabby and Brett greeted her at the door.
She smiled and laughed, "you two are way too excited for this" she commented, following them into the firehouse.
The guys were waiting for them in the common room. "Hey babe, you ready for this?" Kelly asked.
Dani sighed into his arms and nodded, "I just want to get a dress and move along, but I know that Dawson and Brett are going to kill me today" she replied.
He laughed, "don't worry, we'll be fine. It will be fun" he stated, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, keeping her in his arms, close to him.
"Come on, you guys ready to go?" Brett came bouncing up to them.
Dani groaned and hid in Kelly's chest more. The guys laughed at her antics. They knew that Dani didn't like to go shopping. She hated being the center of attention.
The group went to the mall and straight into Macy's. They went right to the women's dress section.
The guys took a seat on the couches in the middle of the department and watched as the girls went through the racks of dresses.
It took a couple of minutes before they each picked out a few dresses to try out in the fitting room.
Gabby tried a dress that was dark green that cinched at the waist with a diamond broach at one hip. It was really form fitting and looked great on Gabby's body.
Brett tried a red dress that was form fitting, crisscrossing around the chest and down the back. She paired it with gold pumps that made her legs look great.
Dani tried a black dress that was form fitting, cinched at the waist with triangle cut outs at the hips that was sequined all the way through the dress. With was semi-sheer/nude halter top.
All three girls stepped out of the dressing room and looked at each other, giving each other a thumbs up. They all looked great.
They all three walked out to where the guys were sitting, staring at the fitting rooms, waiting for their girls.
"What is taking them so long?" Kelly was getting inpatient.
"Dude, you do know that each of them took at least three different dresses in there. They are going to have to try them on and then there is an excuse as to why they don't like it, then they have to try on another one with the right undergarments, shoes and jewelry" Matt explained.
Kelly just looked over at him annoyed. Before he could say anything, the girls came out and heard them bickering.
"Who knew you knew so much about women Matt" Sylvie teased as they walked out to the three-way mirrors in front of the guys.
Kelly and Matt stood up and went over to the girls. They couldn't keep their eyes off of them, they looked beautiful.
"Well, what do you guys think?" Dani asked them looking themselves over in the mirror.
"You guys look beautiful. All of you. I would get the ones you have one" Kelly replied, stepping up to wrap his arms around Dani's waist.
"You think so?" she asked.
He nodded and kissed the side of her neck, "absolutely babe, you look hot" he stated.
She laughed and looked over at the girls, "well that was easy. What do you say we hit up the food court? I am in the mood for some Asian Chow" she teased.
With everyone nodding in agreement, the girls went to change and ring up their purchases.
They each got the dress, shoes and matching jewelry to accentuate their outfit. It really was the perfect end to the day.
After dropping Sylvie off at her apartment, the foursome went home to settle before finishing out their week.
Dani could tell Kelly was getting nervous. Second watch was off Friday due to the ceremony being Saturday night. The brass wanted Squad 3 and everyone from Firehouse 51 in pristine condition.
He was jumpy. Dani watched from the kitchen as he went over his gear and dress uniform for the third time in 10 minutes. He wanted to make sure he got everything and everything was ready for the ceremony.
Finally, she had enough. She set the timer for the lasagna and walked over to her husband. Being so comfortable in his apartment, she rarely spent time at hers anymore.
"Kelly, babe, you need to relax. You got this" she said, wrapping her arms around him from the side.
He looked down at her and let out a stressed breath. "I know babe, but I am nervous. You know I don't like to boast. I'm not good with formality" he replied.
She smiled and laughed, "yeah, I remember. Andy had to practically drag you to the tux store for our wedding. Just think, if you could get through that, then you can get through this. Being on Squad is who you are, it's what you love. It's about time someone recognized you for your actions" she tried to reassure him.
He smiled, "yeah but at the end of the wedding I got you as my reward. I don't get anything from this except a plaque, and a bunch of pictures in the paper" he stated.
Dani smirked and reached up to whisper in his ear, "play your cards right lieutenant and you might get me" she hinted.
He looked down at her with wide, lust blown eyes, "seriously?" he asked.
She nodded, "the girls and I stopped at your favorite store while you and Matt were finishing up dinner the other day" she stated.
His eyes grew dark and narrowed at her, looking her up and down as if he could see through her clothes.
"You better not be playing with me princess or you're going to regret it" he warned.
He was so on edge, he couldn't handle her teasing right now.
"I won't regret it" she commented as she walked back to the kitchen to take out dinner, laughing when she heard Kelly following behind her.
He only got so far as to wrap his arms around her waist and nuzzle the crook of her neck before there was a knock on the door.
He sighed and rested his head in the crook of her neck, "your brother has the worst timing" he argued.
She just laughed and pulled away to let her brother in. Bobby and Alyssa were going away for the weekend for a conference with the schools and Dani was going to watch Nick while they were gone.
Bobby and Nick were standing at the door, with his little Avengers suitcase and a big smile on his face.
"Hi Aunt Dani" he launched at her in a hug.
Dani smiled and picked him up, squeezing him closer to her, swinging him in her arms, peppering his face with kisses.
"Hey little man, I am so excited for our weekend together" she said.
"Aunt Dani" he groaned, trying to get away from her kisses.
Bobby and Kelly just stood back laughing at the pair. "You know I don't know who's the bigger kid" Bobby teased.
"He is". "She is" they both answered at the same time pointing to each other.
"Are you sure about this?" Bobby asked both of them.
Kelly patted him on the back, "don't worry man, we'll be fine" he reassured his brother-in-law.
"Yeah daddy, I'll be good for Aunt Dani and Lt. Severide" Nick confirmed.
Kelly planned to spend some time with Nick and clear the air to let him know that he wasn't going anywhere and he was going to be in his aunt's life for good.
Bobby knelt down and pulled his son in for a hug, kissing the top of his head, "okay buddy, we'll see you on Sunday okay. Me and mama will come pick you up" he said his goodbyes.
It didn't even phase Nick that his dad was leaving. He went and made himself comfortable on the island with his aunt while Kelly walked Bobby out.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine" he reassured him before watching the other man leave.
Once Bobby was gone, he turned to Dani and Nick. They were in the kitchen, Dani was just getting lunch on the table.
"Nick are you ready for lunch? I made lasagna and some pasta salad. Then we are going to pump it up" she said.
He nodded excitedly, "okay Aunt Dani, do you need help?" he asked.
She smiled at the little boy. She wanted him and Severide to get along this weekend. It was cute how protective he was over her.
"No, I'm good buddy" she replied as she got out some plates and silverware for them.
Kelly joined them at the island bar connected to the kitchen. He sat right next to Nick. "Are you coming with us to pump it up lieutenant?" the little boy asked.
Kelly took a sip of his water and nodded, "yeah, since we are chilling at my house, I thought it would be fun to do together. That okay with you?" he replied.
Nick looked around the house and nodded. "That's cool. Your house is really empty" he noticed looking around the room.
It was a studio floor plan, so there was a lot of room and very little furniture. Dani couldn't help but laugh, "it's different than my house huh buddy?" she teased Kelly.
He nodded in agreement with his aunt, "why is your house empty?" he asked Kelly.
Severide looked down at the little boy before looking around and came up with a brilliant idea. "I was thinking, since you were coming over this weekend, we could build an indoor fort in the living room" he replied.
Nick's eyes lit up, "like daddy's man cave?" he asked.
That got a laugh out of Kelly, "yeah, like your dad's man cave, but on a smaller scale. Tell you what, after we go to pump it up, we'll stop at the hardware store and get some stuff. Then tomorrow morning before the ceremony, we can start it and finish it later" he suggested.
"That would be totally cool" Nick agreed.
"Hey, what about me? Am I allowed in the man cave?" Dani played along, loving the fact that Kelly was including Nick in their plans.
"Of course, you're Aunt Dani" Nick stated like it was obvious.
The adults couldn't help but laugh. Dani served out lunch while the boys made plans for their fort building later that afternoon.
After lunch, Matt and Gabby joined them for their pump it up adventure. Kelly called Hermann and got him to bring his kids too, so it was a whole team of them walking into the place.
The kid's eyes got as big as saucers when they saw the indoor trampoline park. It was crazy. There were obstacle courses and inflatables everywhere. It was like an adult size jungle gym.
Dani called ahead and rented them a room, so once they got everyone settled, the kids took off their shoes and went wild.
It was really fun just jumping around and not really caring what you looked like. Dani didn't know who was having more fun, the kids or the big kids.
Matt and Kelly were worse than Nick and the Hermann kids, especially when they got to the obstacle course.
"Hey Lieutenant, doesn't this look like the course we had to go through in the academy?" Hermann asked.
Matt and Kelly looked at each other knowingly. "Truck vs. Squad" they said at the same time.
The kids picked a team and stood with the respective firehouse lieutenant. "Hey, why do you get Nick, I want Nick?" Matt complained.
The kid was fast and small. There would be no problems for him to get through the course easily.
"Because he's my nephew. Family first" Kelly replied, causing Dani to tear up a little.
This is exactly what she was hoping for when she offered to watch Nick for the weekend.
"We are going to cream them right Uncle Kelly?" Nick asked without even realizing that he called him Uncle Kelly instead of Lieutenant Severide.
Kelly smiled and ruffled the little boy's hair, "you bet buddy" he replied.
With each kid at the ready at the start of the inflatable, they were off. It was amusing watching Matt and Kelly get really competitive depending on which kid was racing for their team.
They ended up in a tie, leaving the two lieutenants to make it or break it for their team. The glint in their eye was worse than the kids.
When it was time to start, they both took off, barely fitting through some of the inflatable parts.
The race was really neck in neck, but Matt got caught on the rope ladder, causing Severide to get ahead.
Nothing could take away the smile on Kelly's face when he touched the finish line first and Squad 3 took the victory.
"Always the best, that's never going to change" he announced, causing everyone to laugh.
Dani walked up to him with Nick in tow. She wrapped her arm around him from the side, as he leant over and picked up Nick on the other side.
She reached up and kissed his cheek, "congratulations babe" she teased.
"Thanks princess," he said to her before turning to Nick, "you ready to head home and work on that fort?" he asked.
The little boys' eyes lit up. "Yeah, let's go" he scrambled out of Kelly's arms and ran to get his jacket.
With the boys in the living room getting the fort set up, Gabby and Dani got everything ready for the ceremony.
They were all really excited. It was going to be great for Kelly to get some recognition for the work he does.
With all the excitement, Dani forgot about her problems, and just reveled in the moment.
Saturday….Ceremony Day
Dani woke up to an empty bed. She got up and walked out of the room to find Kelly and Nick asleep on the couch.
She knew they went to bed last night, so she didn't know how they ended up on the couch.
Smiling, she let them sleep and went to the kitchen to start breakfast.
She was halfway through the eggs and bacon when she heard Kelly start to wake up. It wasn't long after did she feel arms around her waist, and a kiss to the crook of her neck.
"Morning beautiful" he mumbled, still half asleep.
She smiled, "good morning lieutenant," she turned in his arms, wrapping hers around his neck, "how are you feeling this morning?" she asked.
He huffed, "I'm nervous, but we are ready. The guys deserve this" he replied.
"So, do you" she always reminded him.
"Oh, come on, not by the food" they both turned to find Matt and Gabby standing at the island watching them.
Kelly smirked, opening his mouth ready to say something when Dani cut him off, "little ears" she reminded everyone that Nick was in the living room.
He looked to Casey and pointed his coffee mug in his direction, "you got saved" he warned.
Matt laughed and went to get some coffee for himself. Gabby helped Dani finish up breakfast and dish it out. They had a big day ahead of them and needed to start it off right.
When breakfast was ready, Dani went over to the living room to wake her nephew. She sat next to him on the couch, and cuddled him from behind, pressing kisses to his face.
He groaned and tried to wiggle away from her, "aunt Dani" he groaned, trying to pull away and fight the laughter coming out of him.
She pulled away with a big smile, looking down at him, "morning little man, ready for breakfast?" she asked.
He nodded and got up to follow her to the kitchen. Taking a seat next to Kelly, Dani made him a dish and stood back as they all started eating.
"So, what's the plan for today?" Gabby asked.
"I have to head to the district and set up for the ceremony and live demo that we are doing. I think Jay said he was going to pick you up right?" Kelly looked to Dani for confirmation.
"Yeah, I am going to call him this morning to confirm, but I think you are all being ridiculous. I can drive myself to the district, it's not that big of a deal" she stated.
Kelly narrowed his eyes at her, "don't even think about it, or I'll make Jay send an escort" he warned.
She glared, "you wouldn't" she was hesitant. She knew he would. He was worried about her, especially when he found out that he had to go in early.
"Try me" he argued.
She smiled behind her coffee cup and put her hands up in surrender, "I'll call Jay after breakfast" she promised.
"Cool, what time do you want to start getting ready?" Gabby asked.
At the girl talk, the guys retreated to continue working on the fort. Gabby cleaned the kitchen while Dani walked out on the deck/patio to call Jay.
"Halstead" Jay answered the phone. He was finishing up some paperwork at the 21st district when his phone rang.
"Hey, it's your favorite person" she greeted with a tease.
Jay laughed, "hey, I could use a break from this paperwork. What's up? We still on for tonight?" he asked.
That is what he had planned. He was going to take her to the Squad 3 thing and stick with her while the rest of the unit remained on lookout for Marks, in case he showed up.
"Yeah, that's why I was calling. Kelly has to be there around 3pm to set up and get everything ready. So, I will start to get changed and get Nick ready and we should be good to go by 5pm" she explained.
"Yeah, sounds good. I should be finished up with my stuff by then. Hey, is this black tie or can I wing some dress pants and a dress shirt?" he asked.
Dani laughed, 'men' she thought to herself. Always wait until the last minute to get things together.
"No, it's not black tie. The guys from the firehouse and my dad are going to be in full dress uniform, but a nice suit would be good for you. Why don't you come to my house early with a couple options and I can help you" she suggested?
It was easier than trying to explain things over the phone.
"Okay yeah, that would be good, because Erin is out of town and I am clueless" he replied.
She laughed, "okay, I'll see you later" she said before hanging up and going back inside. It was still pretty chilly for March.
"Hey, you and Jay good to go?" Kelly asked from the floor of the fort. He was holding a piece of wood while Matt drilled a nail through it.
"Yeah, he's going to come over later and get ready here" she replied.
He nodded, "good." It was safer that way anyway.
Until it was time to get ready to go, the guys worked on the fort and the girls cleaned up the house.
Kelly and the firehouse team had to be there by 3, so he started to get ready at 2. Dani set him on his way with a quick lunch and a kiss for good luck.
She made a quick salad and sandwiches for herself, Nick and Jay, knowing he was on his way over.
She barely got the cheese on when the doorbell rang. Rushing for the door, she opened it to find Jay looking worse for wear.
"What happened to you?" she asked with a laugh as she let him in.
"I am so clueless when it comes to this stuff it's not even funny" he said holding a couple different suit covers.
"Okay, let's see what you got" she went through all the options that he brought with him.
Nick came barreling out of the bedroom, already dressed in his nice shirt and pants. He had a little black tie on to match his uncle.
"I'm ready Aunt Dani" he called out as he stopped in the living room.
She smiled as she looked him over. All she had to do with him was gel his hair. "You look great little man. How about you and Jay go and gel your hair while I pick out some clothes for Uncle Jay to wear?" she suggested.
Nick nodded while Jay got up excited, clapping his hands as he jumped up from the couch, picking up Nick and propelling him on his shoulders.
"Come on buddy, let's do this" he led Nick to the master bathroom.
While they were gone, Dani picked out a nice black suit for Jay to wear and finished up some snacks for them.
She peaked her head in the bathroom and laughed at the scene before her. He had Nick on the counter, showing him how to gel his hair.
"Look Aunt Dani" the little boy was so excited.
"You look so handsome!" she reached around him and kissed his cheek. "Now go wash your hands. I put some snacks out for you and Jay to munch on while I start getting ready" she said leading them out of her room.
The guys left the room so she could start to change and get ready. She started with her hair, curling it and twisting it into a braid bun with a few curls running down her face. She put on some black diamond dangling earrings with a simple heart necklace and some bracelets.
She finally put on her dress, holding it up, calling for Jay. "Jay, can you come zip me up?" she yelled out.
Jay came in a few seconds later, whistling at her, "damn, you look hot" he teased as he zipped her up.
She smiled and laughed, "thank you, I try. It's a big night for man, I want to represent" she was really happy to be doing this.
"Good, that's how I want you to feel for the rest of the night because I am with you" he replied.
She smiled and grabbed her purse, "awesome, let's do this" she said moving into the living room to see Nick on the couch with his Gameboy.
"You ready to go little man?" she asked.
He nodded and got up to meet his aunt. She grabbed his jacket and a shall for her before getting her purse and making their way out.
Jay helped them into his truck, and they made their way to the district. The hall was decorated beautifully for all the Squads.
Everyone stared at them as they walked into the hall. They all knew that Dani was connected to Severide.
All eyes were on them as they made their way to their table. They weren't even seated when Benny came over with Beth.
"Hi sweetheart" he greeted.
"Hi Benny" she got up and gave him a hug, "how are you? It's so good that you came here to support Kelly" she said.
"Thank you honey, we are glad to be here" he replied looking at Jay with questioning eyes.
Dani smiled, "Benny, this is my friend Det. Jay Halstead. Jay, this Kelly's dad, Chief Benny Severide and his wife Beth" she introduced everyone.
Jay shook their hands and nodded at them in greeting. He was happy for Kelly. They both got along over the fact that they had father issues.
They all sat down at the table and started dinner when Chief Boden stepped up to the podium with Kelly next to him in all his dress blues.
"Next up is Lt. Kelly Severide, Chicago Fire Department Rescue Squad 3. Here to pin the special commendation and promote the lieutenant to Captain is Battalion Chief Wallace Boden of Firehouse 51" the announcer presented.
Everyone started clapping with big smiles on their faces. They were really happy for their lieutenant and Dani was really happy for her husband.
(From the Show)
"Kelly Severide is one of the toughest, most loyal firefighters that I have ever had the pleasure of working alongside, but what sets him apart is his determination to always do the right thing, to put others above himself. That's what not only makes him a great firefighter, but a good man" Chief Boden stopped to take a breath, looking over at Kelly before continuing his speech.
"There are firefighters that play the game, climb up the chain of command…then there is Kelly Severide. A true smoke eater, the type of firefighter that makes this department what it is. A man who truly deserves the title he is about to receive" he finished before they both turned to face each other.
"Kelly Severide, are you prepared to lead as Captain, with the same fearlessness, honor and compassion you have shown in all your years of service?" he asked.
Kelly nodded, "yes sir, I will" he replied.
"Then I believe we are ready to make this official" Chief Boden said turning to look at the audience.
Benny then stood up and made his way to the stage. He came up right in front of Kelly. He opened a black velvet box in front of his son.
"This badge belonged to the first Severide to ever make Captain at the CFD. Along with the many successful fires he fought, he was in the fire of 1890 where 21 people died. More would have died if he did not exert strength and loyalty which I am sure you will live up too" Benny said before he took out the badge and pinned it to his sons chest.
Dani looked on with tears in her eyes as Benny turned to the hall, "Congratulations Captain Severide" he saluted his son before shaking his hand.
The whole room erupted in cheers and claps. It was beautiful. Dani was so happy for Kelly. After the ceremony, the guys made their way down to the table.
Kelly made his way to the table. Dani met him by cupping his face, bringing his face down to meet her lips in a sweet kiss.
He kept his arms wrapped around her, pulling away, pressing his forehead into hers. "Congratulations Captain" she said before giving him one more kiss.
He smiled, kissed her temple one more time before wrapping his arm around her shoulder keeping her close to him.
Nick ran over, "Congratulations Uncle Kelly" he ran into his uncle's arms.
Kelly smiled, "thanks buddy" he said.
"Yeah, Congrat's Man. That's pretty cool" Jay stated, giving him a man hug.
"Thanks man, and thanks for bringing my girl" Kelly said as they sat down at the table together.
The dinner and evening overall were great. People were coming up to Kelly congratulating him so he could introduce Dani as his wife. It was great for them.
When it came time for the demonstration, Kelly went to change and set up. Dani got up with her phone.
She leaned over and whispered to Jay, "Grace is calling from the hospital, I'll just be a second" she said moving to Nick.
"Hey buddy, you stay with Uncle Jay. I am going to answer a call from the hospital" she told him.
He nodded, paying more attention to the demonstration than what his aunt said. She smiled and shook her head before turning to Jay.
"Just stay close okay" he warned.
She nodded and squeezed his arm before grabbing her phone and making her way out, just outside the doors of the banquet hall.
She called Grace back since her friend just left her a message.
"Dr. Medici" Grace answered from the hospital.
"Grace, it's me, what's up?" she asked.
"Dani, I didn't call you" Grace replied.
"Grace, I got a message from you to call back" Dani stated.
As Grace was saying something when she felt a hand over her mouth and an arm around her waist.
She dropped her phone and bucked against the him trying to get away. She bit his hand and screamed, "NOOOOO"
"You keep screaming and I'll kill the entire of Squad 3 starting with your Captain Severide" he seethed in her ear.
She calmed, tears running down her face. It came to her in that moment that the phone was still on and Grace could still hear her.
"I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt Kelly or anyone else in there" she said with her hands limp at their sides.
"Let's go" he grabbed her arm and pulled her with him away from the banquet around the corner to a beat up chevy.
He blindfolded her and put her in the trunk of the car.
Dani lay there with her eyes squeezed closed praying that Grace heard the conversation and called Jay.