Title: Chasing the Future
Chapter 9 – Laying it all on the Line


"Is he okay?" Erin asked softly as Kelly exited her bedroom and then wandered into her kitchen and leaned against the wall. He looked rough and she could see the small scuffs along with a few cuts and burns and knew he was about to collapse himself. George had lost the sleep battle in the ride over and Kelly didn't have the heart to wake him after the trying day.

"For now. I'll just let him sleep for a bit and then we'll go and let you get some sleep."

"Kelly…where are you going to go? Voight told me that was your home. Doubt he'd just pull that out of the air. But you tell me…that place was a shelter. I know it because Trudy volunteers there. Was that…really your home?"

Kelly let out a heavy sigh before he slowly nodded his head and then lifted his sapphire eyes in defeat. "I'm not who you think I am."

"What does that mean?"

"I have nothing! I'm a single father with a son to a murdered mother and grandfather and what few things I left Philly with were lost in the fire today. Why do you think I tried to back off?"

"Kelly…"

"I was ashamed. I wanted to wait until I got back on my feet and had something…well better than a duffle bag full of used clothing to show for myself!"

Erin's lips pursed as she neared him and then within a few inches just looked up at his tormented expression with a soft glance. She leaned in closer and then kissed him tenderly on the cheek and then reached out and took one of his bandaged hands in his.

"You deserve better."

"Guess you don't know me well enough to know that I decide what I deserve," she retorted with a small smirk as his jaw slightly slackened.

"When Shay was killed I uh…I became paranoid," Kelly huffed as he pinched the bridge of his nose and then started to slightly falter.

"You shoulda stayed in med."

"I just need a coffee and to rest a bit and then we'll leave. I'll be okay."

"Just worry about the coffee for now," Erin insisted as she put on a pot of fresh caffeine and then sat down across from him. "You can trust me," she told him warmly as she leaned forward and clasped his hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Please…trust me."

"Lesley was amazing," he said with a proud smile. "There is so much of her tenacity in him. I just wish…damn I knew…I knew that day, the day she died, that it wasn't just an accident. I know dad was close and I know that's why he was killed."

"Voight will find something. He will get to the bottom of this, you don't know how persistent and persuasive he is."

"Think I have an idea," Kelly retorted with a small smirk. "I just need to know what Mac has found. Erin, I have nothing. After her death I had to cover all the bills and we were still trying to catch up on a few things and then because of George's daycare being so close to the house, I never took him out but then with just one income…I asked dad for a small loan but that ran out fast and after a while I hated to be that son…that burden."

"I doubt he'd ever have viewed you as that."

"That's what he said and was so good to George. We left…everything behind. That loft had so much and now…it's all just gone. Erin, how could I tell you…Boden…the team that I'm homeless? Someone would say something and then DCS would be called and they'd take away my son! That's why I can't stay!" Kelly blurted as he started to pull away. But her hands quickly clamped down on his and held him in place. "Erin…that's why I didn't tell you. I didn't know if the next call you were going to make would be to DCS."

"I give you my word…no one is going to take George away from you. No one."

His throat caught as he offered her a small smile but then let his brow furrow heavily. "I lost her…I can't lose him and today…I nearly did."

"You think whoever killed Lesley and your father set that fire?"

"I don't know. But if it was…then they found us and we…Erin we need to leave. We will leave to keep everyone safe."

"Leave? Where are you going to go? You just said that everything you owned was lost tonight. And who's going to keep you two safe? You can't run from guys like these!"

"Joe and his family nearly died because of me!" Kelly growled as he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his weary face with tired hands. "If they had died…his mother…his kids…him…I'd be to blame!"

"I know Joe and he's no coward. He saw something in you and he wanted to help."

"He could have died!"

"But he didn't and now he and his family are safe."

"And homeless!"

"It won't be that way for long. Stick around 51 and you'll learn just what kind of family you have."

Kelly shook his head as he finally took a sip of the hot coffee. "It's...good."

"Glad to hear it. Let me help you both."

"Just wanted so much more for him. A real home. Two loving parents. Toys, books, school…friends. Not moving around, not living out of a duffle bag and not knowing if our next meal is coming from over a counter or within a dumpster."

Erin's heart instantly caught at his last words and she found herself tormented to think about the two of them going back onto the street and that sweet little child having to wonder if he'll get a meal or not. It was almost too much emotion to bear. "You can't run."

"I can't stay here. I'll tell Voight to just text me. Erin, don't you get it? If I stay, anyone I'm around could be next. How can I knowingly put you, anyone from the team…med, your team, anyone I know in danger because I'm too stubborn to admit when I need to leave!"

"The safest place is for you to be around those you trust and who care about you and want to help."

"And risk more people losing everything they worked so hard for? I can't be the one responsible for that. I can't live with more guilt."

"You…you can't leave," Erin stated again as his lips pursed before he took another sip of coffee. "You need rest and George has been through a lot. You can't just up and run. We can help you."

"Sounds bad but I hope it was just some stupid robbery attempt at Joe's, but I can't take that chance. How the hell do I tell Joe that it could be my fault he and his family are now homeless! Erin, I can't do that."

"Daddy!"

Erin watched Kelly get up and dart into her bedroom, to see his beloved son thrashing about on the bed and gently gathered him into his arms. He pushed back some pain from his scuffed hands and arms; he didn't care, the pain didn't matter. Making sure his son was comforted was all that counted.

She quickly pulled her phone and texted both Voight. 'Kelly wants to leave town. We need to help him. We need to help him see Joe wasn't his fault and if it was the guys who are after him we need to stop them and fast. Help?'

Kelly gently rocked his son as he started to fall back asleep and looked up to see Erin standing in the doorway. "He's okay. Small nightmare," he whispered as he kissed the top of his son's head; a kind gesture that instantly melted her heart. He tucked him back into the warm nest of blankets and then quietly left the room and headed into the living room and just slumped down onto the couch.

She gently eased herself down onto the same couch a few feet away and rested her elbow on the top edge of the couch and looked at him in concern. "Tell me about George."

Kelly looked up at him with a defeated expression before a small smile creased his brow. But then his expression clouded and her heart drooped. "I was going to tell you about him. I just didn't want pity and for me…Erin, I'm not into casual…well anything. With George in the picture; we um…we're a package deal. Get me…get him. Don't want him…you get it."

"Kelly…"

"I know right now, he's sweet and vulnerable and everyone wants to protect him and keep him safe and he's a draw. But he's work. Kids are work and he's not going away any time soon. I just…didn't want you to feel obligated in any way."

"I know that whatever I tell you, you'll think I'm saying it because it's what you think I should say or what you might want to hear. I get it. But that's not it. So instead of saying I don't want either of you to leave…I'll just try to prove that to you by my actions."

"Erin…"

"Really? You don't know better than to argue with a woman?" She retorted as he chuckled. "We don't need to talk about that right now. You just need to rest up so that tomorrow you can tell your team and then come meet with Voight and we'll make a plan to keep you both safe and draw out the baddies and end this for good. And then…" she paused as her hand slipped down into his, "we can move on to more important things. Like making a happy future for all of us."

"A happy future…I'd like that."

"Please stay here tonight. Where else are you going to go?"

"We've managed before," he signed as he leaned forward and rubbed his weary face in his hands and then looked at her with a small frown. "I wanted to tell you I did. But I didn't want you to feel obligated. I still don't."

"You think too much," she replied kindly. "It's not charity either. Just call it kind hospitality. Let me help you. Please."

He looked at her pleading expression and found himself wanting to give in. You know you don't want to leave…ever…his inner voice whispered as he finally nodded in resignation. "Thank you."

"Course and don't worry about Joe. Trust me, Boden will help them."

"Erin…"

"Look…" she interrupted as she pulled her phone and showed a text from Boden to Voight that Voight sent her.

'Hank, Joe and his family are staying with us until they can rebuild or find a new place to call home. Tell Kelly not to worry.'

Kelly instantly felt some semblance of peace start to cover him but it was quickly replaced with guilt over another family's life torn apart because of something he might have done.

"You hafta promise me right now…if I fall asleep that you'll be here in the morning. Just…I don't want you to just run okay?"

"Too tired right now."

"In a few hours…when he wakes or whatever, just promise me," her voice almost pleaded as he reached out and gently grasped her hand. "Promise me you'll be here."

"Complicated."

"It doesn't have to be," she told him softly as his brow furrowed.

"It's going to be complicated."

"Let's just get through tonight okay? We can worry about the future tomorrow."

"Thought that would be my line. You're making it too easy on me."

"Sometimes the truth doesn't hurt."

His heart basked in the reassuring tone but his brain still worried that something would happen to her and he would once again be to blame for someone else in his life being taken from him without him being able to save them.

"Get some rest okay?"

"Okay," he finally resigned too tired to keep trying to convince both of them that this just wouldn't work out in the long run and that he didn't want her to try to make him feel better just to make him feel better. But then he just couldn't help how emotions worked, and so in spite of his own insecurity, reached over and kissed her on the cheek and gave her a warm smile before he slowly pushed himself up and headed into her bedroom, where his son was still asleep. He heard George muttering to himself, but as soon as he gently eased in beside him and pulled the little boy into his strong grasp, the little whimpers stopped and he fell into a more restful slumber.

Kelly, on the other hand wasn't as fortunate as George, as his mind stayed awake hours into the night, replaying the day's events from Joe's frantic phone call, to the nearly deadly fire, to his confession to Matt, his conversation with Voight and finally his discussion with Erin. Once again, his life was turned upside down, mired in turmoil and people he cared about were getting hurt and he was at the heart of the reason. He knew she meant well but he knew if he didn't leave – she could pay with her life and he wasn't about to lose another woman he loved.

So with that he scribbled two words onto a small note, gently lifted the window, gathered up his son and stole off into the dark of night.

XXXXXXXX

"How about you and I meet, and we each tell each other what we can't tell each other over the phone?"

He had had many late night meetings in darkened alleys, and although those usually involved hardened criminals and the people that could put them away, this meeting would have far more emotional consequences.

"How the hell are you Hank?"

"Charlie, doing good. You?" Hank Voight extended his hand to his friend from the Philly PD and gestured for the two of them to head into the back of a small building.

"Fine. How's Erin?"

"She's good. She's part of the reason I'm here."

"She's involved with the death of Lesley Shay?" Detective Charlie Barns asked in shock.

"I just need some answers. I tried to get a hold of Mac but he's not calling me back. What's going on?"

"Mac?"

"Detective Mac Lester. Know him?" Hank pushed.

"Hank…Mac Lester is dead," Charlie stated gravely as Voight looked up in shock.

"What? How?"

"Died in a botched mugging, but the brass didn't push too hard to solve it. Found it odd, but then I found out what he was working on and I knew it was murder and a cover-up. The deaths of Lesley Shay and Benny Severide. Whatever he found got him killed, almost as soon as he found it. And the texts sent to Kelly's email were from a ghosted IP address."

"How deep does this go Charlie?"

"From what Benny Severide found out, I think almost all the way to the top. I'm not sure, but someone high up enough to get cops killed and close the file without an investigation. That warehouse fire where Shay was killed, was a piss poor job of arson."

"Meaning what? It wasn't meant to kill her?"

"Meaning Severide found evidence that it was meant to kill them all; the whole company that went in. From what I found out, no one should have walked away from that but it was botched and the building didn't come down as it was supposed to. I found texts and memos but all from unnamed accounts. The name on the accounts or the sender is what Benny was trying to find out. Got him killed Hank. Whoever it is, is playing for keeps and Kelly and the boy are next. They'll stop at nothing and mow down anyone in their path."

Voight just offered a curse under his breath as he watched Charlie pull out a small file. "Does anyone know you're here?"

"I don't know. Hank, this could expose some top brass and they'll do anything to keep their names in the shadows."

"What was in that warehouse?"

"It was a front for laundering money that was supposedly destroyed in busts; the stuff that we normally incinerate. Some bum saw them trying to set the place on fire and called it in before the whole place could be rigged. Kelly's house was the first to respond and they bore the brunt. Most of them bought the phony story about it being faulty writing but Severide just kept pushing. He went back to the scene and he found stuff. Stuff that could put whoever at the top away."

"And now Kelly's in the middle of it," Hank stated dryly.

"Son's as persistent as his old man was. Kelly's a good man, Hank, but he's in over his head on this. They'll stop at nothing to put away anyone who knows their dirty little secret and he's the last man standing and they don't care who's standing beside him."

"You need to give me what you have."

"Someone's made a play for Severide. They're here right? That's why you called?"

"Not sure but someone went after the home he was living in today. Nearly killed the whole family."

"These bastards are ruthless, Hank. They'll take his son and use him to get to Severide and then kill them both. I don't know who's here from Philly but if someone has sent cops, they'll know how to find him before he has a chance to get out of town."

"Not on my watch."

"Yeah Mac thought that too," Charlie replied with a huff as he handed Hank a small packet; Hank pausing before he took it. "You think I'm in on this?" Charlie asked gruffly.

"I call you and the next day Severide's temporary home goes up in flames. If you didn't make the call then whatever line you answered on is bugged," Hank concluded as Charlie cursed under his breath.

"I'm clean Hank, I swear on my family, I am not mixed up in this. You gotta trust me. I came here on my own, risk of everything."

"Charlie…"

"Just before I left I told Maggie to take the girls and get out of state and get to a motel. Not to come back for a few days. I can't risk contact if my phone is being bugged and tracked. Take this Hank. It's all I have. I'll keep trying to work it on my end but I gotta be discreet. Where is Severide now?"

"He's with…someone from my team. Charlie…"

"We need to get him tonight and get him to a safe house. If you said there was a fire…was Kelly there."

"Course he was there. It was because of him we knew about George and…"

"And then what?"

"He went to Med and then to Erin's."

"Call your team; we need to get there now."

"Charlie, level with me."

"Hank, if they are here and we don't get there soon, they'll all be dead."

Erin's mind pulled her from her sleepy stupor as she tried to force her eyes open and reach for her phone. "Hey…sorry was sleeping," she stated in a sleepy tone. "Hank? What's goi…"

"Where's Kelly?"

"He's in my bedroom, with George. Both asleep, why, what's going on?" She asked suddenly awake; her heart rate rising.

"Get dressed and get everyone ready and downstairs into the laundry. I've called the team and we're almost there."

"We? What's going on? What did you find?"

"Mac? Kelly's PD friend is dead and they're coming for him and the boy tonight. They'll kill them and you if you're there."

"Okay I…" Erin said as she pushed herself up off the couch and headed for her bedroom. "Kelly…" she started only to offer a small gasp in shock. "NO!"

"Erin, what's going on?"

"Kelly and George are gone!" She exclaimed in horror as she picked up the little note on the bed that said 'I'm sorry' and felt her heart sink as she rushed toward the open window. "They're…" she started only to hurry back to her main living room to her shoes and coat when she heard footsteps outside her front locked front door. "Oh no…someone's…"

"Erin? Erin!" Voight shouted as he heard a sudden burst of gunfire ringing over the phone. "ERIN!"

"We're too late," Charlie whispered in remorse as they neared Erin's apartment.


A/N: yikes! Course I had to make our couple connect to up the emotional stakes for all of them but had to bring in some more action and suspense and move the angst a long a bit more. Please do review before you go and thanks so much! Oh and I hope you all liked my little lindseride one shot (posted now) 'Starting Over'.