Kelly arrived at Casey's house and knocked. It was a few minutes before Casey finally opened the door almost out of breath and only wearing a pair of sweatpants. Kelly's eyebrows raised as he saw his best friend. "Did I interrupt something?"
Casey held the door open allowing Kelly to enter. "I honestly didn't think you were coming. Not with Lex being back."
Kelly becomes confused with Casey's comment, folding his arms across his chest. "You said you needed my help with something so I'm here. I keep my commitments Casey."
Casey takes a step back and holds up his hands as Kelly became defensive. "I'm sorry man. I just know how much you've missed her and how much she means to you."
The feeling of guilt begins to come over Kelly as he realizes maybe he grew defensive too quick. "You're right Casey but she left." Kelly went and took a seat on the couch holding his head in his hands. "She was my absolute best friend next to Shay. Then she was gone and we never really talked and now she's back."
Casey sighs and walks over to take a seat next to Kelly. "Severide listen, Alex loves you. You two were absolutely inseparable. I remember the day we heard over the radio that she was injured…"
Flashback
"'Mayday Mayday firefighter down!" Everyone outside the wearhouse fire stood still. "Hermann is down!" Kelly looked around to see which Hermann it was but when he saw Christopher he felt instant pain. It felt as if little strikes of lightening was hitting his heart. Each one more painful than the last.
"Where are you?" Chief Boden called out over the radio.
"2nd floor back north east corner."
"Alright Sutton hold on. Help is on the way." Squad 3 geared up to head inside. Boden caught out the corner of his eye that Kelly began to mask up. "Stand down Severide. You take one more step and your suspended." Kelly froze, he had to listen as he was only a candidate at the time.
Those next 5 minutes felt like an eternity Kelly as everyone stood still waiting for squad 3 to call over the radio . Kelly hadn't noticed but Andy and Matt had both came over to stand next to him, bracing for the worst.
"Chief we got them. Have 61 on standby. Hermann has lost a lot of blood and is unconscious."
"Copy that." Boden looked up at the roof and saw black smoke. "Everyone out now!"
In Kelly's mind the world had stopped. It was flashing around him as everyone continued to work on putting out the fire. His eyes never left the entrance waiting to see squad come back out.
Squad 3 soon emerge with Sutton and they were carrying Lex out in one of their baskets. Kelly ran over toward them as they placed her on the stretcher.
"Get her gear off now!" When Cortez the paramedic in charge shouted everyone listened. They got her gear off and Cortez got a line going. "Nicki get the gauze and try to stop that bleeding!"
They did what the could before loading Lex up into the back of 61. Boden sent Kelly with them knowing he would be to distracted to work….
End Flashback
"… I thought for sure you were getting fired that day."
"I think Boden knowing my dad and me since I was little is what saved me." The two of them chuckled. Their laughter trailed off as Kelly started thinking more about that day.
"That day is also one of my biggest regrets." Casey was confused as he listened to his best friend speak. "That was the day I realized I was in love with Lex and I didn't tell her. I never told her."
"Maybe this is your guys second chance." Kelly turned his head and looked at Casey confused. "She's back Kelly. Maybe this is your chance to tell her."
"Yeah maybe." Kelly tried to push the feelings he was having down into the darkest part of his heart. He swore after Renee, both Renee's, that he would never let himself give everything he had to another women. Even if that women was Lex.
"Now what did you need help with Casey?"
Severide and Casey spent the day building a deck in Casey's backyard. All Kelly could think about was Lex and how much he missed her. And how happy he was that she was home. There was no reason why they couldn't be friends. But could he really just be friends with her?
After finishing at Casey's, he headed home to shower before going to pick Lex up. He had texted her several times but she never responded. He marked it up to be that she was busy.
Kelly arrived at Alex's door just after 7:30pm. He knocked. He waited but heard no movement so he knocked again. But nothing.
Kelly pulled out his phone calling her but it went straight to voicemail. So Kelly called Hermann who answered on the second ring.
"Hey Severide."
"Hey Hermann, Lex wouldn't happen to be with you is she?"
"No. As far as I know she's been in her apartment all day. Her car is outside."
Kelly got this sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I'll fix the door."
"Fix the…" But it was too late. Kelly busted in the door, it looked like a war zone. Everything was destroyed and Kelly was sure he saw bits of blood. The couch turned over and the cushions ripped. The table was on its side and the TV looked cracked.
"Severide what is going on?!"
Kelly walked a few steps in and begin to make a circle as he looked around the tiny apartment. And then just behind the front door laid Alexandra's lifeless body. His heart shattered.
"Call 911 Hermann! Lex is hurt." Kelly hung up before he could ask anymore questions. He ran over to Alex and rolled her lifeless body over to her back.
"Lex? Lex can you open your eyes?" Kelly brushed her hair out of her face trying to get something out of her. "Lex? Baby please open your eyes?! Please don't leave me again. " Kelly began to feel his own heart starting to ripping into several pieces. His eyes filled with tears as he started thing about Alex being gone but this time it would be for forever.
There was a sudden sound of rushing footsteps headed up the stairs and Hermann came running in. He was on the phone with 911 as he spotted his niece's body, beaten and bloody.
"Severide is she breathing?!" Kelly was frozen. All of his training gone. Hermann ran over and bent down next her body and felt for a pulse but he couldn't find one.
Hermann placed 911 on speakerphone while he began compression's. "She's not breathing! We need an ambulance now!" Hermann could feel her ribs cracking under his hands as he pushed down into her chest. Hermann couldn't lose his niece.
He wasn't going to lose his niece no matter what it took.
