Kelly's coming back from the bathroom to get Advil from his bag when he hears his name and looks up in time to catch sight of Owen before he's slammed back into the kitchen bar. "Let me make one thing abundantly clear to you. Do not come home drunk one more time on my sister is that understood? If not? I'll gladly you turn your face into hamburger meat. As for cheating on her? You get one pass. Only one."
"Take your hands of me." He warns slowly. He holds his hands up in surrender and while glancing at his guys to tell them to let him handle it "Your sister went to sidetrack with Vivi." He holds up his phone. He reads off the message. "A really butchy girl just carried me to the rooftop thing for a drink….how do I gently say I'm straight." He handed Owen the phone then continued on. "Can't say I blame butchy… cause damn… but she beat me home by like an hour and Rainey doesn't know that because I was first out of the house today. Next time you need a rat? I'd pick better. Next time you threaten me Owen you best back your shit up. Wife or not I will take you out."
Owen leaves and Casey speaks up. "And I thought I disliked my brother in law." Matt joked.
"Owen's had his nose outta joint about me from the start. No one really knows why." Kelly sighed and grabbed his Advil.
=/-/-
Since Owen's appearance Kelly knows he's not going to find a drinking buddy. He kicks back at the card table and fiddles with his phone.
He pulls up the pictures Liv had sent him the night before. She's standing in her chair the night skyline behind her. She's wearing a long white maxi skirt and a black lace corset top. Her hair is in a Veronica Lake like wave falling over one eye. She smiles wide and playfully at who he assumes is Vivi.
"Wow." Matt said looking over his shoulder.
"I know, gorgeous huh?" Next is a picture of her sandwiched in with the butchy girl looking extremely out of place and uncomfortable. Captioned "Help me…she wants a coffee date." And then finally one of her and Vivi smiling.
"Did you help her?" Casey sat down opposite him.
He scrolled to a picture of him smiling and holding up his left hand where the ring was visible. "That's mine." It was captioned.
"Can I ask you a question? My sister's husband is not only an unapologetic cheating bastard he has moved the money so that if she divorces him she gets no money. What would you do if it was Katie?"
Kelly shrugged and picked up his deck of cards to shuffle as he talked. "Kill him or least make him think I would. " He keeps his eyes downcast as he speaks of cheating on Liv. "It's the only reason I didn't lay Owen out, because I get it I pulled a dick move but at least I was remorseful."
"You cheated?" Matt clarified.
He looks Matt in the eye and hopes he won't be judged. "Got drunk kissed someone. It wasn't my finest moment. Owen screws Liv's best friend on the side. He ain't got room talk. Hypocrite."
"Damn it Severide! You ruin your life I will kick your ass."
"I don't plan to I just get destructive it's my old man in me and I ain't proud of it." His phone rings. "There she is now," he got up and answered it. "Hey beautiful I was just thinking about you."
"Hey I'm sorry about Owen, I'll handle it." She replied as he headed for his quarters.
"No big deal babe it is already handled. "He sat down at his desk. He straightened the picture of he and Klaire that Erin had given him.
"Still I'm sorry his actions were uncalled for. I cannot believe he showed up at the station."
"He sees his thing with Erin reflected back-"He can hear clicking of her keyboard so he stops talking.
She sighed deeply in his ear. "Uh Kell don't hate me but I gotta go. Erin just sent me an S.O.S."
"I'd never hate you… your brother on the other hand…"
"Ha-ha Kelly Benjamin." She retorted dryly.
"Love you baby." He said peering up at one of the pictures of her has taped along his cabinet.
"Love you too be safe."
=/=/=
Liv pulled up at the address Erin had texted her. "And hashtag I'm in the shittiest part of town at the end of the text woulda killed ya E?" she muttered getting out of the truck. "Here…" she texted back. Erin comes out with Antonio and Ruzek. She tossed Ruzek the keys. "Sit in my truck make sure no one jacks my ride it's the most expensive thing I own besides my house." She turned to Antonio. "Help a lady up the stairs." She points to Erin. "You give me the run down, vitals, injuries, and the like. Quick Erin! I need to be back at the ER in an hour,"
Erin scoops her out of the chair and carries her up the steep stairs not trusting Antonio to manage it with her in the chair.
"Near suffocation and they tried to cut her baby out. This is on the QT Liv."
"I gathered that when you sent an SOS. Who's baby?" Liv asked looking at Erin as they marched up the stairs beating Antonio to the top.
"Justin's… ha-Voight's injuries I'm unsure of he wouldn't let me check him over." She hitched Liv higher in arms with a little bounce. If anyone notices the practiced and gentle move neither of them notice. Erin at times has been more than Liv's best friend, she's been caretaker also.
"He'll fall to my charms they always do."
"Why's that?" Antonio asked.
"Bull headed men like me. It's a gift."
Back in her chair she goes to check out the girl. "Hey Olive I remember you."
"I don't…" Olive said glancing uncertainly toward Hank.
"Olivia Grayne Severide. You went to school with my sister Vivi and my brother Liam. I'm a doctor, I'm here to help. I need you to be honest with me alright anything could be important." She holds up a Pulse Oximeter and then affixted to her index finger " This thing here? It's going to measure your blood oxygen levels. It doesn't hurt. I have you felt the baby move since you regain consciousness?" She takes her blood pressure and then moved on to examine an angry jagged line crossing her lower abdomen. "Lastly did you self-inflict this wound? It's shallow."
"Olivia!" Voight barked.
Liv took out one of the ears of her stethoscope and turned her head to give him a sharp reprimanding stare. "If this was anyone but Justin's innocent doll faced girlfriend you'd ask the same thing and we all know it. If it is self-incurred? She has psychological problems. I am doing my job. Let me." She ordered and went back to trying to listen for the baby the old fashioned way.
"No I didn't ma'am I would never hurt my baby."
"Glad to hear that. Your levels are a bit low I'm going to put you on oxygen. Erin there is an emergency canister and cannula in the car for Klaire would you get it. She also needs a tetanus booster and an ultra sound but I can clean the wound." She sends Erin off and sets about debriding the cut
When Erin returns she sets it all up and finishes working on Olive. "She needs a hospital. I can call Kelly's squad." She told Erin.
"I have Nadia come get her."
"Okay. She's too old to be on my unit. Tell Nadia I said to send her to Carver, he owes me one. Say I'm worried about fetal oxygen deprivation to the brain."
"Do what?" Olive became alarmed.
Liv patted her arm. "It's a lie sweetheart so you are in the car of someone I trust."
"You're next hank." Liv said.
"I'm fine." He groused
"The hell you are the way you are breathing tells me you broke at least three ribs. You probably have a concussion and that lip needs a stitch sit before I call my man. He's more pigheaded than you and he will not be happy I am here. Sit." She points to an empty folding chair.
"You think I'm scared of your husband sweet heart?" He grins down at her.
Liv grins back and gives a slight head nod. "No, I think as a fireman he's duty bound to report a witnessed crime and you're off the books police work sit the hell down."
"Liv-"He hedged.
She grins as bright as the sun. "You know it's funny I think I smell smoke."
"Pregnancy makes you mean you know that kitten?" he muttered,
Her eyes turn into cold hard emeralds. "No it does however make me pregnant. Dragging me into a slum and wasting my time, risking my license, refusing help I don't have to offer is not only stupid it's rude. That fucking pisses me off. You piss me off you get the tiger not the kitten. Sit down before, I knock you down. You know I can you taught me how." Erin is hiding a grin as he finally sits down.
Ruzek whistled lowly. "She's something."
"Something you couldn't handle puppy dog eyes. My car?" Liv said.
"I see how you tamed Severide now." Antonio said.
"He ain't tame, he just loves me." She gives a genuine smile as she pulls out a suture kit and ace bandages. She does a quick neuro exam. "You black out at all as you were attacked?"
"No."
"Nausea? Vertigo? Double vision?" she uses her pen light to check his pupils.
"No, Olivia. I'm fine."
"Who has those special letters behind her name handsome? Let me decide if you're fine."
"If I didn't love you child…"
"But ya do. Erin I need help taping his ribs since he won't go for an x-ray it's the best we got."
They wrap his ribs with an efficiency born out of having their own rhythm but that didn't stop Voight from glowering out them and making a general fuss.
She is stitching the cut along his temple when her phone rang. She shushed everyone. Erin hit the button to answer and put Kelly on speaker. "Hello."
"Hey babe, you're off the hook for elevator sex at least until I can get the inspector to the house."
She laughed blushing a little. "Why's that?"
"I just watched an elevator free fall." She snipped off excess line and started the next stitch.
"Baby our house is three floors." She dabbed at blood to clear the field.
"A point Chief made and I refuse to acknowledge I will carry you upstairs until that image is out of my head."
"Alright you wanna be my pack mule it's your call." She cracked her gum and did the next stich.
"Hey what was Erin's SOS about? She okay."
"Drama with Halsted… it's all good." She lied easily.
"They finally do it or what?" Kelly's gossipy tone makes her smile.
She chuckled. "I don't think so."
"It'd make your life easier she'd stop fucking Owen."
Her free hand flew to cover Erin's mouth. "I love you baby, gotta jet stay safe. "She said quickly. She hung up.
"What the fuck Livvy!" Erin said blushing.
"What?! It's not like I wanted everyone to know I'm trying to out run Kelly's elevator kink!" She restarted her work.
"Do you tell him everything?!"
"Wait, wait, wait! You're sleeping with Owen Grayne again?" Hank cut in glancing between then.
"More like never stopped." Liv muttered. Her stitching finished she bandaged him.
"That is a total lie. Twice in the past year!" Erin defends totally forgetting she's at work.
"Twice my ass. I know my brother." Liv retorted moving to butterfly bandage his chin.
"Why're we talking about this?"
Liv leaned back arms crossed work finished and eyed Erin. "Why're you pissed? Pick a guy and it'll all be fixed." She points to Halsted. "That one. Or Owen."
"She's not allowed to pick him." Hank adds.
"Yes, I know interoffice romance Daddy Hank no likey." Liv cracks a joke but re turns her attention to Erin.
Erin stomped off. "Oops did I push a button, you wanna know how I know you're screwing again? He almost tried to beat down Kelly today because he has guilty conscience." Liv said shedding her gloves and cleaning her mess.
Erin growled at her. "You're such a bitch."
Liv followed her. "Come on girl put your back into it. This is QT right not like I could stop him. Stop having dirty cheater sex and you won't be embarrassed."
"You remember that when he cheats again, they always do. Just ask your precious brother." The statement makes Liv feel as though she's been slapped.
Her reply is strong and deadly serious. "You remember that one of those stupid, weak, pitiful wives who took their man back put her job on the line all because you asked. I'm done. Done for a while."
Having finished treating everyone she goes to bounce herself down the stairs. "That's not good for the baby," Alvin said picking her up. "You guys fight… you are sisters. You'll make up." Liv nodded for fear she'd cry.
-/-/-
She called Kelly on her way back to the hospital. "Hey Livvy, Busy day at the Hot Doc's office."
"Please don't cheat on me again." She said while crying.
The force with which she's crying must frighten Kelly he sounds alarmed. Livvy Honey, what's going on?"
"Promise me that you'll just leave me rather than cheat again." She knows the crying is making her hard to understand but she can't stop it.
"Liv! What's wrong?" He said gently/
She sucked in a shaky breath sniffling all the while. "Because I couldn't take it if that's the way you deal with not loving me anymore."
"Livvy I love you, that's not going to happen again. Ever." He paused and tried to think of what had set her off. "Tell me what has you so upset. Please?" he pleads.
"Erin says you'll cheat again because cheaters always do. I mean look at Owen. He's someone I respect and love and he does it to Lindsey who is literally the sweetest girl." She confessed.
"She's wrong. Just because she's Owen's mistress and your best friend it doesn't make her an expert in our relationship. She's jealous, that's all this is I picked you. I will always pick you and Owen will always pick his wife and she's out in the cold and she's pissed. She's pissed you aren't out there with her." Kelly spoken what he felt was the coldest truth he knew about Erin.
"She hurt my feelings." Liv said voice small and so hurt Kelly wanted to hit something.
"I'm sure, baby I'm sorry. Meet me at Molly's at end of shift I'll buy you a cherry coke." He offered trying to get a smile of her.
Liv blew her nose"Can't find a drinking buddy huh love?"
"Oh I could find one I just love you best of all."
"Oh that's it huh? You're a really good liar and it should worry me but I'm back at the hospital I will call you later."
"Bye baby…"
"See ya lover." She hit end with a smile on her face. She wiped her face and headed back in.
-/-/-/
When Livvy rolled into the bar she noticed Kelly sitting at the bar with Connie the Chief's secretary. She laughed quietly but rolled up behind him.
"Everyone is on me about my drinking but what I do off shift doesn't affect my work I'm good at my job. I do it well, the day I show up drunk to work you can fire me. I mean that." He confides.
Connie sees her but doesn't let Kelly know that. "And how's it affecting your life off shift? Liv is on you because she loves you." Connie points out.
"I know that. I love her so much I do ya know. I just being married its hard. Harder than I thought it'd be. "He sipped his drink.
"Still worth it?"
"Always." He said making her smile.
Liv silently moved the chair to standing and looped her arms around his neck. She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Take me to bed." And when he lights up like a hopeful little Christmas tree. She adds. "Because I'm tired." She laughs when his smile falls and she kissed his cheek.
"You're mean." He pouted.
"Yes and you love me buy me a coke." She demanded.
"Where's Klaire?" He tilted his head back to look at her.
"Liam. He wanted his Klaire time."
"Boy or girlfriend this week?" he kissed her cheek.
"Boy I think I couldn't really tell. "
"Hi Connie it's good to see you." Liv smiled at the other woman.
"But you're taking your man back huh?"
"Yes ma'am thanks for keeping the man eaters away for me." She replied she patted Kelly's back.
"Anytime."
They move to their favorite booth.
-/-
"You and Erin make up yet?" he watched Liv sip her soda as he nursed his whisky. "I really shouldn't have given you caffeine before bed. You might try to sweep the ceilings or something."
Liv rolled her eyes. "I swept the ceiling fan. No, we didn't and we're not going too. She was a major grade a bitchy little jerk off. I will not apologize for calling her on the Owen shit! They're too old for this now anyways it isn't cute anymore."
"Baby…" Kelly grinned hearing Liv use terms like bitchy little jerk off was unusual and completely hilarious.
"I am not sorry Kelly."
"Okay." He chuckled. "But why do you care so much?"
"Because they need to stop judging me and pick."
Why?" He pushed.
"Because! They need to choose! I chose to forgive you and they need to choose!"
"Livvy why do they need to choose if what they're doing works for them?"
She huffed at him but answered. "It doesn't work for them; they are each other's backups. Neither of them is happy and in order to be really happy you make a choice. Happiness is a choice but they either do it together for real no fail safes or apart it's that simple."
-/-/-
Thing was Erin hardly ever fought with Liv she couldn't handle it. Liv was her compass in a lot of ways. When she lost sight of that it weighed on her.
She pulls up to Liv's place and spots the cars of some of the Grayne's. "Great a clan wide apology." She muttered as she got out.
She walked up to the door and knocked. Kelly swung the door open. "Oh I guess you found parking space for your broom?" It's gotta be a tight fit squashed behind Owen's wife." Kelly said with a sharp unforgiving smile.
Erin rolled her eyes. "Where's Olivia? Her car is here."
"Who says I have to tell you a fucking thing Erin? Her car is here big whoop doesn't mean she is."
"You lose you big bunch a bitch babies!" She hears Liv shout.
Erin smirked crossing her arms. "Poker?"
"Nope scrabble. "He said eyeing Erin to see if she really did feel bad.
"People actually play that?" She asked and Kelly gave a dry laugh.
"She threatened to divorce me during Pictionary for being a shitty artist."
"Welcome to Grayne family game night. Fellow dirty cheater." She moves past him and goes upstairs to the living room. Everyone is there but Liv. "Where is she I just heard her voice."
"Artichoke dip didn't agree with the Severide Spawn, bathroom." Lang said with nod and Erin patently ignores Owen and his wife who is holding Klaire and that really irks her but she breathes deep and heads for the bathroom.
She opens the bathroom door and steps in quietly shutting it behind her. "Not dead Kell, though I think I yakked up part of my spleen." Liv said not looking up from the commode bowl.
"We've pub crawled together I know you ain't dead." She said as she sat in the floor beside Liv.
"I'm not talking to you." Liv replied flatly. Erin ignores it and wets one of the washcloths using tub water.
"What I said about Kelly was below the belt. I'm sorry truly." She hands Liv the rag.
Liv wiped her mouth and shrugged. "You could be right… And the Owen thing? He's my brother and you're you… I just want you guys happy and this little dance you do? It's a waste of your time."
"I'm not in the right on either account. You're right about me and Owen yesterday? I was embarrassed but only that not only did the people I work with see my dirty underbelly, you however accidental it was showed them." Erin confessed.
"I'm sorry." Liv said quietly.
"I know. We good?"
"We're good."
"Baby!" Kelly shouts through the door.
"Yes Dear?" she retorts sarcastically.
"I and the boys from squad we're gonna go to Vegas."
"Did he just say Vegas and boys weekend in the same sentence?" Liv Clarified to Erin.
"He did."
"Help me up off the floor so I can kill him."
-/-/-
Kelly walks in the front door and drops his gear bag. "Wife and Baby!" He shouted up.
Liv's head appears over the third floor railing. "Shut up! I just got her down! "She growled out.
"Livvy go to Vegas with me please? "He beamed up at her.
Liv shook her head. "No I'm second choice because you got ditched Dawson told me!"
"You are not!" Kelly said sounding a little insulted before relenting. "Ok so maybe I wanted a guy's weekend but I already bought our tickets and…let me finish and I went by your mom's office and procured childcare. Four days just me and you." He offers up.
"Can I sleep?" She counter offers squinting at him.
He laughed. Livvy… its Vegas…but since you're pregnant and worn down yes you may sleep. In exchange for a game of strip poker."
"I'll go but you're taking me to see Cher." She said plainly.
"You don't like Lady Gaga but you like Cher?" He was mystified.
"Don't judge me Kelly Severide. I don't judge you for being a Taylor Swift fan!"
"Her music is catchy and that was a naked confession! Naked confessions are not to be spread around."
"Why're you yelling me from the bottom floor? Come upstairs and do something else…." She grinned down at him before disappearing down the hall
"Woman I will find you!" He threatens.
"Find me quietly. Klaire's asleep." She calls back.
-/-/-
Lang opened his door to find Liv and Kelly with the baby. "Is the neon pink dress for the unfortunate event he loses you in the airport Molly Ringwald?" He teased reaching forward to mess with her messy top knot.
She slaps his hand. "We don't hit people, don't be like Mommy." Kelly tells Klaire.
"Screw you both you know I hate flying."
"Mom and Dad wouldn't approve." Lang retorts.
This startles a laugh from Kelly. "Hand Klaire over before we miss our flight. Miss I put half the house in my carry on."
She completely ignores Kelly's jab. "We've never left her with anyone for this long what if like she forgets our faces or something? This is a total mommy milestone and you have ice in your veins."
"You know she's not going to forget us in four days. You are a doctor. I don't have ice in my veins I just trust Lang and Sarah. I only trust this brother and Grady though." He said all business.
"I'm sad stop being an asshole." Liv pouted.
"Kiss her and hand her to me I'll do it."
"See you soon baby." Liv kissed her and gave her to Kelly to say goodbye as she fought the urge to cry she handed Lang Klaire's things.
"I love you….who's gonna be a good girl while Daddy's gone?" Kelly asked as Klaire blew bubbles with her spit and yanked on the zipper of his jacket. "Are sweet girl and I'll bring you a present." He brushed a stay curl into place with his fingers. He kissed her and handed her over. "Let's go babe."
Lang leaned down so Liv could kiss her once more. "Love you bye bye baby."
"Bye sweetie." Kelly echoed as Klaire started to cry. "That I can't take I'm going to the car." He turned tail and hot footed it to the car.
"I've got her, this only lasts a minute you know that Sis, Go, safe travels. Love you." He kissed the top of Liv head. "Don't cry Livvy, she's fine."
She nods wiping her eyes. "Thanks Lang."
"Anytime. Watch this, Aunt Sarah!" Klaire sniffles but grins.
-/-/-
"We left Klaire at Liv's brothers to go to Vegas, is it normal to want to turn around immediately?" Kelly texted to Benny.
"That's to be expected. Don't turn around go enjoy yourself just don't going into debt doing it."
"She cried."
"Welcome to Parenthood that will happen often as she gets older it will have less affect."
"Real helpful Pop."
"Love you Son."
-/-/-
Liv cashed out her slot machine and went to search out the nearest craps table knowing that's where Kelly'd be. They're going to a show in a bit. She finds him at the end of a table holding court with a pretty blonde at his side.
She rolls up to his other side reaching over to pinch his butt and make him jump. "Hey Handsome," she stood with the aide of her chair. She points to the blonde giving her the stink eye. "Who is that?"
"Who're you?" the girl asked.
"His wife."
"Just making friendly conversation Livvy, slow your roll Baby." Kelly said not surprised but entertained by Liv's territorialism.
"Umm hum, well I made five hundred on the slots. How you doin'?" She held his hand.
"I was teaching uh Brittany the art of the craps table."
"Yeah? Looks like a failed mission." She glanced at his sparse chips. "You should try teaching me before you blow our daughter's college fund. Red heads are good luck ya know." As he leans over to kiss her the blonde stomps off dejected.
He kissed her again quickly. "Just hit the back wall." He handed her the dice and watched as with a practiced and quick flick of her wrist she tossed the dice. When they land how he needed them too he shouts. "That's my girl." He raised his arms in victory.
"What'd I do?" She asked with a confused expression and tiny smirk.
"Won my money back… do it again."
-/-/-
"You could totally do that one twister move babe." He sort of half stumbled into their room behind her.
"You're drunk Kelly, that was Cirque De Solei just because I can't feel most of my lower half doesn't mean I can twist any which way your perverted heart desires." She pulled off her shoes. "Down the rest of that bourbon and unzip me."
"You're hot." He mumbles.
Liv laughed to herself. "Thanks I think."
"I can do a lot more than unzip you." He kissed her neck.
"Yeah…" She said a she pulled down the zipper.
The sex is playful and fun and sort of scary yet hilarious when Kelly trips over his own feet and they tumble haphazardly into the bed.
Afterward they lay watching Sons of Anarchy on the hotels Netflix conduit. Liv lay beside him sniffling. "Baby don't cry, I know they find him I've seen snippets of other seasons." He said trying to make her feel better,
When her face crinkles as she holds back tears he holds in his laughter. "What if someone takes one of our babies?! "
"Baby it's a show. Our baby will not get taken."
"It's Chicago! What if it has something wrong with it?"
He stroked her hair and kissed her temple as he tried to comfort her. "Its fine Liv you're fine."
"You probably won't even love me when I'm fat!" She sobs and he laughs he just cannot help it. "Stop laughing you insensitive Jerk face!"
"Liv honey, I will always love you even when you're covered in thirty pounds of baby blubber." He said gently fighting a smile hormonal Livvy was entertaining.
She eyed him. "I'm not gaining thirty pounds I'm too short for that but thank you."
"Well you're very pretty. Next time the emotion train comes through warn a guy. It's scary."
"My body is no longer my own. You and your fear can shut up. I love you." She pouted.
"I love you too Livvy. Really, I do." He laughed and kissed the top of her head.
=/-/-
She sat at the foot of Shay's grave. "I think you'd have been proud of me, I let him take me off to Vegas on a lark and gambled away more money than we needed too. I'm not the most spontaneous of women but I tried for him. Because he keeps trying to fill the whole you left with stuff. Booze, other women, money, hell Sylvie Brett. You name and he has tried it." She looked up at a tiny birds nest in the tree arching over Leslie's grave. Baby birds chirp in the nest. Shay probably would have liked that.
She continues speaking. " There are those moments where the old Kelly surfaces with his crooked grin and dirty sense of humor and that laugh, I feel like it's been ages since I have heard the real thing, that's all I hang on for. Flashes of who he used to be. I miss you; I hope you know I miss you too. You always had our back even when I didn't always think so. Now I feel, alone with the two of them and I know they feel worse. I do, I just, Vivi is sleeping with Nettie just to get by and she was horrible for Vivianne!" She confided to her friend's gravestone because she had no one else to talk to about it. No one who got it.
"Tell that cokehead bitch to amscray! You know that's what she'd say." Owen said from behind her before moving to place flowers in the vase at the base of the headstone.
"And what else would she say?" She eyed her brother as he sat on the bench under the tree. She toyed with telling him of the possibility of being shit on by a baby bird but lets it go because he embarrassed Kelly. She smirked just a little.
"When the butch at the gay bar flirts you up swing for the fences it doesn't count as cheating if you aren't gay."
She burst out laughing. "What are you doing here?"
He nods to the grave marker. "Did you know, they'd have been together a year today? Same as our grandparents. Vivi didn't have the strength to visit her. I said I would."
"Oh God, I totally forgot."
"I got you covered, take a breath." He shrugged.
"And what would she tell me about Kelly?"
"Speaking strictly as your brother, I would advise you to stop babying him. Stop accepting his bad behavior. I know I'm the biggest hypocrite but cheating on you was wrong, and the drinking needs to stop. You can't make him accept the fact that she's dead, he has to do that on his own. Until he does you're just treading water. You get tired? You drown? He will not drag you under with him Liv I won't allow that."
She smiled her brother for his many faults loved her deeply. "Speaking as your sister? If you want Erin? If you love Erin? Choose her and stop filling your holes with Lindsey."
"I love my wife." He whispered.
"Not enough, when Kelly did what he did and he told me? He was destroyed by the fact that he hurt me. You're not destroyed you're wasting your life with things that don't fill you up. I want you to be happy O! That's all, be happy!"
"Happy, got lets go visit Nana and Granddad while we're here."
"Seventy three years is a damn long time to love one person. It gives me hope for me and Kelly." She rolled over and pulled Owen to his feet. "See ya friend." She said to Shay.
-/-/-
When Liv goes upstairs there is an acoustic cover of Taylor Swift's "Out of the woods" playing on Kelly's phone lying on the kitchen table. He danced around the kitchen holding Klaire to his chest. He looks over at her and smiles. "She likes the drums I think."
"What are you doing?" She asked laughing.
"We're practicing."
She leans on the table watching them. "For what?"
"Her wedding day."
Liv's heart melts a little even as she teases him. "Kell, she's seven months old."
"One can never start too early, you don't know this because we don't really dance but I'm a shitty dancer."
"So what, you can scale a ladder a hundred feet in the air and not faint. It's totally hot." Liv flirted.
Thank you for the confidence boost baby. Where'd you go?"
"To visit a friend." As Liv listens to Swift screech in uncertainty about a relationship being on fragile ground and wondering if they'd ever make it out of the woods she gets lost in her own thoughts.
She raised her phone to snap a picture of Kelly and Klaire looking at each other both smiling she wonders if she and Kelly are coming out of their own woods finally.
She sends the picture to Shay's phone knowing her sister paid to keep it on. "My whole world all in one place, sometimes just sometimes he's okay."
"Can I dance too or is this strictly a Daddy daughter party." Liv asked pushing forward.
"Ugh! I guess but you don't even like Taylor Swift!"
"Whatever! Baby hog!" She spun herself.
He leaned down and kissed her. "Music snob."
AN: I own nothing but Liv and her family, there is one scene borrowed from CPD and revamped I hope you guys liked it. If you did leave me a review! Thanks for everything thus far.-MM