"So what does one wear to an ambulance unveiling? "Liv asked Kelly.
He came to stand behind her as she rifled through her closet. She stood using the aide of the chair in her bra and panties hair still wet from the shower. "Wear whatever baby,"
She looks over her shoulder at him. "Not at all helpful in the least way."
"Sit." He commanded reaching around her. "I think you look good just like that but… it's supposed to kinda warm…so…" He held a lavender sleeveless jump suit that tied up around her neck in a halter style. "I think you look good in this."
"I'm pregnant Kelly." She dead panned.
"I know and it's cute. Like you aren't walrus sized. You have the cute belly and the glow thing going. You can still pull this off."
"Really?"
"Really. I have had pregnant friends and pregnant girlfriends. I wouldn't lead you my pregnant wife wrong would I? You're my friend."
"You think I'm still pretty."
"Always." He leans in and kisses her. "Seriously sit down."
"Now, for the most important question who will help me into this?"
"I promise to help you out of it." He said with a smirk.
"Kelly Benjamin…"
"Olivia Blair…" He countered kissing her neck.
"You're going to be the death of me. Really you are."
"You love me."
"Not the point." She muttered grabbing up clean scrubs. "You think Viv is ready to face the house yet?"
"She'll regret if she doesn't go Livvy. She didn't get any real recognition of their relationship at the funeral and I want to fix that because she was the person Shay loved and wanted to marry eventually."
"Help me to help her."
"You bet." He slapped her bare butt cheek. "Get dressed before I attack you please."
She just looks at him. "You wear a thong I'm going to smack your rear. Deal with it."
-/-/-
Kelly is talking to Matt when Liv pulls up. She and Vivi get out of the truck but Vivi makes no move to come in. She just stands there holding Liv's hand.
"Who is that?" Shay's sister Megan asked coming to stand between them.
"Shay's partner is the pretty blond. Beautiful redhead is my wife. I'll be right back."
"I get it Vivi, I do. If it was reversed and it had been Kelly I would never go back but they're honoring her." Kelly hears Liv say as he steps outside.
"Can I help?" he offered.
"Is she everywhere?" Vivi asked him and he watches as Liv's eyes fill with tears in sympathy.
"I've gotta get Klaire out of the truck." Liv said in attempt to distract herself. "Be right there Viv I promise I just… gotta get Klaire." Liv said letting her go and turning to the truck.
"She kind of is but it's not a bad thing, at first it stings but eventually it's a comfort to be somewhere that she is always present."
"I'm not sure I can do it. Go in, I can barely breathe and it's only the parking lot."
Kelly nods and offers. "I'll walk you in and come back to help Livvy." He walks her in and introduces her to Shay's sister and gives Gabi a look telling her to stay close.
He can't see Liv as she's blocked by the truck door. He goes back and travels out to stand behind her. "Need help my baby?"
She looks and over her shoulder and he notices she looks near tears, "Babe…its okay."
Liv's voice shakes. "I know. I just can't do this for her and…and I'm really hormonal."
He turned the hat he's wearing backward so the visor didn't hit her in the face as he leaned into kiss her. "She'll get through baby. Trust me." He moved her aside and unbuckled Klaire from her seat and lifted her out.
Liv reached up and straightened her matching dress, as the walk in Kelly is tossing Klaire up in the air and catching her and bringing her down for a kiss she laughs every single time. "OFI offered me an investigation job." He tells Liv. They're taken over by the chaos of the firehouse before she can reply.
=/=
"Megan, this is my wife Oliva and the person determined to get my hat is Klaire. The person inside there..." He points to Liv's belly. "Is or will be once he's born "Aaron Shay Porter Severide."
"You don't mind the name do you? I just wanted to find a way to honor her." Liv said. "And if the name is to much a reminder Viv-"
"Wait it's a boy!" She said as she leapt forward to hug in her excitement. "I know Less would love it. How we will tell the Girl Erin and boy Aaron apart though?"
"Big E and Little A maybe I haven't figured it out he may go by Aaron Shay I'm sure but I wanted approval from the two of you." Liv said looking between the two women.
"You have it." Megan said.
"Of course duh." Vivi Says.
"I see why she liked you, both of you actually." Megan said to both women. "I asked her once what you were like Vivi and she said it was like living with a living fireworks stand because the littlest thing, the tiniest spark could light you up and she never got tired of it. She truly loved you and wanted to be with you always."
"And you? Liv the only reason she ever disliked you and it didn't last long but it was because you were so much alike. She said you took nothing off of anyone and you made him so happy. No matter what happens she makes him happy. I really tried to hate her but it didn't stick. I kind of love her a little now." She said that the last time we talked. "You're good for him and she loved you for it."
Tears spring to Liv's eyes and tears are already tracking down Vivi's face.
"Kelly!" Chief said eyeing his backwards lieutenants cap, Kelly wordlessly turned it around and Liv snickered despite herself as she wiped her tears,
"Baby do you get demerits?" She teased.
"Hand your baby to your lady and help with set up Severide." Kelly nodded handing off Klaire who began whining immediately.
"Dada no…no… Dada Stay!" she said repeating the last thing she'd heard commanded at Pouch.
"Did she just tell me to stay?"
"It's better than sit Ubu sit." Liv retorted
"Good dog." Gabi added "What I legit heard Shay in my head finish it." Gabi answers their odd looks
Liv bounced Klaire in her arms. "Klaire say I…love…Mama..."
She took a deep breath. "Dada!"
"Is this how Mommy felt with all of us? Everyone gravitates to Daddy."
"Pretty much… then you get moody teenagers who hate you and make you cry." Her mom said coming in and she stole Klaire. "You look nice my sweet girls."
"Kelly's pick." Liv said.
"I should go clean out Leslie's locker before I lose my nerve. Or you can Megan, I- We didn't go over some stuff because I refused to even…I refused to go there. I couldn't not after watching Liv tense up every time she hears a siren or sees a battalion car drive down her street. I wasn't… I'm not like Liv I didn't have the guts to face the potential for loss and ask her what she would have wanted in any case at all."
"You were her partner. You lived this life with her. I think it's your right."
"Liv!"
"Right here…We'll do it together okay. There is a memorial picture of her outside the lockers next to the laundry room. I didn't want you to be shocked." She said as she rolled that way.
"I have to touch the last things she touched. It doesn't get much worse Liv."
She nods.
Liv rolls behind her to the locker room. The whole time she's internally chanting "I will never do this. I will never do this."
"Hey," Vivi says before undoing the lock. "This isn't going to happen to you Liv. It can't happen to both of us. This will never be something you're forced to do."
"Vivi honey… "Liv hedges not knowing what to say to ViviAnne's mind reading.
"I can see it in your eyes."
"I live in fear now. So much fear." She whispers back.
Vivi makes it as far as getting the locker door open but when her eyes fall on a picture of them goofing off in a cheesy prom like pose at Liv and Kelly's wedding reception she breaks down.
"I'll do it Vivi, here sit sweetie." Liv offers sort of coaxing her onto the bench seat.
"It smells like her. The damn thing smells like her."
Liv stands before the locker belatedly realizing. "I need a box." She said quietly.
Kelly suddenly appeared at her side. "I meant to do this I did, I just…"
"I got it baby…find me a box? And Viv some tissues?"
"Yeah…"
Liv clears out the locker silently and with some reverence until She come across a picture of the four of them on the day they had moved into their place. They were all disheveled and dirty but smiling so brightly it made tears rise to her eyes. "We were all so happy."
"We were." Kelly agreed.
"We will be again. That's what she'd say." Vivi added.
"Can I keep it?" Liv asked.
"It's yours." Kelly said. "It's time." He continued as Liv straightened his tie and Vivi got to her feet.
"You this Baby?" Liv asked Kelly.
"I got it."
She nods. "ViviAnne?"
"Let's do this sister."
The presentation is quick but not painless more than a few tears are shed. Gabi and Boden speak they present both Viv and Megan with American flags. Vivi cries when Kelly hands her the flag. As the one draping her coffin had been given to Shay's parents. This was 51's way of saying the state may not recognize your relationship but we always have.
The ceremony gets to Liv more than she wants to let on.
-/-/-
"Anyone seen Livvy? ViviAnne wants a picture with new ambo. "Kelly said walking back in with Klaire on his hip.
"Your quarters she seemed pretty upset." Herrmann answered taking Klaire from him.
He opens the door to his quarters. "Babe everything okay?" he asked gently she is sitting looking out the window. When she turns at the sound of his voice she's quickly wiping away her tears. "I keep forgetting to tell you that you look really handsome in your dress blues. Never seems like there's a right time to say you look hot." She covers with a bashful smile and weak laugh.
She gives him a watered down version of her usual knock out grin. "Livvy what is it?"
"Please don't ever make me have to attend one of these for you please."
He opens and closes his mouth that had not been what he was expecting. "I mean logically I know and have made peace with the fact that you have no control over the dangers of your job or that it could take you from me but emotionally…it's not okay. So I need you to do everything in your power to not get distracted by this arson thing because fact is baby you might not catch him and if you don't I know you it will drive you mad and you'll be distracted from your work or become reckless and then I'm the woman holding the flag not able to draw a breath or think straight or love anyone ever again. So promise me no honorary ceremonies…please." She says in a rushed breath.
He shucked off his gloves trying to think of what to say but comes up with nothing. He tosses his hat on the bed and tosses the gloves beside it. "Liv honey…"
She shakes her head wiping away fresh tears. "I try not to be this girl you know? The one who's scared out of her mind and wants to block the door every time the tone rings out. I try to be brave. Because you're brave…"
"I..Eh…I don't want to make you a promise I might not be able to keep." He confessed on an exhaled breath. He plopped down to sit on the end of the bed.
"What I can promise you? I love you and I will say this every single day if you need to hear it. You're my first priority; I will not be needlessly reckless. If I die on the job? It's because my number got called up and I had no choice."
"I know that Kelly, logically I believe everything you just said but the way I love you? It's not logical. It defies logic that you chose me and that we're married. Our children are the single greatest gifts I have ever been given. Without you? It will mean less, be dulled, bittersweet. So I need you to at least think about taking the OFI job. Just think on it." She said.
He sighed and scratched his chin stalling her. "Babe…"
"I know you aren't a paper pusher I just…"
"Come here."
"Why?"
"You're beautiful…and very far away. Please?" he crooked his finger at her and she laughs. She rolls up to him. "Closer."
She leaned forward. "Closer."
"Any closer and I'll be ..." she shrieked when he pulled her to topple back on the bed. "In your lap." She finished.
"Hey Pretty Wife." He said twining his hand around her braid.
"Sexy Husband are you deflecting?"
"Nuh uh, just thinking about kissing you."
Her eyes narrow. "You're a man of action. Just do it."
He kissed her slowly. She tasted like coffee and French Vanilla Creamer. "Bad girl. You snuck a coffee." He says against her lips.
"And you snuck a cigar. Pot and kettle Lover, pot and kettle." She teased back.
"Point made. I like Bad Livvy, She leads to Naughty Livvy. I miss Naughty Livvy."
"You miss getting it in period. " She says dryly trying to roll of him but he hangs on to her tightly.
He kissed her again barely brushing her lips with his. "It's only been what two weeks?"
"Three and counting."
"We're going to die. " He paused. "If it shrinks from disuse it's your fault."
She scowls. "Can it do that? Medically I think it's impossible."
"It's a muscle no bones."
She laughs and Kelly loves the sound. "I know it has no bones dummy. I'm a doctor."
"Then the term boner is a misnomer."
"I'm okay with just kissing you. Because I like you. If you need to you can check out the new strip joint on Grant get a lap dance. I'm okay with it since I'm outta commission."
He laughed. "I love you for the permission but the only woman I want to see naked is you."
"Liar. I love you for it because I look like a grape but you're lying." She said going back to kissing him rather aggressively he hums his disagreement with her statement but doesn't stop her to verbalize it.
He moved his hands along the curve of hips as she kissed a line from his mouth down his jaw to that spot on his neck that works like an instant get up and go button. He squeezed her thighs to head her off and redirect her it doesn't work. She bites down on the spot… and holy shit. His body is fully on board her dirty little train.
"Liv…" He said a little strained.
"Yes?"
"I'm going to need you to stop." He said carefully.
She sits up and looks decidedly triumphant. "Whatever for?" she says all false innocence.
"You're a tease baby."
"No I'm not I always follow through she said reaching for his belt buckle.
"I didn't lock the door Olivia." He said watching her deftly undo his belt.
"Then be quiet." She orders and damned if it doesn't turn him on.
She's undoing the button of his fly when Vivi's head pops in. "Pictures guys? Oh nasty Liv! You're in public.
She rolled her eyes in Vivi's general direction. "It was private, and then you opened the door. Now it's public."
"I hate her." Kelly muttered. Liv kissed him.
"He's going to need a minute to himself." She tells Vivi and rolls off him to transfer back and follow her out.
He glares at the back of her head. "Viv was the tease it wasn't me." She offers catching his glowering expression.
"Yup, I'm dead."
=/=
When he walks into the ER to find Liv he's oddly surprised to find her running a trauma while straddling a kid no older than seventeen while doing chest compressions. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 30. She leans back. "Charge paddles 200." He sees that her leg is still touching the kid. He yanks her off him seconds before she calls the "Clear."
"What the hell! Who?"
"You weren't clear baby. You didn't feel your leg touching him." He answers catching her as she almost dumps off the end of the bed as they shock the kid who looks to be a stabbing victim to Kelly's untrained eye.
"Nothing Severide." Someone calls out.
"EpI?"
"He's tapped doc." Someone with a familiar voice he can't place says.
"How long has he been down now?" Liv asked.
"Over an hour."
"Shit! I'm calling it. Time of death 3:22 PM. Where are the parents?"
"Waiting Area." The voice he can't place replies and he can't see them in the group of people crowding the room.
"Put them in the room. I'll be right there to inform." She says and takes his help to transfer back into her chair. Carefully she keeps her bloody hands away from. Once in the chair she shucks her gloves and tossed them on the floor. "Fuck…I hate this part."
"I know."
She stripped off her trauma gowning. "You needed something baby?" She clarified rolling out of the bay.
"Technically Lindsay does. "He shoves his hands in his pockets and walks alongside her.
"Which one?"
Your bestie with poor taste in men." He countered with a smirk.
She sighed tiredly. "I told her I wasn't saving her ass when Hank found them out! I meant it this isn't High school."
"I think its Shay related or maybe you related she said something about commonalities between locations and victimology.
She nods. "Let me do the inform and hand off to social services and I'll get someone to cover me."
"Should we get Klaire?" He asked moving the direction of the daycare.
"My eights got moved up to twenty fours again. I'm coming back."
"No! They can't do that!" Kelly chastised.
"They did it babe. I'm sorry." She said with an apologetic shrug.
-/-/-/-
"Kelly where was Liv's fire again?" Erin asked as they all stood in the Intel bullpen.
"627 Porter Street." He points to the spot. "There."
"Hm. It's in the middle of the hot zone and there's no way he didn't know exactly who he was targeting." Erin says to Voight.
"Targeting?" Liv spoke up.
"In one of his first fires a wheelchair bound man with MS was a victim. He died because there were no elevators. The one on Porter was reported as electrical fire and no one thought twice about the stopped elevators. Which if not for Kelly and you being so damn stubborn would of left you trapped." Erin explained her voice going shaky at the end.
"He set that fire?" Kelly said slowly.
"We believe so. " Voight said.
Kelly gave an aggravated scream through his teeth. He turned and punched the wall.
Kelly…" Liv went to grab him.
"Don't touch me. You touch me and I will cry." He warned her twisting away from her.
"This isn't your fault Kelly." She says perfectly calmly.
He speaks to the wall because he looks at he will end this guy. "I never would have seen you Liv! If you hadn't broken the damn window, I never would have seen you. It was fully involved. He would have killed you and all those kids!"
"I'm right here and you did get to me. He didn't win, not that one." He looks back at her and the urge to cry or kill someone almost over powers him. "Let me see your hand." She finishes softly.
She takes his hand in hers and brushes her thumb over his knuckles He can tell she's no longer tracking what's around him as the others try to figure out who the guy is. "Can you move it? Make a fist…good… flex… relax." She kissed his knuckles. "I don't think you broke anything."
He really can't take this. The motherfucker almost killed his wife and did kill Shay. He turns and starts walking out he points to Lindsay. "You find him Erin! Or I swear I will, so just find him."
-/-/-
Kelly hasn't been letting her get too far away from him but he's napping with Klaire when she gets a text from Vivi asking her to meet her for breakfast. She leaves him a note kisses Klaire and goes.
"Great minds?" Liv asked when she saw Gabi at the elevator of the building that housed the bistro she was set to meet ViviAnne at.
Gabi turned with a fond smile. "Hey Chickie! Where's Shadowy McFireballs?"
Liv grinned in return. "Ah you heard about that? I gave baby the slip. Having brunch with Vivi. You?"
"Same with Sylvie."
"Of all the breakfast joints in Chi town they choose the same one. Weird." Livvy rolled on to the elevator. Gabi was directly behind her.
"I know now that you mention it Brett is more an IHOP girl." Liv pressed the elevator button.
When the elevator stops between the third and fourth floors Liv must go pale because Gabi looks worried. "Livvy."
"I have a bit of latent PTSD about enclosed spaces. Get us out. Please!" Liv said quickly becoming panicky.
"Ok Breathe girl just keep breathing." Gabi advises as she uses the assistance phone. Gabi's voice fades out as Liv starts to lose track of where she actually is her chest feels heavy like she's back beneath the concrete debris that had fallen on her and Rainey.
"Help is on the way Liv." Gabi takes her hand to ground her. "You're not there. You are here with me."
When the door to the hatch opens and the see they arsonist neither of them breathe. She squeezes Gabi's hand hoping like hell the cavalry is coming. "If at first you don't succeed try, try again. "The man muses with a creepy grin.
"That text wasn't from ViviAnne." Liv mused aloud.
"Nope. I just thought you'd be a nice little bonus to needle that mouthy lieutenant with. You should really thank me after all my fires brought you together."
"Fuck off Crazy Pants." She snarls before she can stop herself.
"Liv…" Gabi warns.
"No Gabi, The only person in that scenario deserving of a thank you is the man I married. It has nothing to do with him." On that she will not budge.
"According to my husband you're an excitement arsonist. You get off on the chaos from a nice safe distance right?" He begins pouring gasoline into the elevator car. "This is an open air shaft. You light us up and you go too you know? Its basic science. Fire consumes air."
He pours more in and it splashes into Liv's lap. She coughs forcefully.
"Fire it also purifies. Have you ever seen something burn? Smelled the smoke of your creations and the screams to accompany it? It's really a rather beautiful thing." He says in gleeful lunacy.
Gabi is begging and pleading trying to be reasonable. The only thing Liv feels in this moment is rage and fear. So she stays quiet.
She can see Antonio above them now on the next floor. "Give it up." Antonio demands.
As he's going back and forth with the guy whose name she can't remember. Liv speaks on the off chance Erin can hear her. "Tell Kelly I'm sorry. Take care of him for me okay? Just… I love you. Take care of my family." The guy waves the lighter and Antonio takes his shot and makes it. The drops the lighter Gabi caught it…Barely.
"Oh God…" Liv says. Her panic and fears surges up and she starts sobbing.
-/-/-
Erin realizes he sent a dummy text to Liv as well. She's running to her car before Jay can even think twice. "What Erin?" he asked chasing after her,
"He's got Liv!" She's in the car and dialing Hanks number.
Jay gets in the car and she puts the pedal to the floor. "Hank tell me you have her!"
She hears rustling and the sound of Liv crying. "Livvy are you hurt?"
"No…I just I can't… I can't stop…I need Kelly. Please get Kelly." She begged frantically.
"Okay I'll send someone for him. I'm already halfway to you."
"I need clothes. He poured gas on me." She says soft and Erin feels pure terror and rage at just how close they'd come to losing each other yet again.
"It's alright Livvy…I'm here." She said grabbing her discarded pajamas from spending the night with Jay from the back seat.
She rushes in and moves to hug her shaking weepy friend and belatedly remembers she is doused in gasoline and stops herself from giving her a hug. She kisses the crown of Liv's head. "Let's go get you changed Liv Lou."
"Okay…" she said with a hitching breath. "I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"I'm not a crier."
Erin smiled softly. "Liv honey you are. You're a crier because you carry your heart on your sleeve. It's part of why I love you. Crazy dude almost set you on mother fucking fire. It's normal to cry uncontrollably." She retorts pushing Liv to the restrooms.
She gets Liv regrouped and changed. Liv is sitting her lap for once as they are perched on a brick planter.
Jay eyes them oddly before going to sit in Liv's chair. "Don't unless you want a shot of gas up your ass. Standy Sandy got doused and needs a power wash." Liv says.
Jay smiles but straightens. "You guys always so…touchy?"
"Yep, but no matter what Erin's skimpy ass booty shorts are telling you right now? I'm a proper married lady. Threesomes are out Sparky." She tugs the shorts down. "They're sexy I'll give you that but how did you not fucking freeze? My teeth would chatter the-"Kelly knocks Jay out his way and yanks her up.
"Easy Severide." Erin said.
"Are you okay?" Kelly said tightly. He's sounds like He's about to cry even to Erin's ears and it makes Liv cry again.
"Yeah…" She tightened her grip on him. "I didn't know…I thought Viv needed me." She fights back a fresh wave of tears.
"You're causing that! I got her to stop! "Erin snarled.
Kelly ignores her. "It's fine; you had no way of knowing…" He says as he guides them back to sit on the planter next to Erin. He without missing a beat makes sure her knees don't scrape the brick.
Erin's a little impressed. It's hard to be fully aware of another person's body. Kelly acts as though Liv is an extension of himself.
"It's okay…" he assures brushing her hair back to kiss her temple, forehead, cheek, and finally her mouth.
Jay pulls Erin away. "Let's give em a second."
"He's dead." She tells Kelly before following Jay.
"Good." He said without looking away from Liv's face.
He wipes away her tears. "Nice short- Shorts. I never took Erin for a "Love" written across her ass kinda girl." He joked.
She laughs loudly just like he wanted. "Ready to go home?"
"My chair stinks and I'll never take another elevator but yeah…"
"I'll carry you up every stair for the next decade to avoid a repeat of this." He said kissing her again.
AN: I own nada. If you enjoyed it please leave a comment or kudo or what have you. Reviews help the muse! Until the next chapter!-MM