Some days Casey was glad he was single. This was one such of those days, or rather nights. He'd spent another five hours on the couch in his living room drinking beer and watching true crime specials about women killing their husbands, husbands killing their wives, men killing their wives to be with other women, women killing their husbands to be with other men, women killing their husbands to be with other women. By midnight he shut the TV off, and once again curled up on the couch under a heavy blanket and waited to fall asleep.

But sleep didn't come to him, not right away anyway. He turned one way, and the other, and lay flat on his back and stared up at the ceiling. He was happy for Kelly, if this was actually going to be a relationship, and if not this was one long-term fling, longer than most of his ever lasted. He still remembered that smirk on Kelly's face in the locker room at 51, Casey still couldn't place the last time he saw it, but it had been another time he was in a relationship and thought it would work out. Why hadn't it? He tried to remember, but he couldn't. But while it lasted, Severide was practically walking on air. For Kelly's sake, Casey hoped this one worked out and he wasn't disappointed again.

And yet...he tossed and turned a little more. In his time, Kelly had brought home and slept with a lot of different women, different kinds, no two were alike, most weren't even similar...but there was something about this one, Casey couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the actual impression he'd picked up so far, and he knew it wasn't any of his business, but this Cathy Woods just didn't seem like the right type of woman for Kelly. He couldn't really elaborate on that, except the one thing that kept making him feel uneasy. Twice in three days he'd gone to see Kelly, both times she answered the door, answered it half dressed, very provocatively. Who did that? Oh he was sure there were some women, but why this one? The first day he dropped over, she'd had no idea who he was or that he was coming, so why would she answer the door like that for someone she didn't know? For all she knew, he could've been anybody: the landlord, an ex-wife, a sister, a cop, the possibilities were endless.

Casey sat up as a thought suddenly occurred to him. Maybe she had something a little less random in mind.

Two thoughts came to him simultaneously, and he didn't like either one of them, but he explored both options. Either one, this woman had an ex-boyfriend of her own, and maybe she'd called him over and was expecting him to show up and start a fight between the two men. Why anybody would do that, Casey had no idea but he did know that there were some people who got their kicks that way. The other was that she hadn't called anybody, but just banked on whoever was at the door was a man, a man who would see a beautiful, half naked woman standing in the doorway and take advantage of the situation. In which case, if Kelly were to come out at the right moment, a fight could still break out between the two men, which still fit under the same category as to why Cathy might do it. But why she would, Casey still couldn't figure out.

Then the first theory came to him a bit brighter. Maybe Kelly wasn't what she really had her sights on, maybe she did have an ex-boyfriend...or maybe even a current boyfriend, and she wanted him to 'catch' her with another man, and what? Beat the shit out of Kelly for messing with his woman? It actually wasn't beyond the realm of possibilities given the trouble Kelly had gotten into before with women he was quick to jump in the sack with. That whole Tara nightmare still weighed heavily on Casey's mind all these years later, she'd never bothered to tell Kelly that she was engaged while she was jumping his bones, and it was partly his fault for not finding out first if she was with someone else or not, but she knew damn well that she was and had no business screwing around with other guys. But she did, and when her father found out and started making trouble, she turned it back on Kelly to make herself look good and get what she wanted. And Casey was well aware that that was a long running joke about women, they were always quick to play the victim and get men in trouble, sometimes it just happened to be true.

He didn't like the idea, but he knew it wasn't impossible, and he hoped that Kelly knew what he was getting into but he knew the reality of it was Severide was going to let the head without a brain do his thinking for him on this one.

Casey tossed and turned one way and then the other on the couch, then finally huffed in frustration. Maybe Kelly was right, maybe he was being paranoid. Severide was a grown ass man, he could take care of himself, it wasn't Casey's job to be his keeper. And trying to be one had never gotten him anywhere anyway. He tried to push all the nagging thoughts to the back of his mind and block them out as he closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep.

Casey knocked on the door to Kelly's office and stuck his head in. "Got a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Just checking real quick," Casey said as he shut the door, "is it still just the two of us going to the game tomorrow night or do I have to try and scare up a third ticket?"

"Why?" Kelly asked.

Casey didn't say anything, just looked at him in mild shock.

Kelly blinked, "Oh, you mean Cathy?"

Casey nodded. "Yeah."

"Nah, she's not interested."

"Not interested in the game itself, or just hockey in general?" Casey asked.

"Either I think," Kelly replied.

"So..." Casey tried to approach the subject, "she moved in yet?"

Kelly shot him a confused look. "No, she's got her own apartment across town..." he looked at Matt and said, half choking on a laugh, "it's not that serious yet, Casey."

"Just thought I'd check," he replied. "Thought I'd make sure she's not going to be answering the door in her underwear when I come get you tomorrow night."

"Nah, she's working tomorrow night," Kelly told him.

"Let me guess..." Casey paused for feigned dramatic effect and took a stab, "Strip club?"

"No," Kelly replied, "she works at a publishing company."

Casey snorted as he stepped over towards him, "Moving up in the world aren't you, Severide?"

"Shut up," Kelly jabbed him in the side.

"Ow!" Casey grabbed his side.

Kelly looked at him, "Oh come on, I didn't hit you that hard."

Casey hissed through his teeth as he untucked his shirt and pulled it up, revealing a large bruise, "No, I think that was the last call we were on."

"Oh, sorry," Kelly said.

"So, I'll come over early tomorrow night and pick you up," Casey said.

"Let's take my car, it'll be easier to get in and out around the rest of the traffic," Kelly told him. "I"ll stop by and pick you up."

"Okay," Casey said as he headed for the door.

As Kelly drove through the darkened streets with little more than the lights of the dashboard and the occasional street lamp to see by, he listened to the low, inebriated laughter coming from the passenger side of his car.

"Will you shut up already?" he asked. He'd been listening to it ever since they left the game, and it had already gotten old.

"I just can't believe it," Casey said as he leaned back in his seat, "The biggest game of the season yet, and you nearly catch the puck with your forehead. That'd be a hell of a souvenir."

"It's also a trip to the ER I don't need," Kelly replied, "You know how fast those things fly, you know how many people die from that?"

"Well," Casey said, taking a lot of pleasure in the fact that Kelly was stuck being the designated driver that night, "maybe next time we go you should wear your helmet." He busted out laughing again. "I've never seen somebody duck so fast in my life."

"I've never seen you drink so much at a game, you are enjoying this way too much, you know that?" Kelly asked.

Casey merely shrugged. "Leas' I don't have to drive home."

"Lucky me," Kelly grunted. "Can you get up to the door by yourself or do I have to carry you in?"

"Hmmmm," Casey seemed to be thinking it over, then he became quiet, and the next thing Kelly heard from the passenger seat was light snoring. He reached over and elbowed Casey in his other set of ribs, "Wake up, Casey, we're almost there."

"Hm? Hu? I'm awake, stop yelling," he replied with an exhausted groan.

"I'm not yelling," Kelly said.

"Yes you are," Casey insisted.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"When I'm yelling at you, you'll know it."

"I'm seasoned in it," Casey responded with another laugh, "that's all you ever do."

"I do not."

"Do so."

"Do not."

"Do so," Casey replied.

"Shut up," Kelly told him as he turned his attention back to the road.

"You shut up," Casey said.

The two argued back and forth like a couple of kids for a couple minutes before Kelly reached over and smacked Casey upside the back of his head and told him, "Knock it off. We're here now."

Casey pressed his forehead against the window and looked at his apartment as it came into view. "I had a great time tonight, thanks for driving."

"Yeah well, thanks for getting the tickets," Kelly said. "Are you sure you can get in alright?"

"You worry too much," Casey insisted with a small slur, "I'm fine."

"Casey stop!" Kelly slammed on the brakes as Casey opened the door, and had been just about to step out while the Mustang was still moving.

It was a short walk, less than 100 feet, but Kelly looked at the sidewalk and the steps like they'd suddenly become the Matterhorn. "Maybe I should help you in."

"I'm fine," Casey insisted as he undid his seat belt, "You're the big fat pot calling the kettle black."

"I never stumbled around like this," he pointed out.

"And how would you know? How would you remember what you did when you were drunk?" Casey asked as he shoved the door open and got out, and grandstanded as he placed both feet on the pavement. "Ta-dah! See? I'm fine, you go on home."

Kelly wasn't entirely convinced. "If you're sure..."

Casey just waved him off. "Good-night."

"Alright," Kelly said reluctantly.

He put the car in gear and just started to pull away from the curb when he heard a sudden commotion and hit the brakes again. He looked back and saw Casey standing in the middle of the sidewalk screaming at something. Kelly put the gear in park and hopped out to see what was wrong.

"What is it, Casey? What's the matter?"

Casey was slightly less steady on his feet as he screamed and swore and pointed towards his truck. The block wasn't very well lit but Kelly could still see that his pickup was sitting lower than it should've and he looked down and saw all four tires puddled on the bottom. Casey was still screaming in rage and disbelief at this discovery.

"Casey, calm down," Kelly said as he tried to make some sense of this.

"Calm down?!"

"Casey," Kelly said the first thing that come to him, "By any chance have you done something to piss off Voight again?"

"What?"

"Remember Halloween a few years ago? All four tires slashed, window smashed, your bag stolen...never were able to prove who did it but we know it was Voight."

Casey sucked in a few ragged breaths as he tried to calm down, and as it gradually started to work he answered Kelly's question, "No, I don't think so. I...he wouldn't do this again..."

"He might, he's got a weird sense of humor and we all know it," Kelly replied.

Casey tapped the glass. "Window's still intact..." he unlocked the door and opened it up. The light came on in the ceiling and he glanced over the contents of the seat. "Nothing's missing...why?"

The word came out so suddenly and unexpectedly, and so small, it was obvious how helpless Casey was left feeling by this act of vandalism. "Why would anybody do this to me again? Who?"

Kelly tried to think. "You piss off anybody lately?"

Casey shook his head, "Not that I know of."

"Come on, we'll call the cops and file a report," Kelly said.

"What good's that gonna do?" Casey asked. "They won't find whoever did this."

"Maybe not...but maybe you're not the only person they did this to," Kelly said, "Maybe it's a pattern they can identify."

Casey sighed. He knew no good was going to come out of it, and he knew whoever responded to the call was not going to appreciate being called out in the middle of the night over something as petty as this, and that might especially help him decide not to put too much effort into investigating.

"We'll call Antonio," Kelly said, "just incase it would turn out to be work-related."

That didn't do much to bring Casey out of his stupor, but he finally nodded his head and conceded, "Alright...alright...let's get this over with."

"Sorry, Casey, odds are it's just some high school kids out for kicks," Antonio said as he finished taking down the report.

"I told you that an hour ago," Casey told Severide.

"There's been a lot of vandalism cases over the past couple weeks patrol's been called to, graffiti, obscenities written on the windows in glass chalk...somebody's been going around writing 'Tow' on random trucks with shoe polish...we are keeping in mind that the owners might all be getting targeted for something but so far we haven't found anything to confirm it," Dawson said. "In the meantime all I can offer you is the regular advice, call us if you see something or someone out of the ordinary, if you think somebody's following you, be on your guard, all that good stuff."

"Thanks, Antonio," Kelly said.

Casey sighed as the Intelligence cop left. "I told you it wouldn't do any good."

"Well it's on the record incase they can find out who did it," Kelly said.

"Now I have to get it towed tomorrow," Casey whined.

"I'll give you a lift down to the garage," Kelly told him. He paused for a minute and asked Casey, "You want me to stay with you tonight?"

"Why?" Casey asked. "You think they're gonna come back?"

"No, but I know you're upset, and I know you're like me, you don't do well on your own."

Casey thought about it for a moment but ultimately shook his head.

"You sure?" Kelly asked.

Casey raked his fingers through his scalp helplessly but insisted, "I'm fine."

"If you're sure..."

He nodded. "I am."

"If you change your mind you can call me."

"I know," Casey replied, "thanks."

Kelly got in his car and left, Casey looked back at the four flat tires on his truck and grumbled under his breath, "Why? Why me?"