Chapter 4 – Proposals.
Scene written by LottyCharl -
Three years later.
"Hey Shay, can I borrow you for a minute?" Kelly Said, catching his best friend between the doors and the common room.
"Sure, what can I do for ya?" Shay asked, allowing him to lead her into the conference room.
"I wanted to ask you something..." he said, still hesitant about going through with this or not.
"Spit it out then."
"I want to ask Lexi to marry me." Kelly said, following her instructions and cutting straight to the point.
"Oh. okay." Shay said, clearly a little shocked.
"If you don't think it's a good idea, just forget I ever said anything." Kelly said, trying to get away from the hole he felt like he had just dug for himself.
"No, it's not that..." Shay began speaking slowly. "First of all,"
Kelly interrupted "First of all? There's more?" Kelly swallowed hard, Shay watched the panic wash over him and she couldn't help but smile at his uneasiness.
"First of all," Shay continued grinning "what took you so damn long? What it's been three years and you still haven't put a ring on her! Second, I will NOT wear flowers in my hair or a hideous colour dress, red is preferable!" Shay joked although partly serious.
"Don't do that to me, I thought you hated the idea." Kelly groaned pushing his best friend lightly.
"Oh, I do, who on earth would want you as a brother in law. But you two are perfect for each other, how could I deny the credit for setting you guys up in the first place." Shay said with a smile. "Congrats, at least you got your way with one of us."
"What's he done?" Gabby asked, sticking her head around the door.
"Nothing." Kelly answered too quickly earning himself raised eyebrows from Gabby.
"I need you to come sign some paperwork." Gabby stated turning her attention back to Shay.
"Coming!" Shay said, "I'm picking the ring too" Shay whispered to him winking at Kelly on her way out.
"What was that about then?" Gabby asked.
"Nothing." Shay said suspiciously, miming zipping her lips closed.
"Yeah, like that'll last." Gabby said with a chuckle.
A few weeks later.
Lexi sat beside Kelly at their dinner table, Shay sat across from them, their dirty dinner plates still on the table, starting their second bottle of red wine. They had all been busy lately, they had had this dinner planned for two weeks, a night for them to spend together, to catch up with one another.
Shay refilled their wine glasses, "dinner was amazing Lex, thank you"
"I second that, thank you" Kelly told her putting his hand on her leg and squeezing lightly.
"Glad you liked it" Lexi put her hand atop Kelly's on her leg and leaned forward to pick up her wine glass. "But I do have ulterior motives" Lexi sat back in her chair and took a sip of wine, she watched them both exchange a worrying look. "I've been asked to go undercover"
Kelly took his hand from her leg and put his wine glass on the table, he looked at Shay who was staring back at him waiting for his reaction. "Are you asking permission or telling us?" Kelly questioned.
"I don't need permission" Lexi advised him. Kelly stood up walking to the door to leave the room, Lexi called after him. "Don't do that, don't walk away. We need to talk about this"
Kelly stopped half turning to look at her. "Talk about what? Sounds like you've already decided to me"
"I haven't made any decisions. Please, can we talk about this like adults?" Lexi implored.
Kelly turned to face the table but didn't move to sit back down, he crossed his arms over his chest, his signature 'I'm pissed' pose. "You have anything to say about this?" Kelly asked looking at Shay.
"What's it for?" Shay queried, "what's the job?"
Lexi shook her head, "I can't discuss it" she knew it wasn't what they wanted to hear but she knew if she told them the details, they would try to stop her from doing it.
Kelly laughed without humour. "Is it with or without Jay?"
"Without" Lexi told him. Kelly wasn't sure if he felt better about the fact she wouldn't be with Jay or that Jay wouldn't be there to help her.
Kelly asked the million-dollar question, "How long for?"
Lexi heaved a sigh, this wouldn't go down well. "Six months, a year maximum." No one spoke, silence filled the room as they all contemplated the revelations.
"If you do this," Kelly spoke breaking the silence, Lexi made eye contact with him, his expression was stern. "We're done. I won't wait around for you"
"Thanks for the support" Lexi stood and walked past him, bumping his shoulder as she barged past him out of the room and out of the apartment.
Jay unlocked his apartment door and went to the kitchen after buzzing Lexi in to his building. He popped the tops off two bottles of beer and put hers on the counter top where she always sat. Being partners she had been to Jay's apartment numerous times, after having a particularly hard day, they would have a beer together, talk it out, help each other deal with whatever the case had thrown at them.
He heard the door open and Lexi appeared a few seconds later, she hoisted herself on to the counter top and took a drink from the bottle. "I made the spare bed up, figured you'd be round" Jay told her drinking his own beer twisting the beer caps around in his hand.
"Thanks" Lexi sighed peeling the label on her beer bottle.
"It went as well as can be expected then?"
"Worse" Lexi took another swig of her beer, looking up at the ceiling she blinked back tears. "Kelly told me he wouldn't wait for me"
Jay did think that was a bit of a dick move, giving her an ultimatum. Kelly knew what he was getting in to when they started dating, and Kelly had pursued her. "Can't say I blame him" Lexi shot at a look at him "don't give me that look. I'd be pissed too if you were my girl and you were leaving me"
Lexi gasped "oh my god, brain melting" Lexi faked a pain in her head, scrunching up her face, holding a hand to her head "Jay Halstead agreeing with Kelly Severide, brain can't take it."
Jay threw the bottle tops at her, laughing at her impeccable acting skills. "I'm kinda pissed at you too. You'd be leaving me too, you know?"
Lexi read his expression, he was serious, he was pissed at her. "Oh, come on, Jay, you of all people should understand"
"I'm not saying I don't understand it. It would be a great opportunity and you'd kick ass, but I still don't like the idea of you going away for a year either"
"Yeah well you might get your wish" Lexi told him jumping down from the surface "I haven't decided yet, I've got until the end of the week."
The following morning Jay stood in the kitchen of the apartment that belonged to Lexi, Kelly and Shay. "Lexi, come on, we're going to be late" he called up the stairs.
They were due at the park in less than hour. It was a fundraising day for the children's cancer department at Chicago Med. The CPD were playing a game of baseball against the CFD, there was going to be fairground rides, games, barbecues.
Jay had taken her home on the way to the park to change, they were already running late as Lexi had insisted, they wait for Shay and Kelly to leave before she went in. Jay had been trying to leave for the last 15 minutes, he wanted to make sure he got a parking space. "I'm coming, I'm coming" Lexi said walking down the stairs.
"Wow!" Jay exclaimed his eyes wide taking her outfit in. She wore a blue and white stripped baseball jersey with CPD embossed over the chest in big black letters, a pair of dark blue ripped denim shorts that you could barely see as the jersey was so long, a pair of black Nike sneakers and a baseball cap to match her jersey.
"Put your tongue away" Lexi laughed slapping his arm as she passed him to walk out the door.
"Remind me to thank Burgess for sorting out the uniforms when I see her" Jay joked following her out the door.
Lexi walked around the fair with Jay and Burgess eating candy floss looking at all the stalls. Lexi had managed to avoid Shay and Kelly for most of the day. They had played their game of baseball, the CPD won. Kelly had purposely taken the position of pitcher, so he wouldn't be able to speak with her and Shay was an outfielder so wasn't close enough to have a conversation with.
Lexi noticed Shay in the queue about to get on the ferries wheel alone. "Hey Jay" she handed him her candy floss and nodded towards the ride "I'll catch up" she told him as she quickly ran over as Shay gave her ticket to the ride operator, "room for one more?" Lexi asked leaning over Shay's shoulder.
"Always" Shay smiled sweetly at her sister. Lexi gave her tickets to the ride operator and climbed in to the seat beside her sister.
"Still mad at me?" Lexi enquired as the ride moved around to fill up the next empty seats.
"I was never mad at you" Shay told her.
"Kelly on the other hand" Lexi smiled sadly.
"He's not mad either, he's just scared to lose you." Shay explained. Sometimes Lexi thought Shay knew Kelly better than he knew himself. "We both are. Undercover work is dangerous, we know that, we don't want anything to happen to you"
The ride moved again, filling up another empty carriage. "I'm not going" Lexi told her "I talked it out with Jay last night and I've made my decision, I'm staying here with you and Kelly"
"And Jay?" Shay questioned a cynical look on face.
"Yes, and Jay" Lexi admitted "he's my family too!"
The ride began and as they reached the peak, Lexi saw Kelly in the crowd, he was leaning on a post, a beer in hand watching her. He had obviously been watching them both on the ride for a while. Lexi couldn't quite read his expression, he didn't look angry or upset, he looked quite sweet, he was looking at her adoringly, like he was seeing her for the first time and falling in love with her right in that moment.
Neither of them broke eye contact as the ride did a whole turn, then a ride car passed in front of them and Lexi lost him, when the car was out of her view again, he was gone, she couldn't see him.
"Lexi" Kelly called her name to get her attention as the seat she was in got to the bottom of its rotation within the circle. Lexi looked around and saw him standing on the ride's platform a small box in his hand "Marry me?"
The ride continued, and she was backing away from him "what?" she wasn't sure she had heard him correctly.
"MARRY ME?" he shouted up at her as she got further away from him.
Lexi looked over the side of the cart, looking down at him smiling up at her, the ring box in hand. Had he just said what she thought he said? "Is he?" Lexi asked Shay.
Shay laughed nodding like crazy "Yes!"
This hadn't been Kelly's proposal plan but watching her he couldn't deny how much he loved her, how much he wanted to be with her. Going undercover for a year or not he wanted to be with her. Wanted to marry her and he wasn't going to wait any longer to ask her.
By the time the ride completed its next circle a crowd of their CFD and CPD friends and colleagues had formed, watching the proposal unfold. Lexi was out the seat the second the operator unfastened the safety bar, she walked toward Kelly who got down on one knee and opened the small red ring box he held in his hand "Marry me?" he repeated.
"Yes" Lexi answered leaning down to kiss him.
The crowd erupted in to cheers. Shay waited for their kiss to end then she jumped on them both hugging them excitedly.
The three of them walked off the platform of the ride down to their waiting friends. Hugs were exchanged, kisses on cheeks given, and congratulatory hand-shakes shared.
As the mob of Chicago's finest dissipated Lexi saw Jay standing on the edge of the crowd observing her. She swore for a split second she saw tears in his eyes then his friendly smile returned, and he was walking towards her arms outstretched to hug her.
"Congratulations" He said embracing her.
"Thank you" she returned the hug and squeezed him a little tighter than she should.
Suddenly Jay was awash with the feeling it was last the time he would hold her. Every time she would fight with Kelly, Jay had a small flicker of hope that this would be it, the last fight they had, they would break up and Lexi would be single. Single and fair game to pursue, Jay could take the time to convince her they would be good partners professionally and unprofessionally. But that was over now, that was never going to happen now they were engaged.
Lexi sat on the kitchen counter wearing Kelly's baseball jersey from the day before. Shirtless Kelly stood in front of her, his hands on her hips, her arms wrapped around his neck. They were so wrapped up in their kiss they hadn't heard Shay come in the front door.
"Urgh, get a room" Shay teased as she walked in to the kitchen. She had spent the night at Gabby's giving the newly engaged couple a free house. Shay took a seat at the breakfast bar putting her bag on the seat beside her, as Kelly and Lexi parted.
"Morning sunshine" Kelly said loudly seeing Shay was hungover.
"Less of the sunshine please" Shay requested as Kelly poured her a mug of coffee.
Lexi turned still sat on the kitchen counter top, so she could see Shay, "you and Gabby do some more tequila celebrating when we left." Lexi concluded rather than asked.
Shay whimpered "oh god, please don't mention alcohol to me" Lexi thought Shay looked a little green as she accepted the coffee from Kelly. "So, what are you two love birds up to today?" Shay asked bringing the coffee mug to her lips and inhaling the aroma.
They both began laughing, but it was Kelly who replied "We need to go bed shopping. We kind of broke ours last night" Kelly leant over the breakfast bar a smug smile on his face.
"Ew" Shay scrunched up her face in disgust "I don't need or want to know!" her expression only made Kelly and Lexi laugh harder. Lexi jumped down from the counter and took a mug from the cabinet to pour herself a coffee. "I bought you these" Shay leant over in to her bag and pulled out some bridal magazines, throwing them on to the counter top.
Lexi glanced at them, "thanks but it's a bit soon isn't it?" Shay looked a little confused. "I'm in no rush to get married" Lexi confessed looking at Kelly, who looked over his shoulder at her "I was thinking a long engagement, unless you were thinking differently?"
"No, a long engagement is fine with me" Kelly told her standing beside her and kissing her neck. "Engaged sex is so much better than regular sex!"
"Kelly, come on, I'm already suffering here!" Shay groaned.