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Questions and Answers

Kelly got up that morning before Lacey did, having someone he wanted to meet up with. He left Shay a message, telling her that he left her keys downstairs in his and Lacey's mailbox. Right now, he didn't feel much like seeing her, not after what she said last night. He knew that she was going through a lot and she had been drunk, but that didn't matter to him. What she said about Lacey losing their baby a second time and his protective behavior really stung. He shook it off though, walking into the diner where someone was already waiting for him.

"Hey Kelly," Lacey's father, Mark, smiled at him, already having ordered coffee for himself. "How are you?"

"Good," Kelly nodded, taking a seat across from him, seeming a bit nervous.

"And, Lacey?" Mark asked. He wasn't sure why Kelly called him here.

"She's really good," Kelly promised, though last night had been a misadventure. "Doctor's appointments are going great."

"That's good," Mark nodded.

"We're having a girl," Kelly told him. "Or, at least, that's what Dawson's telling us."

"Well, that's good," Mark agreed. "Thought of any baby names?"

"I wanted to ask you something," Kelly blurted out, not having heard the question really.

"All right, shoot," Mark told him, relaxing back in his seat. The more Kelly anxiously shifted in his seat, the more he realized what this was about. Kelly had no idea how to word what he was about to ask.

"Would it be all right," Kelly started off, but that sounded weird to him. "I wanted to ask you if..." That didn't sound right either. "I want to marry your daughter...sir," Kelly added on quickly. Something about Lacey's dad made him like him one second, then deathly afraid the next. Maybe that was the affect he'd have on the guys that wanted to date his daughter.

"You're asking me for permission?" Mark asked curiously. He thought they already covered this, the last time Lacey was pregnant. Mark wanted them to get married then, but they were waiting. Apparently now, Kelly was done waiting.

"...please?" Kelly tacked on, making Mark laugh.

"Of course it's ok Kelly," Mark chuckled, sipping on his coffee. "Lacey loves you, and you've always been part of our family." He smiled at him. "It would be nice to make it official."

Kelly went out right after, having already looked at rings once before. Lacey had asked where he was and he lied, saying he was with Casey, helping him with some remodeling at his house. It wasn't a complete lie as he did find himself over at Casey's place a bit after he had gone for the ring, wanting someone's thoughts on the whole thing, someone not Lacey's dad. He'd love to talk to Shay about this, but he was still pretty angry with her for last night. And, talking to his own father was off the table.

"Hey," Casey greeted him with a smile, letting him in. "What's up Kel?" He and Kelly sat on the couch. "Sounded important."

"I wanna know what you think about something," Kelly said, pulling the little gray box out of his pocket and showing Casey the ring. Casey looked at the ring, raising his eye brows at Kelly.

"Well, I mean, jeez," Casey said, overly shocked. "This is just...so sudden. I don't even know what to say." He smirked at Kelly. "Won't Lacey be jealous?"

"C'mon Casey," Kelly complained. "I'm really nervous about this."

"Hey," Casey laughed. "Why are you freaking out?" He shrugged. "It's you and Lacey." He smiled now. "You're having a kid."

"No, I know," Kelly nodded. "Just...actually asking her is freaking me out."

"Been there," Casey nodded in agreement, remembering the wreck he was before he asked Hallie to marry him. He remembered meeting Kelly and Andy out, showing them the ring, going over his plan to ask again and again, getting an opinion on the ring.

"I know she'll say yes though," Casey assured him. "Everyone's gonna meet up at Molly's tonight, you guys should come after, to celebrate."

Kelly was still crazy nervous as he went back to the apartment, Lacey calling him to see where he was. She also let him know that Shay came by to get her keys, not even bothering to talk to Lacey; she was worried. He promised her though that it would be all right, that they couldn't make her talk about it. She had also heard from her dad that Benny had backed out of the chief position, that Boden was fighting to stay; that was good news to Kelly. Promising to be home soon after one more stop, Kelly hung up with Lacey, parking his car before walking among the rows of the cemetery. Stopping at the grave, he had only been there a handful of times in the last year.

Andrew Darden
Father, Husband, & Brother
1983-2012

"Hey man," Kelly sighed, looking at the tombstone. "Sorry I'm...not here more?" He shrugged. "But I can pretty much picture you telling me not to spend so much time here." He paused for awhile. "It's just that, uh, I'm really freaking out. And, I don't know who else to talk to." He laughed quietly to himself. "Though, I'm not sure how happy you'd be, about me marrying your sister?" He paused again, like Andy would answer. "But, I guess that if you knew about us and I'm still standing, that's a pretty good sign. Right?" He was quiet again, swallowing hard over the lump forming in his throat.

"God, I miss you Andy," Kelly admitted. "I really wish you were here, especially for stuff like this." He blinked back tears, keeping them away. "I need a best man, ya know?" He thought and laughed to himself again. "And I have no idea what to do about having a kid. I'm just sort of making it up as I go." He was quiet again. "I just want you to know that I'm going to take really good care of her. Her and our little girl."

It was close to dinnertime when Kelly was heading back to the apartment. Lacey had been wondering where he disappeared to all day and he kept making up excuses, hoping she'd be pleasantly surprised. Stopping along the way, he got her flowers, which he seemed to be doing a lot of lately since the news of the baby. She had also texted him that, if he was going to be out all day, could he at least stop to get her grape popsicles, Kelly finding her random cravings funny. When he got back to the apartment though, the humor of her pregnancy cravings faded as he heard shouting before he even got up to the door.

"I just wanna talk to you Lacey," the male voice argued; Kelly had heard it before but couldn't place it.

"I'm serious Eric, get out!" Lacey shouted back now, the door to the apartment opening. Kelly recognized him now, seeing his face. Though he didn't exactly remember when or what happened, he knew that this guy dated Lacey at one point while she was in college.

"What's going on?" Kelly asked, setting his stuff on the table. Eric recognized him now too, having met Kelly a few times when he had been around the Darden house.

Eric and Lacey had dated for two years while she was in college. It started off because he was from Madison, so he would always drop her off in Chicago before heading home himself if they drove home for breaks. Eventually, they started dating. Out of high school, he was the first serious boyfriend Lacey ever had. Things had ended pretty badly for them though, with Eric running out while Lacey had a pregnancy scare, which Kelly didn't currently remember. All he knew was that Andy hated this guy, so Kelly had always hated him too, now even more so.

"Your brother's friend?" Eric scoffed at Lacey as she crossed her arms over herself. "Real class act there Lacey."

"Hey," Kelly said, seriously now as he was starting to get angry. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Leaving," Lacey answered for him.

"Fine," Eric told her, backing towards the door now, keeping his eyes on her. "We'll do this later." It wasn't like he was asking, it sounded like he was threatening, which only infuriated Kelly more.

"The hell you-"

"Hey," Lacey stopped Kelly, grabbing his arm and hanging on to keep him back as Eric left with a slamming door.

"What was that?" Kelly asked, a little more meanly than he meant, but he was so shocked by what just happened. What was this guy doing in their apartment?

"Me being stupid," Lacey muttered to herself, playing with her fingers; she wouldn't look at Kelly. "I thought he was Dawson, or maybe even Shay." She rolled her eyes at herself. "Then, he came in, we were arguing." She looked at Kelly now. "He was only here...maybe five or ten minutes, I-"

"I don't care how long he was here babe," Kelly assured her. He didn't even care that she let him in, knowing and trusting her. "I wanna know what he said to you."

"Just stupid ex stuff," Lacey tried to brush it off. "I guess he's moved here, he knew I moved back from Virginia. Said he missed me, so he found out where I was living." That part seemed to bother her, Kelly could tell in the way she shifted. "It was stupid," she repeated; she still wasn't really looking at him, only in quick glances to gauge his reactions. "I just didn't want you to think that-"

"I don't think anything," Kelly promised her, looking her over once. Something was off, something wasn't right with her. She was shaken and afraid. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing's going on," Lacey said quickly, seeming defensive. "It was just a stupid fight, he was an idiot to-"

"Baby," Kelly said gently, stepping closer to her. "Your hands are shaking." Lacey crossed her arms, squeezing her hands against herself to make it stop. "What happened while I was gone?"

"Nothing," Lacey repeated.

"Did he threaten you?" Kelly asked now.

"No," Lacey shook her head. "No, I just...think he's stupid." She kept saying he was stupid, it was stupid, the fight was stupid; she was trying too hard to get Kelly to drop it, and that bothered him. "I'm just annoyed," Lacey brushed it off before Kelly could say anything else. "He bailed, before my pregnancy test even came back negative." She rolled her eyes. "Andy broke his nose over it."

"Oh that guy," Kelly remembered now. "That guy's a dick."

"Yeah," Lacey muttered, looking at the floor. She looked up when she felt Kelly's hands on her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"You're sure there's nothing else?" Kelly asked, giving her another chance to come out with it.

"Yeah," Lacey nodded, forcing a half smile now. "It was a dumb...thing." She shrugged. "No big deal."

"All right," Kelly hesitantly agreed.

"So, where were you today?" Lacey changed the subject now, putting her arms around him now as well.

"Little of everywhere," Kelly answered vaguely.

"Did you try talking to Shay?" she asked hopefully.

"Other than telling her about the keys, no," Kelly shook his head.

"I don't think this is the best thing for her," Lacey sighed. Dawson was supposed to come over and come up with a solution with her. Once Dawson got word about the party at Molly's that night for a celebration for Kelly and Lacey, she bailed.

"Drunk or not, she said some pretty out of line stuff last night," Kelly reminded her.

"I guess," Lacey sighed in agreement. "Oh, did you try calling Katie?" She remembered this now, with Benny calling Lacey to leave Katie's number in case Kelly wanted to know his half sister.

"I did," Kelly nodded. "But, um, after my dad, she's kind of had her fill of Severide disappointment."

"Well, you're not Benny," Lacey reminded him. "Hopefully she'll come around." Kelly nodded. "What did you end up doing today?" Lacey laughed now. "Besides helping Casey with his kitchen, or whatever."

"Just a lot of thinking," Kelly admitted.

"About what?"

"This past year," Kelly explained. "I mean...a lot's happened." Lacey nodded in agreement. "We got together." He paused. "We...lost Andy." Lacey nodded again. "We came back from accidents. We got pregnant. We were guardians to our nephews for a few months. And...now we're pregnant again."

"I was there," Lacey said lightly; Kelly smiled back.

"It was all stuff, with us," Kelly continued now. "Some stuff that I never would have gotten through without you." He shook his head. "I don't ever want to be without you."

"Well, you won't," Lacey joked, standing up on her toes to kiss him. "You're kind of stuck with me." She nodded her head from side to side. "Or at least for eighteen years," she teased him and he laughed.

"I'd like it to be longer than that," Kelly told her, letting her waist go as he prepared to ask her. "And...more official." Lacey knew what was going on now.

Oh my God!, her brain was screaming at her.

"I love you so much Lace," Kelly told her now. "And...I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy, taking care of both my girls." He dropped onto one knee now, pulling the ring from his jacket pocket. "Lacey Darden, will you marry me?"

"Mhmm," Lacey nodded, not really able to talk as she started crying unexpectedly. She never thought she'd be the girl to cry over getting proposed to, but here she was nearly sobbing with excitement. Kelly got up, sliding the ring on her finger before she threw her arms around him, kissing him deeply.

After the proposal, Kelly told Lacey about the party at Molly's that everyone wanted to have for them, telling her they could bail if she wanted. She agreed to go, though they were a little late due to some celebrating of their own. She called her parents on the way there, as well as Heather and the boys. Both Jack and Sean were thrilled that Kelly was going to officially be their uncle. When they walked in, all their friends were there. Left hand in her jacket pocket, Lacey looked around the room like she was confused.

"What's with the balloons?" she asked everyone who seemed to look at her expectantly.

"Oh shit," Casey muttered to himself; Kelly hadn't asked her.

"I'm just kidding," Lacey laughed, pulling her hand out now.

"Yessss!" Dawson said excitedly, hugging Lacey first.

"You better watch that one," Hermann joked, shaking Kelly's hand as he recalled Lacey's joke from the other day about the guys betting on the baby's gender. "She's almost mean with all those jokes."

"Hey, that's my fiancee," Kelly laughed, Casey hugging him now.

"Happy for you guys," Casey smiled at him.

"Oh my God, Kelly!" Dawson was saying as she was holding Lacey's hand. "This ring is gorgeous."

"Hey," Lacey laughed, getting her attention. "Where's Shay?" Dawson bit her lip, shaking her head. "She's not coming?" Lacey nearly pouted.

"She didn't know what it was," Dawson tried to assure her, as if to say if she knew it was important, Shay would have come. "She's not answering any of my calls."

"Mine either," Lacey sighed.

"Hey!" Dawson grinned, squeezing Lacey's hand. "C'mon, don't worry about that now. Let's celebrate!"

"Ok," Lacey laughed in agreement, following her to find something that she could drink. With Lacey gone, Kelly was with Casey and Hermann, already having a beer with them.

"Hey, you guys," Kelly said, unable to shake what happened before. Casey was Andy's other best friend and Hermann had known him pretty well.

"Need some marriage advice?" Hermann joked, drinking his beer.

"I will soon," Kelly replied, half laughing. "I just..." He shook his head. "You don't remember Andy ever saying anything about an Eric, do you? Someone Lacey used to date." Casey thought about it.

"Didn't Andy break his hand on that kid's face?" Casey offered.

"Oh yeah, I kinda remember that," Hermann nodded in agreement. "Why, is he calling her up or something?"

"Moved here," Kelly corrected him. "He was at the apartment earlier and they were arguing. She said everything was fine..."

"Probably nothing then," Casey assured him. After all, if something was wrong Lacey should know that Kelly would handle it right away.

"Yeah," Hermann agreed. "Every girl's got an ex like that, one that realizes they screwed up awhile after and tries to fix it."

"Did Cindy?" Kelly asked.

"Two of 'em," Hermann rolled his eyes. "Sent 'em both packing." Casey and Kelly both laughed. "I'm sure it's fine though," Hermann added reassuringly as Lacey and Dawson came back now.

"So, got some champagne," Dawson said, setting the bottle on the bar.

"Also, think we might have gotten our thunder stolen," Lacey laughed as Kelly put his arm around her waist. "Because, um, Cruz just got engaged to Zoya."

"Double wedding," Kelly joked, kissing her cheek.

"Well, it's going to make for an interesting night," Casey commented now, taking a drink.

"Hey," Lacey said to Kelly as the others were talking around them. "You all right?"

"Yeah," Kelly grinned at her, kissing her now. "Just got engaged to the most beautiful woman in the world. I'm perfect."

thanks for reading! :) really hope you liked it! i know i didn't go into a whole lot with everything with shay, but i wanted to introduce a new story line exclusive to lacey's past, separate from her connections to the firehouse. hope you liked the update, let me know what you thought! :)