thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! :) and thanks for following/favoriting me! so glad you guys liked it! omg over 100 reviews?!
you guys are awesome lol hope you like this :) sorry for the delay in updating! thanks so much for being patient with me!
Wrongs Righted
Lacey spent the night at her parents' house after dinner with her mom. They didn't ask, but they figured it was some kind of fight with Kelly that brought her there. The next morning, she left right for work, only letting Kelly know that she got there because she knew that he would worry. In hind sight, she knew that the fight wasn't really anything. Kelly was super on edge after what happened to Katie, and rightfully so. She knew him well enough though to know that if he ran into Keeler, things would get out of hand fast.
They went most of the day without speaking as well. Lacey was busy at work and Kelly knew that he had more to say to her than it would take to say during her lunch break. As she was finishing up at work though, Lacey got an unexpected phone call, not from Kelly but from Casey asking her to pick up Shay and meet him. When she looked up the address, she realized that he wanted them to meet him at a jewelry store.
"So do you think he's gonna," Shay started asking as Lacey had just picked her up outside her place. "You know..."
"Propose?" Lacey half laughed. "I guess," she tacked on with a shrug. "Don't know why else he'd have us meeting him there."
"Man, that's crazy," Shay said with a smile, relaxing in her seat. "Do you think she'll say yes?"
"What do you mean?" Lacey asked with a confused laugh. "Of course she will." She paused. "Won't she?"
"I just seems fast for them," Shay commented and Lacey nodded. "Maybe she's pregnant too."
"Maybe," Lacey laughed.
"How is baby Zoe?" Shay smiled.
"Good," Lacey smiled back.
"And how's daddy Kelly?" Shay raised an eye brow and she rolled her eyes. "I saw him yesterday, he told me what happened."
"Yeah, what did you say?" Lacey asked her.
"That you were wrong," Shay said simply.
"Hey," Lacey said, trying to sound like she was feigning offense but really it did sting a little.
"Look, if it makes you feel any better I told him he was wrong too," Shay added on.
"A little," Lacey sighed.
"He's wrong because if he gets himself in trouble he's got you and Zoe to worry about," Shay explained as Lacey parked the car. "And you're wrong because you know Kelly's worried because he has you and Zoe to worry about." She paused. "See what I mean?"
"Yeah," Lacey sighed in agreement. She knew that Shay was right, both she and Kelly were wrong.
"So, after this make up," Shay grinned as they got out of the car. "And everything will be fine."
"Ok," Lacey gave a half smile.
"C'mon," Shay took her hand. "Let's go see what Casey's got picked out."
When Lacey came home, Kelly was already there waiting for her, with dinner started and flowers on the table. They didn't usually fight, but with their personalities the fights usually blew up, which usually meant for some serious apologizing. In any event, Lacey knew that she probably shouldn't have left last night. After all, she didn't even stay away the whole night after their biggest fight yet, when she caught him lying about taking her pain pills.
"Um...hey," Lacey got Kelly's attention as he was at the stove.
"Hi," Kelly said quickly, dropping what he was doing to go see her. It wasn't like he didn't know she was coming back that night, but he was happy to see her all the same. "How are you?"
"Sorry," Lacey answered. "About last night, for leaving."
"I'm sorry too," Kelly said back, kissing her once; they were silent for a moment.
"What?" Lacey asked, not sure what he was thinking.
"I don't like it," Kelly immediately pointed out. "But...we'll do this your way, the cops' way." He rested one hand on her stomach, feeling Zoe kicking. "I've gotta be around for you two." He noticed her soft smile, appreciative and happy that he was saying this, but he could tell that there was something else. "What is it baby?"
"Nothing," Lacey brushed it off, though she was never very good at lying to him.
"It's something," Kelly said as she looked at him finally. "What are you thinking Lace?"
"I just," Lacey hesitated. "Last night, I just thought that..."
"What?" Kelly asked in confusion, not having a single guess as to what this was about.
"What if we did what Katie did?" Lacey asked. "Get away from this place, go where we'll feel safer."
"Leave Chicago?" Kelly asked in surprise. How could she even suggest that? Their entire lives were there, their jobs, their family and friends who were family as well. He looked her over though, really looked her over, and he could tell that she was scared.
"I know, it was a stupid idea," Lacey tried to wave it off. "I can't believe I even thought to-"
"No, no," Kelly stopped her. "It's not stupid. I'm just...surprised," he admitted. "That's all." He paused for awhile. "But, yeah, ok."
"Ok?" Lacey asked curiously.
"If leaving Chicago makes you feel better, ok," Kelly affirmed. "There's teachers and firefighters all over the country, people can come visit..."
"Are you serious?" Lacey asked, being the surprised one now.
"If you are," Kelly promised.
"What?!" Shay was snapping that night at Molly's. Dawson had family visiting in town and was throwing a tapas night at the bar, inviting them all to attend. Lacey was with Dawson and Casey, while Kelly had just dropped the moving bomb on Shay while they waited for Erin to show up after a late shift.
"Shhh," Kelly urged her, looking around to make sure they hadn't drawn any attention.
"You guys can't move," Shay insisted, though she did lower her voice. "Leave Chicago, seriously?"
"If it makes her feel better about this?" Kelly asked and Shay softened. "It sucks, trust me I know. But we've gotta think about Zoe and what's going to be safe for her."
"No, I know you're right," Shay agreed. "But, by the time you're ready to move maybe this thing will blow over or Keeler will finally..." She trailed off as Erin came over to the bar now. "Hey!" Shay greeted her, leaning over the bar to give her quick kiss. "Here, ask Erin. How's it going with the Keeler case?"
"Shay," Kelly complained, especially now that Lacey was coming over; he wasn't sure he was supposed to be spilling the beans on moving yet.
"I kind of wanted to talk to you about that," Erin said now, though her serious tone wasn't making anyone feel better.
"About what?" Lacey asked curiously as she came over and stood alongside where Kelly was sitting on a bar stool.
"Vince Keeler has been missing since last night," Erin explained. "His keys were left in his car and they found his phone a couple blocks away." Kelly didn't say anything. Lacey didn't know what made her more uneasy; the underlying accusation, Kelly not saying anything, or the seemingly uncomfortable glaces from Capp and Clarke.
"Could you come by tomorrow Kelly?" Erin said, though she wasn't really asking, she was clearly telling him to be at the station tomorrow.
"Ah, yeah," Kelly nodded. "Yeah, absolutely."
After having the explosive fight the other night, Kelly knew that Lacey was really trying hard not to say anything about the current situation. He knew that she was trying because she wasn't really saying much of anything, quietly getting up to get ready for work, making the most awkward small talk as he got ready to drive her to work before going down to the station. He wasn't sure what she was thinking, though he could tell that she seemed more upset than angry. Kelly was the angry one though when it turned out it wasn't going to be Erin questioning him; it was Detective Voight. And while Erin worked for him, Voight didn't have the greatest history with Casey.
"Where were you on Wednesday night?" Voight asked him first as they sat across a table from each other.
"I was at home," Kelly answered simply and honestly.
"Alone?" Voight asked and Kelly just nodded. "Was your fiance..." He thought of her name. "Lacey Darden home, can she vouch for you?"
"She was at her parents' house," Kelly said. He wasn't going to get Lacey involved in this to lie for him; he didn't even do anything wrong.
"All night?" Voight asked skeptically.
"All night," Kelly echoed.
"Did the two of you have a fight?" Voight asked.
"I'm not sure what my relationship with Lacey has to do with this," Kelly told him now.
"Here's what I think," Voight told him now. "The two of you have a fight over what's going on and what to do." It wasn't a secret that Kelly wasn't happy with how the investigation was being handled. "She left and you decided to take care of this yourself."
"Are you going to charge me with anything?" Kelly asked. "Because I need to go pick her up soon for a doctor appointment."
"Go ahead," Voight nodded at the door. "We'll be in touch though." Kelly shook his head to himself as he was leaving. He hadn't done anything, but he knew what this looked like; it didn't look good.
Lacey and Kelly sat in silence the entire way to the doctor's office on her lunch break. They were quiet in the waiting room, and even quieter as Lacey sat on the table and waited for the doctor if that was even possible. Kelly hated the silence, he hated that she was barely looking at him. Clearly, she thought something was wrong. It was one thing to get accused by the police, but her?
"If you want to say something, I would rather you just say it," Kelly told her now, breaking the silence. He could hardly take it anymore, though she didn't say anything at first. "Do you think I did it?" Lacey hesitated.
"I think it's odd that you just wanted to move from Chicago," Lacey confessed softly.
"I was doing that for you," Kelly said defensively. "I was doing that for you and Zoe, so you would feel safe."
"What else did you do to make us feel safe?" Lacey asked and Kelly was completely dumb founded by the question. He couldn't say anything now as Dr. Hooper came in to perform Lacey's check up, showing them the usual ultra sound and talking about how healthy their daughter was. As the appointment ended and she left them alone in the room, Lacey spoke up again as they got ready to leave.
"I don't know what bugs me more," Lacey confessed now. She still wasn't angry, just upset. "That I think you did it, or that I'm almost glad you did."
"I didn't Lace," Kelly promised, though he was surprised by what she said. She was happy that Keeler was gone, that he couldn't bother them anymore, that things were finally over and could go back to normal.
"I believe you," Lacey said. She could tell in his face that he wasn't lying, that he hadn't done anything. Now all they had to do was hope that the police believed him.
Days passed and there was little said from CPD. They interviewed a few other people, asked Lacey officially about where Kelly was that night and she said she wasn't home. They questioned Otis since he was Katie's boyfriend and the last person to talk to her the night she disappeared. As far as they could tell, CPD hadn't come up with anything, not that Erin was saying much about it when they all hung out. Kelly had just stopped by to talk to Otis before heading home from the gym, surprised by who was at the apartment with Lacey.
"What are you doing here?" Kelly asked Benny who had been sitting at the kitchen table with Lacey. It felt like last week all over again, Benny showing up, worrying about what was going on with the case, wanting to help; now he probably heard about the trouble Kelly was in and wanted to help again.
"You need to listen to your dad Kelly," Lacey said. She knew what happened, Benny had come over and told her the truth while he was waiting to tell Kelly.
"Listen to what?" Kelly asked impatiently. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," Benny promised him as he got up from the table. "I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to worry about anything, about the police or Keeler going missing."
"What?" Kelly asked in confusion.
"I talked to Detective Voight today," Benny explained. "I took care of it."
"Took care of it?" Kelly asked skeptically. "What dad, now are you making shady deals with dirty cops?"
"I took care of things Kelly," Benny said and Kelly started to get what he was implying. "I took care of things and I talk to Detective Voight. All right?" Kelly nodded silently, looking to Lacey who was just as speechless. "I'm going to be spending less time here in the city, more time with Beth and the boys. But, if you two need anything you let me know, all right?"
"Um...yeah," Kelly nodded now. "Yeah, ok. Thanks dad." Benny nodded as he headed for the door. "Dad," Kelly stopped him and when Benny turned Kelly hugged him quickly. Kelly was happy, happy that things could be normal again, happy that Keeler hadn't gotten away with what happened to Katie, happy that they could move on. "Thanks," he said again. He wasn't thanking him for what he did to Keeler of course, though he was happy that he and Lacey could move on and get their lives back now.
"Just trying to be a better dad," Benny told him before leaving the apartment.
thanks for reading! really hope you liked it, again sorry for the wait! i don't want to say the next update will be "soon" but there will be one! i promise to finish this story, i've just been very busy and some stories are easier to update than others sometimes...anyway, hope you liked this and thanks as always for all your feedback! :)