Chapter 19
Lexi had been with them about two and a half...almost three months, and it was like she'd been there her whole life. She was happy...she was growing...she was thriving.
Around the middle of June Kelly moved the crib from his and Alyssa's room down the hall to Maggie's and the first morning after he did that he went in to find that Maggie had climbed in with Lexi at some point in the night.
When he asked her why she did that...the three year old just gave him a look...like she couldn't believe Daddy could be so dense.
"Because Lexi can't get out to come in my bed..." she said, like the answer should be obvious.
That got a good laugh down at the firehouse when Mills told the men.
"I could always build her a ladder..." Casey offered helpfully.
"And I could always hang you from the aerial..." Kelly told him.
"You have to catch me first..." Matt retorted.
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Every kid in the neighborhood, it seemed was over at the Severides'.
Kelly was under the hood of Alyssa's car...showing Declan the basics of automotive mechanics. Andy, Jesse and Micah from down the block were down two in a game of three on three against Aiden, Connor and Garrett...and Maggie and Lexi were on a blanket under the big tree being supervised by Samantha and Nicole.
Lexi had a new favorite toy...a bouncer Andy and Jesse called the "Baby Bungee Cord". It clamped over a door frame and she could sit in it and bounce to her heart's content. In fact she hated to come out for trivial little things...like breakfast...lunch...and dinner. So Kelly and Mills had rigged up an outdoor version in the big tree using their repelling gear on a strong limb.
And now Lexi was happily bouncing up and down, and her infectious giggles were making Maggie and everyone else laugh right along with her.
It was music to Kelly's ears.
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But somewhere in all that music there was an ominous "thunk" of a heavy car door slamming...
Kelly pulled his head out from under the hood of the car to see Mrs. Hillford lumbering up the drive.
'Oh shit...' he thought.
The ruin to his perfect day.
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Mrs. Hillford had made a few "visits" since Lexi arrived...and there was no pleasing this woman. First she didn't like that the baby was sleeping in Kelly and Alyssa's room...then she was "concerned" that Maggie's room didn't allot the "required" amount of square footage for each child. Then she was appalled that the Severides had taken in a houseguest...and she had to run a background check to make sure Mills had no criminal record and whatever.
"Lady...he's a firefighter!" Kelly had exploded in frustration. "I've worked with him side by side for thirteen years! I trust him with my life...of course I trust him to be around my kids!"
Of course, the background check came up clean...and Mrs. Hillford grudgingly accepted the story that Mills was staying with them while he looked for a new apartment.
Hearing that Kelly had hauled him over in drunken stupor probably wouldn't have gone over too big.
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Severide grabbed the rag and started to wipe the grease off his hands before he approached the social worker he privately referred to as "the battle-axe" when he was feeling charitable. The boys thought she was a witch...and Maggie just called her "the mean lady".
Lexi just pulled away and hid.
Obviously whatever had led this woman to choose social work as her profession was a thing of the past.
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Mrs. Hillford was standing in the driveway staring at the bouncer rigged from the tree limb.
Kelly rolled his eyes.
"Lieutenant Severide...are you certain that contraption is safe for a child?"
"It's perfectly safe." he told her. "That tree limb'll support my weight...and that's standard issue CFD repelling gear."
"I presume this was tested?" Mrs. Hillford didn't seem convinced.
"Yes...it was tested..." he said with a sigh. "I tested it...Mills tested it..."
Mrs. Hillford abruptly changed topics.
"I need to speak to you and Mrs. Severide."
"Alyssa's inside."
He started to lead the way.
"Are you sure it's okay to leave Lexi out her with my nieces babysitting?"
He couldn't resist the temptation to ruffle the woman's feathers.
"Since we'll only be right inside...I suppose it will be all right."
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Kelly led Mrs. Hillford through the four seasons room into the kitchen.
"Lyssa!" he called out. "Lyssa!"
Alyssa came in from the living room where she was folding clothes.
Laundry was a never-ending chore at the Severide house.
She stopped short when she saw their guest.
"Mrs. Hillford..." she said politely. "We weren't expecting you...or were we?"
She gave Kelly a look...perhaps something he forgot to mention?
Kelly shot her a look right back.
This was an unannounced visit.
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Alyssa gave her husband an almost imperceivable nod. Then she turned back to the intruder.
"Can I offer you a drink?" she asked.
Mrs. Hillford took a seat at the kitchen table.
"I'd love a glass of sweet tea." she said.
Where did she think she was? A restaurant?...Kelly wondered.
The woman had nerve...
"We have iced tea...but you'll have to add your own sugar." Alyssa replied tersely.
The social worker sighed at the inconvenience.
"Fine..." she said with a huff.
Kelly wanted to tell her to just state her business and forget the damn refreshments..but he held his tongue.
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Once the tea was poured ...Mrs. Hillford started scooping spoonful after spoonful of sugar into her glass. And after she had added about a thousand calories she looked around.
"Don't you have any cookies?" she asked.
Alyssa started to get up, but Kelly motioned with his hand for her to sit back down. He got up and crossed over to the counter below the pass through to the four seasons room...and grabbed a plastic container full of Trail Mix cookies Lyssa had made the day before.
He brought the container back to the table and set them down...probably a little less gently than he should. Then he pulled out a chair and took a seat right beside his wife.
"So whaddya need to talk to us about?" he asked tersely.
Mrs. Hillford looked up from the cookie container...she had been searching for the perfect one.
"Lexi's mother is asking for visitation." she said matter-of-factly.
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Alyssa felt her breath leave her body...and Kelly tightened his right hand into a fist.
"Excuse me?" Alyssa asked...certain she must have misunderstood.
Jaclyn Fisher was accused of murdering her six year old son! She had subjected that poor child to a nightmare of a life...and sentenced him to a death no one would wish on their worst enemy.
And now she thought she should just be able to see Lexi whenever she wanted?
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"She's petitioned the court to allow her to have weekly visitation down at County." Mrs. Hillford told them.
"Over my dead body!" Kelly exploded.
"You don't get a say in this, Lieutenant Severide. She's still Lexi's mother."
"Like hell I don't get a say!"
Even if he could see past what that woman was in jail for...26th and California was no place for a baby!
"I was at that fire!" he told the social worker. "I was in that house...searching for that little boy! I carried his body out of that hell! And I saw her! I saw the cold...inhuman...expression on her face...and I saw her just standing there all bundled up against the cold...ready to get in fucking car and drive away...while her own child was burning to death!"
His eyes flashed with pure fury...as he glared at Brenda Hillford.
This woman didn't have an ounce of feeling in her. She was supposed to be managing Lexi's case...presumably looking out for the little girl's best interests. And she was ready to take a baby into jail...and hand her over to a murderer?
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Alyssa slipped her arm around Kelly. He was absolutely shaking...he was so angry.
"There has to be something we can do." Alyssa said. "Surely you don't think County's an appropriate place for baby?"
"The court hasn't ruled on the petition yet." Mrs. Hillford said. "But Ms. Fisher's legal rights as a parent haven't been terminated...and you're only Lexis's foster parents. Technically it's the State's call."
The woman helped herself to another cookie...then drained the last of her tea...and shoved her chair away from the table.
After she laboriously hauled herself to her feet she looked at the couple.
"I just had to make you aware...this is coming down the pike. Once the judge delivers his ruling...I'll be taking Lexi to see her mother. You don't need to be present."
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Kelly jumped to his feet...ready to bodily toss this woman out of his house.
And Alyssa stood up slowly herself.
"Well...hopefully the judge will rule in Lexi's best interest." she said. "In the meantime...we'll be exploring our options as well."
"What options?" Mrs. Hillford asked.
"There are always options, Mrs. Hillford." Alyssa said calmly. "The State saw fit to place Lexi with our family...and all of the inspections and reports we've had have been very positive. You yourself have acknowledged that Lexi's doing well here...that she's adjusted beautifully...I believe those were your words."
She felt Kelly's and against the small of her back...and that gave her even more confidence.
"We care for Lexi...and we want her to continue to do well...and we're prepared to do whatever we have to in order to assure that happens." she said.
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The tension in the air was so thick you'd need a K-12 t cut through it...and Kelly had never been more proud of his wife.
Alyssa knew the right words to say...where as he probably would have made things worse.
But they were still a helluva team.
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When the battle-axe had finally departed...Alyssa turned to her husband and stepped into the safety of his arms.
As they held each other in the kitchen they could hear the kids outside in the yard...the boys' basketball game...and Lexi's laughter carrying over the top as she bounced and bounced to her heart's content.
There was no way they could allow anyone to take her into a jail!
Kelly tangled his fingers in Alyssa's long hair...
"We need a lawyer..." he said.