Chapter 6

Two remarkable similar versions of the finale chapter exists because I couldn't decide which one I liked best. Version one was written before the death of Hallie which makes it somewhat AU.

Version One

"I'm out of my mind," Shay said for the fourth time that morning.

"Stop denying yourself happiness and enjoy your day," Dawson said.

"This isn't happiness. It's dementia." Shay countered.

Dawson gave her an amused look. "Whose bed did you climb out of this morning?"

"Kelly's" Shay replied.

"And whose baby is growing under your belly?" Dawson continued.

"Kelly's." Shay admitted.

Dawson nodded approvingly and hugged Shay. "Stop worrying. Go out there and marry your best friend because if you two are going to have a family it's better for the parents to be married." Dawson handed her bouquet of scarlet lilies. "You're beautiful today, hermana. But of all the colors, why red?"

Shay glanced down at the plaid taffeta skirt and shrugged. "Even a firehouse wouldn't be safe, if I wore white."

Once the morning sickness kicked in Kelly had started asking her to set a date on bent knee everyday in front of the entire fire station. It had been highly embarrassing, even if strangely sweet. She doubted many women had ever had Kelly Severide so throughly on his knees before. Of course she would never tell Dawson it was a conversation with Hallie, not only her desire to shut him up, that finally prompted her to agree. She had been to see Kendra just to be certain what she thought was morning sickness wasn't the flu and ran into Hallie. Shay had invited her out for coffee because if anyone understood being conflicted about a relationship it was Hallie. She told Hallie about the pregnancy first. At least, Hallie was honestly excited for her without any tinge of regret.

"Congratulations! Did you meet the father or use an anonymous donor?" Hallie asked.

"Kelly's the father," she said.

An O flashed across Hallie's mouth for a moment. "The rumors are true."

"Do I want to know what those rumors are," she asked.

"That you tamed him. He's muzzled and leashed according to some reports." Hallie told her.

It could have been worse. "I never asked him to do that," Shay said.

"Maybe that's why he did it," Hallie said.

"He wants me to marry him," Shay said.

"Because you're pregnant?" Hallie asked.

"He asked me before we ever even had sex." Then it had occurred to her that this might be too painful a subject to discuss even with Hallie after what had happened between her and Matthew Casey.

But Hallie smiled. "You did house break him." Then her expression grew serious. "Do you love him?"

"Sometimes, it frightens me how much I feel for him," Shay admitted.

Hallie nodded. "Then you got to hold on to him with both arms." She looked so eternally sad at that moment it was all Shay could do to stop at just reaching for Hallie's hands.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have started talking about this with you." God in heaven! The pregnancy hormones were horrible. They were already turning her into a giant, sobbing mess.

Hallie wiped her eyes. "It's okay. I'm okay. Intellectually, I know Matt and I could have never been happy together. We didn't want the same things. But sometimes it still hurts. If you love Kelly and you agree on how you want to spend your lives together, marry him, because most people don't get to be with the person they love." Hallie had gotten up quickly after that and announced she had to check on a patient.

So the next morning when Kelly made his routine proposal, she had looked him straight in the eye and replied. "We'll have to give my Uncle Etienne time to get here and I'm not wearing white." The celebratory cheers had been loud enough to notify Chief Boden in his office.

Her wedding wasn't what anyone would have predicted. Instead of a lesbian bar with hipster music, she was getting married to a man in the firehouse. Why not? It was central to their lives. It looked rather nice decorated with white streamers and tissue paper bells. There were bagpipes for the walk down the aisle. And while Kelly was wearing a black suit for the ceremony, she chose a tea length dress of plaid taffeta. A tiny handkerchief of white lace on the back of a red velvet headband had been her only nod to traditional bridal conventions. But it all seemed right. It seemed like them with no falsehoods to mar the day.

She hadn't expected the ceremony to be anything other than words to be endured, but standing with Kelly in front of a priest no less, how did Kelly ever manage that, even the ceremony changed into something she hadn't expected. There was some anxious twittering at the line of If anyone knows cause that these two should not be joined together, let them speak now, then the words began in earnest. Gazing into his eyes she saw a man stripped bare. Years of knowing Kelly had taught her when the man was lying and when he was telling the truth. He was standing in front of everyone that mattered in their lives with real love leaking from the corners of his eyes telling the truth when he spoke about loving and cherishing her and forsaking all others as long as they both shall live. The rings were just outward symbols, but the vows Kelly and she repeated coiled into their chests and grew into knots that could never be undone. He was her best friend. He was her lover and from this day forward they would never be only two people. When it was time to kiss, their gazes locked. Kelly whispered "I wish I had met you when I was sixteen. Both of our lives would have been a lot better." She started to cry. Kelly swept her up his arms and declared "I love you, Shay," loud enough that everyone clapped.

Afterwards the reception was a thing to be endured. Dawson's menu was exceptional. The toasts could have been worse, probably would have been worse if the Hermann's kids hadn't been present. Casey was eloquent and offered Kelly congratulations and the best of luck. Dawson sobbed and talked about the beauty of the perfect friendship leading to their perfect happiness. And Chief Boden brought the house down suggesting that if karma existed in the universe Kelly Severide would end up with a house full of beautiful daughters. Then someone put on music and everyone insisted they dance.

"My feet are killing me," Shay protested when Kelly offered her his hand.

"So kick off your shoes. You're the bride. We got to have our first dance." Kelly said.

She gave in, but left her shoes under the table. Someday when her ankles weren't swollen she would wear them. Except they really didn't dance. She just held onto Kelly and swayed with the music. It was an old eighties song about true companions marrying. "Did you pick this out?" she asked.

"I think Dawson did. It's pretty though. I say we play it at our fiftieth." He said.

She felt herself smiling. "That's too far in the future to think about."

"I like thinking about it. I plan on embarrassing our grandchildren." He said.

She batted Kelly with her knuckles. "Grandchildren?"

His eyes became sweet serious. "Why not? With you at my side. I think I can stay alive the next fifty years."

Version Two

"I'm out of my mind," Shay said for the fourth time that morning.

"Stop denying yourself happiness and enjoy your day," Dawson said.

"This isn't happiness. It's dementia." Shay countered.

Dawson gave her an amused look. "Whose bed did you climb out of this morning?"

"Kelly's" Shay replied.

"And in whose bed have you been sleeping for the last five and a half years in a relationship of complete monogamy by both partners?" Dawson continued.

"Kelly's." Shay admitted.

"And who is the best father in the world to your daughter and the only man in this fire station who actually seems be doing fifty percent of the child care?" Dawson asked.

Actually it was more like a hundred and fifty percent, Shay thought. She could see Kelly through the window playing with Darden in her pink flower girl dress. They were inseparable. As much as she loved her daughter she had to concede, Darden was her Daddy's girl. "Kelly," she admitted finally.

Dawson nodded approvingly and hugged Shay. "Stop worrying. Go out there and make an honest man of your best friend." Dawson handed her bouquet of scarlet lilies. "You're beautiful today, hermana. But of all the colors, why red?"

Shay glanced down at her plaid taffeta skirt and shrugged. "Our daughter is our flower girl I really don't think white would be appropriate."

She hadn't wanted to get married in the first place, but Kelly had insisted. His heart, his body and his soul were hers under any conditions, but if she wanted a little brother or sister for Darden, official marriage with a ceremony in front of their friends was a requirement. Her wedding wasn't what anyone would have predicted. Instead of a lesbian club with hipster music, she was getting married to a man in the firehouse. Why not? It was central to their lives. It looked rather nice decorated with white streamers and tissue paper bells. There were bagpipes for the walk down the aisle. And while Kelly was wearing a black suit for the ceremony, she chose tea length dress of taffeta plaid. A tiny handkerchief of white lace on the back of her velvet headband had been her only nod to traditional bridal conventions. But it all seemed right. It seemed like them with no falsehoods to mare the day.

She hadn't expected the ceremony to be anything other than words to be endured, but standing with Kelly in front of, a priest no less, how did Kelly ever manage that, even the ceremony changed into something she hadn't expected. There was some anxious twittering at the line of If anyone knows cause that these two should not be joined together, let them speak now, then the words began in earnest. Gazing into his eyes she saw a man stripped bare. Years of knowing Kelly had taught her when the man was lying and when he was telling the truth. He was standing in front of everyone that mattered in their lives with real love leaking from the corners of his eyes telling the truth when he spoke about loving and cherishing her and forsaking all others as long as they both shall live. The rings were just outward symbols, but the vows Kelly and she repeated coiled into their chests and grew into knots that could never be undone. He was her best friend. He was her lover and from this day forward the two of them could never be only two people. She felt her eyes grow moist.

"What's wrong?" he whispered.

"We should have done this earlier," she admitted.

He nodded. "Yeah, we should have."

Tears were running down on her checks. They weren't sadness for the years they had lost out on.. She was happy, really overjoyed with happiness over the possible years yet to come that they would spend together. Kelly swept her up his arms and declared "I love you, Shay," loud enough that everyone clapped drowning out the words I now pronounce you husband and wife.