Chapter 13

Kelly was right to schedule a long vacation beginning on moving day.

The days were fine…the boys had another week of school…then Christmas break.

But the first couple nights in the house had brought the twins running down the hall to their parents' bedroom.

"Daddy! I heard something downstairs…" Jesse cried.

And Kelly had to get up and go downstairs…then come back and reassure his sons that there was nothing to be afraid of.

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And Kelly and Alyssa spent their days getting everything where they wanted it…and getting out the Christmas decorations.

Thank the Lord the basement had been untouched by the fire…and all their mementos were still intact. All their Christmas ornaments and special holiday knick-knacks…pictures in holiday frames…nativity sets…all those things they could never have replaced.

Christmas was a big deal in the Severide house…for a lot of reasons. The most obvious was that December 24 was Andy and Jesse's birthday…and they always tried to make it special. Another was it was really the first holiday that Kelly and Alyssa had celebrated together in their own place…in their own way. It was Alyssa's favorite holiday…and Kelly couldn't help getting caught up in her almost child-like enthusiasm as they made their own traditions.

They decorated trees…plural. Alyssa loved Christmas ornaments…and every year she bought dozens of new ones…all representative of where they were that year. Kelly was positive he owned every firefighter and fire truck ornament known to man…and they had a tree in the living room strictly designated the "firefighter tree". There was another tree in a corner of the dining room with all foodstuffs hanging.

And there was the "family" tree…with ornaments from Alyssa's grandparents' trees…a photo ornament for every year of the boys' lives…a family photo ornament for each year…ornaments that reflected the kids' interests (other than firefighting) like books, and different toys…ornaments from the Disney parks they had gotten on their trip…and a shark to remind them of their fishing expedition.

This year there was a "new home" ornament…because they were back in their house again…and a "new baby" ornament…a woman with dark hair and an obviously pregnant belly.

"You do know you're gonna have to cool it with the Christmas trees…" Kelly told Alyssa as he set up the third tree. "We're gonna run outta places to put 'em."

"What are you talking about?" Lyssa asked with a wicked little grin. "There's the playroom…and the guest room…and maybe a little one in the bathroom…"

"I'm drawin' the line right there, Babe." He said. "I refuse to hang Christmas ornaments in the bathroom!"

"It's like "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas"…" Alyssa pouted.

Kelly rolled his eyes heavenward.

"You're worse than the kids…"

Alyssa came up and put her arms around him.

"And you still love me…"

"You're damn right I do." He said as he wrapped her in a tight embrace.

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He was working on the outdoor lights when a car pulled up in front of the house.

He turned around to see Morgan getting out and heading up the drive.

"Aren't you a little early?" Kelly asked, glancing at his watch. "The kids don't get out of school for another couple hours."

Craddock had decided to stay in town, doing some extra instruction at the Academy…even though the rest of the cast had wrapped up their "boot camp" earlier in the week. Morgan still had so much he wanted to learn…and the brass was all for it. So most every day was spent in classes or meeting with the instructors. And then he came to have "training" with Andy and Jesse…Kelly suspected it really had something to do with the free dinners, but the boys loved playing with Hollywood and he always made them feel like they were doing something really important.

Craddock shrugged.

"Want a hand?" he asked.

"Sure…there's another ladder in the garage."

The two worked for a while…just making small talk.

Kelly asked what he was doing at the Academy…and Craddock told him about his crash course in HazMat.

Then Kelly asked another question.

"So…you goin' home for Christmas? Everybody else's cleared outta here."

"No…I'm actually bringin' my mom and my grandma here."

"You love Chicago that much?"

Craddock chuckled.

"I do like it here…I'm thinking about getting' a place…you know, for when we're shooting. Maybe my mom and my grandma'll come too…maybe get a room for my kid brother when he's on break…"

"Don't you need to see if the show gets picked up?" Kelly asked. "I mean, before you go makin' all kinds of plans?"

"I'm not worried. I know we've got a good product. And with Todd Keller steerin' the ship, we can't lose."

"I'm glad you're that confident."

"I am…I'm really excited to see how far this thing can go. I'm working on developing another character…a love interest for Whitlock. The writers say they're open to it…"

"You like the writing part, don't you?" Kelly observed. "That bio you put together…all the suggestions you gave them when we had that dinner last month…you really put a lot of work into it."

"I always liked making up stories when I was a kid. It was a way to get out of my life for a while." Morgan admitted. "Kids used to tease me and my brothers… 'cause we used to get our clothes from the Goodwill…we didn't have the video games…we got free lunches. My dad drank away every dollar he got his hands on…and my mom cleaned houses during the day…and offices at night. So we didn't have a lot."

"My mom worked at Marshall Fields' downtown. She used to use her discount and shop the clearance rack for my clothes." Kelly told him. "Things were tight…but she always made sure I could do stuff like play sports and go to the movies and whatever."

"I'm just glad I can help my mom out now…so she doesn't have to work like a dog anymore." Morgan said.

Kelly just shook his head. He had really misjudged Hollywood. It turned out the guy was really…really smart, and he was serious about wanting to do his job right. And he really had his head in the right place when it came to family.

"Well…since you're gonna be in town…we're having a birthday party for the boys on Christmas Eve…if you want to come. Bring your mom and your grandma…your brothers…whoever you want."

"Thanks…Andy and Jesse already invited me. In fact, they told me they'd be really mad at me and wouldn't play with me anymore if I didn't come…" Craddock said with a grin.

Severide rolled his eyes.

"I'll talk to them…they think you're just one of their friends." He said. "They need to remember you're a grown-up…"

"Well, that's debatable." Craddock quipped.

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The house was bursting at the seams. They hadn't had a crowd that size since the twins' first birthday. Everyone from the firehouse was on hand… Alyssa's entire family…Kelly's Aunt Kathy and his cousins…Benny… and Morgan…as promised…

And he had brought his family. He introduced Kelly and Alyssa to his mom…

"Lieutenant…I'd like you to meet my mom, Jeanne Craddock…"

"How many times do I have to tell you? You don't have to be so formal…"

He held out his hand to Mrs. Craddock.

"Kelly…" he introduced himself.

Then he slipped his arm around Alyssa and brought her forward.

"And this is my wife, Alyssa."

Alyssa held out her hand as well, but found herself drawn into a big hug.

And then Morgan introduced his grandmother, Marianne, and his youngest brother, Grayson.

And finally…Kelly caught Andy and Jesse on a run from the kitchen to the living room.

"Guys…you need to say hi to Morgan…"

Andy and Jesse both pounced on their friend…and Hollywood caught them in a bear hug.

"Happy Birthday, guys!" he said with a huge smile.

"Morgan!" Andy cried happily.

"You came!" Jesse added.

"I promised you I would!" Morgan told them. "There's some people I want you to meet. This is my mom…and my grandma…and this is my little brother, Gray."

"He doesn't look very little…" Jesse said as he stared up at Grayson Craddock.

Grayson was well over six feet tall…and he had several inches on Morgan.

Of course everybody thought that was absolutely hysterical.

"What's so funny?" Jesse asked.

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While everyone was filling plate after plate with Alyssa's home cooking…Jeanne Craddock approached Kelly and Alyssa.

"I just wanted to thank you…" she began. "For making Morgan feel so welcome."

Kelly squirmed a little…he certainly hadn't been very welcoming…at least not in the beginning.

"We really enjoy having people around." Alyssa said quickly. "I'm the youngest of six…so I'm used to a full house. And Morgan's amazing with the boys."

"Every time he calls he always tells me about dinner with your family…" Jeanne went on. "And about all the extra "training"…not just with Andy and Jesse either, Lieutenant. He told me about all the extra time you've taken with him."

"He's really workin' hard." Kelly said.

"Well…I just wanted to tell you I appreciate all you've done. I wasn't thrilled when he moved out to LA…you hear so many stories. But this is good for him…"

No matter how old you got…no matter how successful you were…parents still worried.

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But Kelly supposed that could go two ways.

Towards the end of the evening…after the presents had been opened…after the cakes had been cut and devoured…Kelly walked around his house.

They still had about thirty or forty people…the kids were all out in the playroom…some of the grown-ups...okay, pretty much the whole team…had gone downstairs to the "man cave". There was a lot of trash talk around the pool table…and some money had already changed hands at the poker table.

And upstairs in the living room…Kelly couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the sight of his dad…over by the "firefighter tree"…deep in conversation…with Hollywood's mom!

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Eventually, the parties and the celebrations had to end.

They spent Christmas day at Lyssa's brother Tony's place. Tony had invited Hollywood and his family to join them too…especially after his wife Sherrie heard their plans to eat Christmas dinner at the hotel.

Morgan had splurged for the boys…and he picked the family up in a stretch Hummer!

He should have brought the camera crew…just to capture the looks on Andy and Jesse's faces.

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That night, as Kelly and Alyssa tried to settle the twins in bed…they couldn't help but remember the year before.

That was the night when all the trouble really started.

That was the night Timmy Murdoch started the first fire…

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Andy and Jesse both hurried over to the window in their bedroom and craned their necks to see over to the house next door.

Mr. and Mrs. Garibaldi's old house was still empty. But the boys stared out at the newly reconstructed back porch.

"Guys…" Kelly told them. "Nothin's gonna happen. Let's go to bed."

He herded them away from the window and up the ladders to their beds. Jesse looked nervous as he turned back for one last look.

"Timmy's gone, right Daddy?" he asked. "He's not coming back, is he?"

Kelly tucked the blankets around his son. He took a few moments to stroke his brown hair…and look into the blue eyes that were exactly like his own.

"Yeah, Jess." He said softly. "Timmy's far, far away from here. He's at a place where people are always watchin' him…so he can't hurt anyone again."

Timmy was at a Juvenile home in northern Michigan…and he'd be there till his twenty-first birthday. Hopefully, in that time, he'd get the help he needed. Hopefully they could undo some of the damage that had been done.

Alyssa said that in some ways, Timmy was a victim in all this too…and Kelly tried to look at it that way. But all he really cared about was that the kid was gone. Hopefully forever.

He tucked Andy in too…and turned out the light.

"'Night guys…" he told them. "Love you…"

"Love you too, Daddy." Andy said.

"Love you too." Jesse said.

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Kelly closed the door and walked down the hall to his room.

"How many times do you think they'll be in here tonight?" he asked Alyssa as he flopped down onto the bed.

"I think we should cut 'em a little slack tonight." She said. "You can't blame 'em for being scared…"

Kelly nodded.

That fire had scared him too.

Not in the moment…when he had seen the flames his brain had kicked into auto pilot. He just did what he knew how to do best. It wasn't till after…after the fire was out and they were back inside. The boys were scared to death…and wanted to stay with him and Lyssa. But his knee was killing him. He couldn't make it up the stairs…not even with Lyssa's help. So they had all slept down in the living room…the boys in their sleeping bags on their big body pillows on the floor…he and his wife cuddled on the couch. Alyssa had done everything she could to make him comfortable and to ease his pain…but nothing could take away the feeling of dread he had had that something sinister was lurking in their nice, safe little neighborhood.

He and Alyssa laid awake in each other's arms…waiting.

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Just before midnight, they could hear little feet creeping down the hall. The bedroom door opened very, very slowly…and the twins crept in.

"Mommy?" Jesse whispered.

"Daddy?" Andy said.

"Can we sleep with you?" Jesse asked.

Alyssa turned over.

"C'mon up here…"

The twins didn't need to be told twice. They quickly scampered up into the center of the bed and burrowed under the covers.

Alyssa sang softly under her breath… "Silent Night"… "O Holy Night"…and "Do You Hear What I Hear?"…and soon the boys were fast asleep.

She and Kelly softly stroked their sons' little heads…

"Do you want to move to put 'em back in their beds?" she whispered.

Kelly just shook his head.

"Nah…let 'em stay in here."

"It's gonna be okay, Baby." She told him softly. "We've got our boys…we've got our little girl coming…we've got our house back…we made it, Kelly."

"I know, Lyssa." He whispered back. "I know."

And he reached for her hand.