Chapter 15

"And that's a wrap!"

Everyone on the set burst into applause.

They finally had the pilot episode of "Chicago Fire" in the can.

It had been a long two weeks…two weeks of long, long days. Kelly had never imagined how much went into making forty six or forty seven minutes of TV time.

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He'd be so happy to get back to his regular duty at Station 51. And getting back to his regular life.

But first he had two whole days to spend with his family. They had the whole weekend together. And they were going to do absolutely nothing. He was going to watch movies and play with his boys…and pamper and spoil his wife.

The baby was due in about a month…and poor Alyssa was sooo…uncomfortable. Kelly didn't think she could get any bigger…but that's what he'd said last month.

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As Severide walked off the set and headed toward his car, a little group was congregating in the "common room" at the fictional Station 12.

"Are you sure about this?" Casey asked. "Why not just flat out tell him?"

"It's gotta be a surprise…" Shay answered…like that should be obvious.

"I don't know…" Dawson said. "Lyssa nearly jumped out of her skin the last time anybody yelled 'surprise'."

"And Severide was ready to tear you a new one." Casey added.

"Been there, done that…" Craddock said as he walked in to the conversation. "Got the postcard."

Shay rolled her eyes.

"So are you on their side? That we tell them we're planning a baby shower? That's…totally boring!"

"I'm on whatever side doesn't involve somebody gettin' pissed at me." Craddock quipped.

"That would be our side." Casey said with a nod of his head.

"Fine!" Shay huffed. "You people have no sense of adventure."

"Just a strong sense of self preservation." Casey told her.

Then he looked at the group of co-conspirators…Craddock, Mills, Dawson and Shay.

"Okay, so we're agreed? Saturday night…Mills' restaurant. Mills and Dawson are in charge of the food…Shay, you're on decorations…Craddock, you spread the word around here…I'll get the rest of the team and Lyssa's brothers."

"And I'm providing the adult refreshments…" Craddock added.

"Right…beer run." Casey nodded.

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Kelly came in his back door…and closed it behind him.

He leaned back against it and inhaled deeply.

Dinner was cooking…and he could smell the lemons and the garlic and the wine. Alyssa's chicken piccata…one of his favorites.

Who was he kidding? Everything she had cooked for him in the ten years since he'd met his wife was one of his favorites.

This was the earliest he'd been home in two weeks…and obviously Lyssa felt that was cause for celebration.

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His moment of peace and quiet was shattered when little feet came thundering across the hardwood floor.

Kelly braced himself for impact as Andy and Jesse came tumbling out the kitchen door into the four season's room.

"Daddy! You're home early!" Andy shouted.

"We didn't even eat dinner yet!" Jesse said.

Kelly hugged his sons and scooped them up into his arms. He wouldn't be able to do that much longer…not with the way the boys were growing.

"Yeah…we finished shooting the pilot." He said.

"So what happens next?" Jesse asked.

"They're gonna take it to the TV people. And if they like what they see, they'll tell 'em to make more episodes and you can watch it on TV in the fall."

He carried the twins into the kitchen. Alyssa turned down the heat under the chicken and covered it back up, then she waddled over to her boys…all three of them.

Kelly put the twins down and gave Andy a little swat on the rear end.

"Go play till dinner's ready. I need a few minutes with your mom."

The boys thundered out into the playroom.

Kelly shook his head and chuckled.

He was so glad to be home. He wrapped his arms around his very, very pregnant wife and hugged her tight.

"We finished, Baby…" he told her.

"Now life can get back to normal?" she asked.

Kelly just grinned.

"For a few weeks anyway…" he said as he rubbed Alyssa's belly. "Once the princess shows up, all bets are off as far as "normal"."

Alyssa rolled her eyes…

"Go get yourself cleaned up…dinner'll be ready in about ten minutes."

He kissed her…then headed upstairs to change.

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Kelly felt freer and more at ease than he had in two weeks. He climbed into bed beside his wife, who was lying on her left side. He moved up behind her and playfully nibbled at her neck.

Alyssa squirmed…

"That's not gonna get you very far, Severide." She told him.

He laughed and wrapped his arm around her.

"I'd say I got pretty far…" he smirked as he slipped his hand beneath her t-shirt and caressed her stomach.

"I thought I wouldn't gain as much weight with just one…" she said with a sigh. "But I gained more than I did with the twins."

"Just five pounds…" he said. "You weren't so sick with this one in the beginning. Hardly at all..."

With the boys, Alyssa had dreadful morning sickness that lasted well into the second trimester. This pregnancy had been blissfully free of anything of the kind.

" Well, I feel like I'm as big as a house…"

"And I think you're gorgeous…" he said as he pulled her back closer against his chest. "And we both know I'm always right…"

"And don't forget modest…" she added as she snuggled into his embrace.

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So much for his plan to do nothing for two days…

Saturday morning Casey had called him…have his family at the restaurant at eight, he said.

And at ten to eight the Severide's walked into Mills' family diner…for their baby shower.

Alyssa couldn't get over the number of people there…the team, all her brothers, her nieces and nephews, and several people from the television show.

"What's this party for?" Jesse asked.

"It's a baby shower." Kelly told him.

"But the baby isn't here yet!" Andy said. "And anyways, she's too little to shower! She needs to take a bath in the sink!"

One of his friends from school had a baby brother…so he knew what he was talking about.

The entire room erupted with laughter.

Shay scooped her godson up into her arms.

"Have I ever told you you say the cutest things?" she asked.

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But there wasn't a lot of time for that. There was food…all kinds of snack-y things…mini cheeseburgers, French fries with cheese and bacon on top…Uncle Pete's famous grilled cheese sandwiches…chicken fingers, pizza…all Andy and Jesse's favorite things!

And there were three tables pushed together and loaded with presents.

The twins tore into the piles…but they lost interest as soon as they realized it was all stuff for the baby…and that it was all pink.

Kelly lost count of how many outfits and blankets and soft little dollies they opened. They got a box full of board books from Mouch…a stroller and a car seat from Mills and Dawson…a pink and white "sports" set with a football, a soccer ball, a basketball, and a baseball glove from Cruz…and a giant teddy bear as big as one of the twins from Vargas.

There was a bath tub with full of towels and bath products and a little robe with a hood and bunny ears from Hermann and his family…a baby gym with twinkly lights and a sound system from Hollywood…and all the crib bedding from Leslie.

Casey gave them a handmade rocking chair with purple flowers painted along the top.

"You oughtta go into the furniture business…" Kelly said as he admired his friend's craftsmanship.

"No thanks…" Casey said with a grin. "That'd take all the fun and relaxation out of it."

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And there was one more gift…in a giant cardboard box…no gift wrap, no bow…

"And this is for "Daddy"…" Casey said as Mills and Otis set it in front of Kelly.

He cautiously opened one corner. Knowing these guys whatever was in there was liable to jump out…

So far so good…feeling a little braver he opened the rest.

And burst out laughing!

Andy and Jesse looked up from their game and came to see what was so funny.

Kelly reached into the box and pulled out a brand new spade and shovel…each tied with a big pink bow.

"So you can dig the moat…" Casey called out.

"Or hide the bodies…" Otis muttered.

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The next day Morgan stopped by on his way to the airport.

After he hugged Alyssa and the twins he turned to Severide.

"I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me…" he said.

Kelly scoffed.

"Please…I was such an ass…"

"Well…maybe at the beginning…but there's no way I would have been able to get this thing right if it wasn't for all the extra stuff…the drills, the tools, everything."

"You really worked hard at it. And hey…if this show doesn't work out…you can always come on as a Candidate." Kelly said with a grin.

Craddock laughed.

"I hope not!"

But he got serious again.

"I'll be back this summer…we're gonna start shooting at the end of July."

Craddock and Severide…probably the most unlikely friends on God's green earth…slapped each other on the backs…

And Hollywood walked back to his limo…turned one last time, and waved to the family before he got into the car.