Title: Plan B
Chapter 19 – A Voice from the Past

A/N: A special thanks to you all for sticking with this angsty little story and liking it so much! You're the reason it's expanded from its original 6 chappy plot! Yup! So I hope you all continue to like this story of our dear Kelly and his little girl and their beloved support system and thanks so much!

"Thanks for doing this," Severide tells Cindy Hermann the next day as he looks at Aurora and Kenny-James playing on the monkey bars together; Casey and Hermann trying to corral the rest of the boys a few meters away. Christie, Violet, Jim and Shay's parents had joined them at the park that's attached to the preschool that Aurora would be attending in a few months.

"This is a great park," Cindy answers with a friendly smile.

"So…how do you do it? You know…with that many?" Severide asks with a chuckle as Hermann tries to pry two of his boys apart.

"Sometimes even I wonder," Cindy replies in haste; before she pulls away and hurries toward her husband and children.

Casey looks up to see Severide looking off into the distance and heads toward him, leaving Hermann to discipline his kids without his interference. "Hey…"

"Hey," Severide looks away from the street and at Casey as he approaches. "Glad the weather has cooperated."

"It's great for the kids especially. I see Aurora has made some new friends," Casey tells Severide as they look toward the sandbox to see Aurora playing with Kenny-James and her friend named Belle; three other little kids playing with them also, Pauline and Christie staying close. "You okay?"

"Llewellyn, can't get him out of my head," Severide admits as he casts a faraway glance back at the street and then turns to Casey with a heavy frown. "I remember looking at the road and just…how'd I not see him?"

"He didn't want you to see him," Casey answers softly as Severide's expression softens. They both hear Aurora laughing and look up; both faces morphing into delighted smiles. "At least he'll never hurt anyone else ever again."

"Yeah," Severide agrees as Aurora runs up to him and holds up a small flower that she had plucked from the edge of the sandbox.

"This is for you daddy."

"Thanks sweetheart," Severide whispers as he takes the flower and puts it into his pocket; the head sticking up so it could be seen by everyone. "Having fun?"

"Yes," Aurora replies with a sweet smile as she kisses her father's cheek and then hurries back to see her friends.

"I remember the first time we brought Aurora to the park," Severide tells Casey as they sit down on bench facing the playground.

'Really Shay, it's just a few hours at the park.'

'It could rain so I'm bringing her rain coat. And if it's too sunny…'

'Shay it's a warm summer day.'

"She packed everything," Severide recalls with a happy smirk. "Then when we got to the park, she looked at me and said…'

'Kelly why did we pack all this?'

Casey laughs along with Severide as Severide's gaze turns and rests on his daughter. "She's missing so much."

"Does Aurora ask about her?"

"She says she misses when I um…I guess I've been a big chicken about that as of late but Pauline gave me another home video and I think I might watch it with her…"

"Happy memories right?" Casey interjects when Severide's voice dies out.

"Right," Severide agrees with a firm nod.

"Okay we need to more on our team!" Hermann's voice bellows as he beckons them to join him on the field.

"He's tired of the Hermann clan," Casey snickers as he slaps Severide on the back as they both get up.

"Can't blame him," Severide snickers in return. "Think they'll have another?"

"Think he has a death wish?" Casey out rightly laughs, as they join in the friendly soccer game. They play the game for a few more hours until it's time to come for the late afternoon picnic, Aurora happily sandwiched between her father and Uncle. They all talk and eat and enjoy each other's company until the sun is starting to shine and it's time to go.

"I'll put her down," Casey tells Severide as he carries his sleeping god-daughter into her bedroom and puts her down on her bed for the remainder of her nap; taking off her shoes, covering her with a blanket before he closes the door and rejoins Severide in the kitchen.

"After all that fun in the fresh air and sunshine, she's out," Casey states with a small yawn of his own as Severide hands him a beer. "Thanks," he nods as he takes a swig and then watches Severide open one and return to the kitchen counter to get a container that Cindy Hermann had given them.

"What is this stuff?"

"Something…with cheese," Casey shrugs as he takes one of the little morsels and then tries it; both of them laughing as they try to guess. "I heard you telling Aurora that story with Shay and the flower."

"Felt it fit the moment. I know I don't have to wait…"

"You don't have to justify," Casey reminds his friend. "Just stating a fact."

"Okay," Severide agrees with a small smile. They finish the whole container before Aurora awakens; eating a lighter supper and then all relaxing watching a movie until it was time to call it an early night.

XXXXXXXX

After having a few days off, Severide's mind is more than happy to be getting back to work, always feeling the most useful at the Firehouse and in the field.

"Capp! Check that door!"

"Severide, behind you!"

"Casey, I found the father!"

"Severide, I'll meet you by the front!"

"Copy that Mills, I'm on my way out!"

"Otis…"

Boden watches Severide bring out the floundering home owner and offers his squad lieutenant a firm nod before he sees the rest of the truck team exit the building. He knows right after Hallie's death, Casey was emotionally floundering and while he sought solace in the family at the Firehouse, it was Severide who had stuck by him, just as a fleshly brother would. But with Shay gone, Casey's the one helping Severide and Aurora – once again proving their brotherly loyalty wasn't bound by blood.

"Good call," Severide slaps Casey on the back as he walks past and heads for his truck. They all pack up and head back to 51; gathering around the kitchen table and talking about the call and then just things in general. The day is going good so far but things were about to change once again, in the blink of an eye.

The overhead paging system goes off, calling them all to a fire at a three story building that houses among other things – a large storage unit system.

"Hate storage unit fires," Hermann grumbles as they all stand outside as the shop owner hurries outside to them. "Gotta open all the units to find the fire and you'll never know what you'll find in them."

"And we've seen our fair share of things we wish we never found in them," Otis adds as Severide looks over at Casey.

"And then some," Casey tosses in as they all gear up and head inside.

"Hate these places," Severide mutters in a quiet tone as they all head for the stairs to go up.

"Alright fan out! Find the source!" Casey calls out as he tells Severide his team will take the right; leaving squad to take the left. "Got anything left in storage?" Casey gently ribs Severide as they follow behind their team members.

"Funny," Severide dead pans as Hermann calls out that they've found the heat source.

"Cruz! Saw! Get it open!" Casey instructs as all members of 51 pull back to let Truck 81's front man work his tool and get the smoking storage unit open.

"Let's see what's inside!" Severide calls out as Cruz slices a large opening in the door and then pulls back to let the Squad leader peer inside. "Fire's heading for the propane tank! It's gonna blow!"

"Severide!" Casey shouts seconds before the little propane tank inside the flaming storage unit ignites; sending a heated blast that catches Severide on the back, sending him flying into the front door of the adjacent unit. "Kelly!" Casey calls out as flames spew out of the opening, daring the fearless truck leader to try to pass and face the consequences.

"Hey! This place could blow any second! Get back!" Severide yells as he looks up to see Casey coming toward him. "Matt! Move them out! I'm okay! Get back! All of you!"

Casey looks at Severide and knows he has to get the teams out. "Okay! Fall back!" Casey calls out loudly as he turns to see Severide get up, grab Cruz's saw and continue the work the truck 81 driver left off – sawing an opening big enough for them to get some water inside.

Once Casey's sure all their men are around the corner for safety, he grabs the water container and rushes back to help; not wanting to leave Severide to fight it alone and not caring about Severide's angry growl.

"Stubborn…bastard!" Severide chastises Casey who stands ready with the water container.

"Just open the damn thing already!" Casey's voice bellows back.

"Okay go!"

Casey steps into the small opening and starts to spray the water at the mass of flames below the other little propane tank; Severide continuing to cut an opening for them to squeeze into. He finally does and Casey rushes into the room and douses the last of the flames.

"You're crazy," Casey slaps Severide on the back as he revs the saw a bit more; making Casey laugh and just shake his head.

"Damn storage units," Severide huffs as they both pull back. "Come on, let's pack up and then see what started this damn fire."

"Copy that."

Both of them put away their gear and then head back inside; the rest of the teams waiting on the street.

"So…what started the fire," Casey mutters as he and Severide slowly meander their way around the stuffy little space.

"There's your point of origin," Severide points out as he walks past the burnt mass.

"That's it," Casey agrees. "Decaying cotton and leaking vegetable oil, heat…spontaneous combustion…just…what?" Casey asks as he looks up as Severide pauses in the corner of the unit. "What'd you find?"

"Whole boxes of brake fluid, dozen bags of fertilizer, chlorine power. Not normal things you keep in a storage locker. This looks like the stock pile of an arsonist," Severide adds with a small clip to his tone as Casey pulls away to examine the rest of the locker. "I'll get AI in here right away," Severide tells Casey as he pulls his phone to call his dad.

"Kelly," Casey's voice mentions with a small hiss. "You're not gonna believe this."

"What is it?" Severide asks as he nears. He looks down at the paper item in Casey's gloved hand; his eyes instantly narrowing as they rest on the heading of the clipping:

'Paramedic killed in warehouse fire.'

"What the hell?" Severide's voice growls as he looks at Casey with an angry gaze. "Matt…"

"I don't know," Casey agrees with a small huff. "We need AI. Did you call your dad?"

"Yeah he's on his way here now. I can't believe this," Severide whispers as he clutches the clipping in his gloved hand, his eyes fixed on Shay's smiling face. "Son of a bitch…" he curses under his breath as his mind flashes back to the few moments before they went into the warehouse.

'I love you…'

'Always.'

"Matt if this is the same guy…"

"Kelly?"

"Dad, over here!" Severide calls out, as Benny steps through the crude opening, the storage company's owner right behind him.

"Tell me what we have here?"

"Okay we have Chlorine Power, bags of cat litter, brake fluid, vegetable oil…" Casey starts.

"All in bulk," Severide interjects as he looks at Benny in angry wonder.

"These are accelerants every arsonist knows about. At least the slick ones," Benny confirms.

"And then…we found these," Casey leads Benny over to the charred work station.

"All about Shay's death," Severide states in contempt as Benny looks at his son and then at the owner.

"What can you tell us about the owner of this unit?" Benny asks gruffly; his tone a bit more tight as his brain now races to see if someone was responsible for killing the mother of his beloved granddaughter.

"Paid cash. Two years in advance. I pulled the paperwork."

"Man or woman?" Benny continues.

"Man. And before you ask I don't remember what he looks like. I just take the money."

"CPD is downstairs and they'll check the paperwork in the office," Benny directs the storage company owner who turns and leaves the stuffy unit. "You two know…no deaths means no crime scene. It'll be tough for me to even make a case to pull in a forensic team. You even stated the cause of fire was external combustion."

"I know it's a long shot but even we can rule out arson, I think we'd all sleep better," Casey tells Benny in a softer tone, looking at the tormented expression on Severide's face.

Benny looks at his son and frowns as he nears, his hand resting on his shoulder. "I know how much this means to you and I'll do what I can. I can't make any promises but I give you my word I'm going to try. I know what's at stake for all of us."

"Okay…thanks," Severide mutters under his breath as he turns and looks at the clipping of Shay. Severide watches his father leave and then looks up at Casey's wondering glance. "If it was arson…so help me Casey … I swear…" he growls as his voice trails off; Casey knowing his friend only uses his last name when he's highly agitated – this moment would qualify for that.

"I know you don't want to hear this but you need to prepare yourself for the worst."

"What I'm preparing myself for, is coming face to face with the man who murdered my daughter's MOTHER!" Severide's voice raises before he turns away with a soft wince.

"If it's true, I'll be just as pissed off as you but we have to wait and see okay? Not much else we can do without…"

"Watch me!" Severide's voice states with a small huff as he pushes past Casey and finally leaves the burnt out storage locker.

Casey watches his friend leave and then turns around to look at all the articles in the locker before he too leaves the area and exits the building a few minutes later. Thankfully the rest of shift is rather uneventful but it's obvious to Casey and anyone around Severide that Severide's mind isn't where it should be. In fact, when Severide comes home later than him, by almost half hour he can't help but ask him what's going on?

"I just had to make a personal stop, I can still do that on my own right?" Severide retorts sourly before he shakes his head and then looks up in remorse. "Sorry…it's just that…you know when I saw that powder it brought back memories of Hadley and…and today in that locker to see Shay's picture," he stops and then looks at the hallway that leads to his daughter's bedroom. "I just gotta know."

"Your dad is the right man for this," Casey tries to assure him. "He'll put it as his top priority. Not just because it's regarding the mother of his granddaughter because your father hates arson injustice just as much as you. I know today couldn't have been easy."

"I can almost hear him laughing," Severide's voice offers in soft contempt. "Laughing as he…watches and…"

"Don't do this," Casey interjects in haste. "Don't sit here and speculate. I know that's easier said than done but don't…you'll just go to sleep with angry thoughts."

"Yeah," Severide nods in agreement as they talk a bit longer and then finally part for the night. But that was easier said than done and once again Severide finds himself having a rather tumultuous night; so much so that he is the one this time to go into his daughter's room and just hold her as she sleeps. His large frame curls rather uncomfortably onto her small bed; his mind not caring as the only thing he can find solace in right now is the love of his child.

"Love you daddy," Aurora whispers as she snuggles into her father's strong grasp.

"Love you too baby girl," he whispers back; his voice breaking into a soft sob as he holds her close, whispering I'm sorry before finally succumbing to darkness.

XXXXXXXX

"Hey…" Severide pops his head into Casey's office the next morning.

"Hey, how'd you sleep?"

"Ah rocky. You got a few minutes? I already cleared it with Boden."

"Uh sure…what's up?"

"Okay so last night I went and picked up some scotch, twelve years old, the good stuff and bribed the landlady to letting us into the building on Russell Avenue."

"Where Shay died?" Casey asks as he looks at Severide in surprise. "Kelly…"

"Hey given what we found at the storage unit, I figured…"

"You want to go back after what happened? Kelly I pulled you out of the rubble, remember?"

"Yeah I remember but I can't let this go okay? Someday my daughter is going to ask me what really happened to her mother and I will have to tell her the truth. How could I tell her that I chickened out and…"

"Shay died there and you nearly did too. You sure you're ready to go back? I get you want to follow up every lead. Let me go."

"I'll be fine," Severide insists. "I gotta do this."

"Okay."

The two of them get into Severide's car and head for the one place that had caused them all so much pain and grief.

"You sure about this?" Casey asks Severide as he pauses before starting to pry the front entrance open.

"I hafta do this," Severide nods as Casey starts to pry open the door; Severide looking around with an anxiety-riddled expression before turning his gaze back to Casey just as he gets the door open. He had told himself he'd be okay but as soon as they enter, Severide's mind slams him back in time and at first he sees Dawson and Casey doing CPR on Shay and then he sees himself falling through the rotten floor boards.

"She was here," his voice whispers in torment as Casey shines his flashlight onto his friend and then down at Shay's imprint still on the ground.

"Kelly…"

"I remember…seeing her lying here…already gone," he states sourly as he kneels down to the top of her imprint outline. His eyes water as his hand reaches out and rests where her head had been; Casey's heart sinking as he looks down upon his friend in remorse.

"You should go."

"No…I'm okay," Severide answers with a sniffle. "If we don't turn over every stone, who will right?"

"You ready to go upstairs?" Casey asks gently.

"Lead the way."

The two of them slowly head up the rickety stairs; Severide's heart starting to thud heavier and heavier with each step he takes; Casey hoping that his friend will last through this whole ordeal without having another emotional breakdown. But as much as he wants to tell Severide this is only going to haunt him further, Severide's right, they need to turn over every stone and make sure this was just an accidental fire and not arson – not deliberate murder.

"Hey…over here," Casey calls out to Severide. "See the burn pattern…V shape…where the fire met the blast," Casey mentions; telling his friend something he already knows. But they didn't find any signs of arson. "No accelerants, nothing."

"Right," Severide mutters as he pulls away from Casey and wanders toward the middle of the room; pausing a few feet from the area he fell through and stopping to look at just what he had survived and what he nearly died from. A slight shiver goes up his spine as he recalls standing in the middle of the floor, yelling, cursing, screaming for justice and swinging the piece of rebar until the building had had enough and showed him who's really in charge by nearly swallowing him whole.

Casey looks up to see Severide stopped in place and knows this can't be easy; coming face to face with your own inner demons and trying to tell them to get lost – I've won this battle. So instead, he slightly coughs and that jolts Severide back to reality; making him press onward.

Severide moves down a few more feet and then stops, shining his light to the left and then back toward Casey on his right. Left…then right.

"Kelly?" Casey questions in wonder.

"But…this is where I saw the squatter's fire," Severide ponders as he recalls that fateful morning; finding what he thought was the source of the fire and calling it out.

"What?" Casey asks as he nears. "Are you sure?"

"Trust me I'll never forget it. And if that's the case and the fire started here then the burn pattern should be here…not over there," Severide informs Casey by showing him via flashlight what new evidence he thinks he's found.

"There was a lot of smoke and commotion that morning. Are you sure that's where it was?" Casey asks as he nears his friend with a heavy frown.

"Yeah one hundred percent. This is my…was my landmark. This pole."

"We gotta tell your dad about this. This is more than just a hunch," Casey tells Severide seriously.

"Okay," Severide agrees as he looks at Casey with anxiety. "Let's go."

Casey turns and heads for the stairs to go down, Severide lingering a few seconds longer before he turns and follows after his friend; his mind racing that Shay's death now might have not been a simple accident. Squatters trying to preserve their own lives while innocently and inadvertently taking the life of another was a lot easier to forgive than an arsonist who willfully planted a device that was intending to murder.

XXXXXXXX

"You went back?" Benny asks his son in shock. "I should be surprised but somehow I'm not. It was ruled an accident."

"Dad, Casey and I just saw the burn patterns now. We all overlooked it the first inspection."

"I know you are anxious about this storage fire but burn patterns are inconclusive and don't necessarily prove arson," Benny replies with a small sigh.

"Who did the initial investigation?" Casey inquires as Benny holds his son's tormented gaze a few seconds longer before looking at Casey.

"Jensen. He's a bit of a dick to be honest," Benny smirks. "By the book but very brief field notes. I'll pull his file again and see how it compares to what you just told me. But you know I can't promise anything. Kelly, I know what this means but you gotta give me a bit of time here."

"Okay," Severide agrees somewhat mechanically.

"You know I'll do whatever I gotta do."

"Right."

"But?" Benny presses his son.

"I'm not blaming Jensen…I just want to know the truth," Severide adds sourly.

"We'll find it. I'll head to archives right now."

"Thanks."

Casey and Severide leave Benny's office; the mood still down and their expressions sullen.

"Going to be tough to concentrate the rest of the day," Severide mentions as they head back to 51. "CPD still has to get back on the whereabouts of the storage unit owner. Dad's checking the files and…" his voice trails off just as his phone buzzes.

"What?"

"From dad. Damn he works fast," Severide snickers. "He's texted me copies of the report that he took pictures of," Severide mentions as he quickly scans the photos. "We'll look at these more at the House."

"Okay," Casey replies as they pull into the parking lot of 51; both of them seeing the CPD waiting for them. Casey stops his car and both get out; Erin getting out of her car and walking up to them.

"You two got a few minutes? It's about the storage unit."

"Of course," Severide answers in haste as Casey nods. "What'd you find?"

"Not much I'm afraid. The name is J. Johns. Some address in Tennessee. But nothing else checked out. He's a gopher. I'm sorry, I wish I had better news. If it was classified as a crime scene I might be able to do more."

"Got it, thanks," Severide replies as Casey excuses himself and heads into 51.

"How are you?" Erin asks just before she turns to leave.

"I'm uh…good…busy. That stuff with Llewellyn is over and um… now it's looking at this arson stuff…never a dull moment."

"I asked, how are you?"

"Sometimes hanging on by a thread; at least here. I have to be stronger at home for Aurora's sake. Be her rock you know?"

"If you ever wanna just…you know grab a coffee or something. Talk about…sports, cars…anything but work."

"Yeah…I might take you up on that," Severide replies with a soft smile.

"Kelly…"

"Yeah I know I said that before but did nothing."

"And right now your mind is even more occupied with finding what really happened to Shay and I get and appreciate that. It's an open offer," she reaffirms before she turns and heads toward her car. Severide offers her a small wave before he turns and hurries into 51, his mind now freshly eager to compare something that he had seen in the report his father had texted over.

"Casey! Come check this out," Severide calls Casey into his office; Casey arriving to see pictures on his laptop. "Here is what dad sent from the report. What do you see?"

Casey looks at the screen and sure enough notices the discrepancies right away. "You're right…they're not the same. Jensen overlooked it."

"I knew it," Severide hisses under his breath as he pushes himself away from the desk and hurries out of the room; Casey close behind.

"Where are you going?" Casey asks in haste as Severide rushes back to his car. "Kelly….Kelly!"

"Get in if you don't want to be left behind!" Severide calls back as Casey utters a small growl under his breath and closes the front passenger door. "I just need to go back and see…"

"Maybe I should drive."

"I'm okay really. This time it's about proving it was arson."

XXXXXXXX

"So what are we looking for? Everything's so badly burned."

"Something else," Severide mutters as he and Casey squat down on the floor beside where they and AI initially said the fire started.

"Needle in a haystack," Casey's voice utters in an undertone as he watches Severide head back toward the stairs; his mind now wondering if his friend would drive himself to emotional madness with this current obsession. "Maybe we're wanting more than it is."

"I'm not wrong! You said it yourself Jensen overlooked this! Shay wouldn't want me to give up...for any of us to give up. She'd want us to keep looking...keep pushing. We're doing this for her."

"Okay…you're right," Casey huffs as he pushes himself up and wanders after his friend, both of them slowly climbing the stairs to go back up. Once upstairs both of them start their frantic search, looking for something…anything….that one piece of elusive evidence that would back Severide's seemingly mad claim. Would they find it?

Come on…where is it! Severide's mind inwardly growls as he kneels down to look at something further; Casey a few meters away. His eyes rest on something and then he starts to look away but then shines his light a bit more brightly and stares a bit longer. It's not much…a little glint. It wasn't much and was certainly insignificant in size to be over looked. But to him it was the size of an elephant. What the hell…that's…"Casey! Get over here!" Severide calls to his friend; Casey turning and carefully hurrying back.

"What is it?"

"I found the needle," Severide shows Casey as he shines his light on the little object with one hand as he picks it up with the tip of his knife. "See this? See that staple?"

"Matchbook," Casey mentions as he knows where Severide is going with this.

"Yeah. Bailing wire would have been used to hold the cigarette in place which would have then burned down slowly until it was in the middle of the matches."

"Like a slow burning fuse," Casey states with a small wince.

"Exactly."

"Damn it, Kelly you were right. It was arson."

"It means Shay was murdered," Severide mentions with a tormented tone as he looks up at Casey with a serious gaze. "And whoever did it, is still out there."

A/N: So changed a few things from the series with regards to the trail up to and including the arsonist to have Matt (yeah not Dawson) and Kelly finding the evidence and sorry when I think of AI I want Benny involved (not some unknown/unfeeling side character AI!chick) so once again hope you all liked this little twist. This is an angsty story and there will be some more happy moments coming but with Gish on the horizon you know the next few updates will be intense! So please do review before you go and thanks again – you all rock!