Title: Ending the Feud?
Chapter 2 – A Fair Warning?

After seeing Hallie, Casey had come back to 51 to finish up his notes on the day's fire; Benny calling Boden about half hour earlier and confirming that it was arson. The details of course now being documented.

"Arson."

Casey hears the one, hissed word and looks up to see Severide hovering on the door frame to his office. "Thought you went home."

"No I uh…Erin's on some interrogation and…Hadley did this…."

"Kelly," Casey tries to protest as Severide pulls out the crumpled mass and tosses it down onto Casey's desk. "What is…what is this?"

"A cut-out of my badge that that bastard sent to my wife!"

"What? Did you have it traced?" Casey inquires.

"Oh why the hell would someone else send that!" Severide tosses back bitterly.

"It would just make you hate him more," Casey ponders as he gestures for Severide to sit.

"Yeah…well it's working!" Severide hisses before he turns and disappears from view.

"Kelly! Wait…" Casey huffs as he pushes himself up from his chair and hurries after his emotionally distressed friend. Casey pushes his way through the back doors and into the parking lot in time to see Severide's car peel away into the darkness. "Ah Kelly…" Casey groans as he pulls his phone and texts his friend.

'We should talk. Matt'

When he gets no answer, Casey settles in his mind that his friend will go home, cool down and he'd see him in the morning. He finishes his field notes and then looks stands up to leave; his mind anxious to get home to his wife but at the same time worried about the state of his friend.

"Hey," Casey greets his wife about half hour later.

"I was worried," Hallie greets him with a tender kiss, relishing in the delightful feel of his arms holding her tightly. "How's Kelly?"

"He's hurting and…hold on," Casey stops just as his phone buzzes. "Erin?" Casey answers as he looks at Hallie in concern. "No he left with a head full of steam. Want my help to look for him? Okay. Let me know if you don't find him."

"Matt?"

"She'll find him," Casey assures his wife as he kisses her forehead. "Tell me about your day."

"Matt," Hallie tries again.

"I just need…please…tell me about your day. Trust me if anyone can track down Kelly, it's Erin. Now I need you to help me focus on something else."

Casey tries to listen to his wife's explanation about a tough medical call but all his mind can do is pray that Erin gets to Kelly before he does something stupid.

XXXXXXXX

By the time she reaches the spot she knows her husband will be the sky had opened up and was starting to pelt in it's path anything uncovered – human and otherwise alike. Erin stops the dark police cruiser and looks at the defeated posture of her husband in the near distance and feels her heart sink. She looks over at Voight in the passenger seat and nods.

"You want me to wait?"

"No…I got this. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Erin…"

"Trust me, he's okay. But if you could look into Hadley's visitors at the jail that might help."

"You got it. But if he…Erin you call if you ever need to. I mean that."

"I will. But right now the only one he wants to hurt is himself," she tells him with a strained smile before she gets out and slowly heads toward her husband. Voight lingers until she nears and then slowly backs the car up and leaves them to make their private amends.

Severide senses someone nearing and lifts his weary gaze and watches as the concerned figured approaches.

"Figured you'd be here," Erin comments as she comes even closer, stopping a few feet away and looking at him in remorse. "You always do when you're trying to make sense of something…something you think I can't help you with," Erin states as she closes the gap to only a few inches, her cool hand reaching out and touching his flushed cheek. It was the spot that Severide and Hadley had squared off for the last time before he saved Hadley's life and Hadley was taken to jail.

"I just…" Severide starts as he looks away with a tight jaw. "I know it's him. I know everyone thinks I'm crazy but I know it's him. Why? Why not? He has money to pay guys on the outside to do a few jobs here and there. Like dad said, those are common arsonist tools…could be anyone right?"

She looks at the storm brewing behind the sapphire pools looking up with a pleading expression and feels a whole barrage of emotions starting to well up in that instant. "It scares me to think that he wants to hurt you like that. It scares…and it angers me."

"Angry you…that's scary alright," Severide lightly retorts as she leans in closer; her lips planting a warm kiss on his cool ear lobe.

"I'm scared of losing you. I nearly did once at his hands and I don't want to think it could happen again," she whispers; her warm breath sending small shivers down his cooling frame. She pulls back and looks down at him in torment; her hand now cupping the right side of his damp and lightly stubble clad cheek. "And…I hate that he's using me to hurt you."

His hand reaches up and slowly pushes a piece of chestnut hair that had become plastered to her face and pushes it to the side. "You're starting to shiver."

"I'm not leaving until you come with me. You were so angry earlier…Kelly you had me worried."

"I can just see his face…that twisted smile…getting sick pleasure out of sending that little cutout to my wife!" Severide's voice ends with a hiss as he pulls away from her, gets up off the water soaked piece of cement and storms toward the burnt out warehouse. "YOU SICK BASTARD! YOU'LL NEVER WIN! YOU HEAR ME! NEVER!"

Erin stands back and looks at him in concern but holds back as she knows he needs to let this boiling anger out of his system; only then would he feel a bit comforted and come home with her. Severide turns back and looks at the silhouetted figured standing a few meters away and shakes his head. "He did this!"

"Okay, I believe you."

"No…you didn't earlier!" Severide shoots back as he remains in place.

"Voight is going to…"

"What?"

"If anyone can make anyone talk about…well anything you know Hank can," she retorts lightly. "He only wants to help," she explains as she nears.

"He can't…Hadley…he can't hurt you," Severide's voice utters with a small strain as his wife approaches. "He can't."

In that moment she takes him into her arms, pulling his lips to hers and silencing him with a heated kiss. His strong hands grip her back, holding her captive against his rapidly beating heart as his mouth devours hers; flooding both their cooling frames with heated passion. The kiss at first is angry…determined but a few seconds later they both surrender to mutual love.

A moments after that a clap of thunder force them back to reality and they slightly part; both a little breathless but looking at each other in worry. "I don't want to lose you," she tells him in truth. In her mind she knows that her husband thinks that if Kevin Hadley were to be released that he'd come after her to get back at his former supervisor. But she knows…that if Kevin Hadley were to chance breaking parole that he'd make it count – he'd end the feud by taking Kelly Severide's life; something she'd never – even on pain of her own death, allow happen.

"Come on…let's go home and have a hot shower."

"Erin…"

"It's almost midnight and that car is about to turn into a pumpkin and my ball gown is ruined," she tosses at him with a small smile. "I'm not going to tell you to stop thinking about this because it'd do no good, but I don't want you to get sick either."

"I like when you nurse me back to health," he replies lightly as his hands rest on her hips.

"I like giving you a full body inspection when you're healthy. Not…sick. We can't do anything more tonight and…"

"And you're shivering," he acknowledges as his hand clasps hers and they slowly start to walk back toward his car. Once inside he quickly flips the engine over and then turns on the heater and looks over at Erin with a heavily dampened brow. "Any chance Voight can pay Hadley a visit…a room with no cameras and no guards?" He asks with a small snicker as they finally pull away from the destroyed property.

"Don't give him any ideas…you know he would," she retorts in sarcasm. Her hand rests on his and at first feels it slightly shaking. By the time they reach home, both are slightly warmed but still needing to take a hot shower before going to bed and trying to recoup whatever bit of sleep was still to be found.

It wouldn't be much.

Erin watches her husband pull away and enter the bathroom with slightly hunched shoulders, letting out an angry curse just as he closes the door part way. She knows until the parole hearing is over for this year that his mind will be anxious with fear that Kevin Hadley might somehow be set free – set free to wreak havoc once more. As much as she had tried to remind him…mostly for the sake of her own peace of mind…that there was the good possibility that Kevin Hadley might be rehabilitated, Benny Severide backed his son's thinking that once a firebug – always a firebug. Arson was in the blood and there was no cure for it.

She waits until the water is turned on before shedding all her clothes and then pushing the bathroom door open; Severide looking up as his wife enters – her perfect body instantly tempting him.

"That…isn't fair," he whispers with a small grin as she pushes her way into the heated shower stall. "Not fair…damn…not fair…" he growls in a low husky tone as his hands instantly latch onto her naked waist – one on each side and pull her near.

"I need you," she tells him with a throaty demand. "Now!"

XXXXXXXX

The next morning, Erin awakens early; her mind expecting to feel her husband in the large King sized bed next to him but frowning when she finds herself alone. She reaches out and feels his pillow – cold. Did he sleep at all? She inwardly groans as she removes herself from the warm nest of covers and slowly pads into the living room in search of her elusive husband.

She spies him slumped in their large, leather easy chair and gently frowns as she nears, seeing his eyes still closed, his partially covered frame positioned at an odd angle and an open file on his lap.

'Former firefighter charged with arson…attempted murder and…Kevin Hadley, formerly of Firehouse 51…'

Her eyes lock on the big black headline and then drop to the printing below it as her mind recalls the hearing that put Kevin Hadley behind bars in the first place. Hadley's eyes had fixed on Kelly Severide the entire time and refused to let go – even when the judge passed his sentence, Hadley's one thought was to focus on his former supervisor. She could only imagine the horrible things he was imagining and in that very second feels a shiver trail down her taught spine to her bare feet.

About half hour later, Severide's lips offer a small grunt as his brain reminds him that he's sitting at an odd angle and it's time to move…moving meaning getting up. His senses instantly perk up upon the smell of freshly brewed coffee; his eyes slowly opening and looking over to watch some movement in the kitchen.

"Did I wake you?" Erin asks as she watches her husband slowly make his way toward the open kitchen; a small grimace adorning his weary facial expression.

"Didn't sleep much. I didn't want to keep you up so I came here…I'm gonna get changed," he mutters as he pushes past and heads for their bedroom with a stormy expression.

There was no point in scolding him or reminding him that dwelling on Kevin Hadley in any way would be unproductive was moot – he would always fall into the same pattern over the last four years. This year…however was different due to the mysterious package that was sent to her with Kevin Hadley's MO. She quickly texts Casey, letting him know that Kelly didn't sleep much last night and to just keep an eye on him during shift.

"I gotta run," Severide tells her as he comes back into kitchen fully dressed for the day. "Let me know what Voight finds out," he adds as he kisses her on the lips.

"I will," she replies with a strained smile as she watches him gently stomp toward the front door. She hears it close a bit louder than usual and feels her shoulders slump. That bastard better not get out on a technicality. But, she knows that's a possibility as the jails are overcrowded and those convicted of lesser offenses were seriously being considered en mass for early parole.

However, Kevin Hadley's name, unbeknownst to any of them in that moment, was on that list. He had played a very good game of putting on a show of good behavior. That faux hard work was about to pay off.

XXXXXXXX

Casey watches Severide enter the large truck doors of firehouse 51 and gives his friend a nod and small smile. He waits until he's cleared the general area and into the locker rooms before he dares to approach.

"Was worried last night," he mentions as Severide looks up from his seated position on the bench in front of his locker.

"I uh…yeah. Voight's at the jail confirming that Hadley's not on the list of early parolee's and seeing if he had any visitors but…ah that damn bastard is sneaky. I'm sure he can confirm the list but I doubt Hadley would cop to sending Erin that damn box."

"Can she get it dusted for prints?"

"She's taking it to the lab this morning," Severide huffs as he rubs his face.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Casey asks in concern as he slumps down onto the bench a few meters from his friend. "Shay's worried to. We all are."

"We all know what he's capable of," Severide reminds in a low tone. "I just need Monday to be over."

"A few more days and it will be. Come on…Mills is making his famous breakfast scramble."

"Can't say no to that," Severide smiles as he stands up and then shoves his jacket into his locker. He offers one last tense glance to the picture of him and Erin taken on the day of their engagement before closing the door and following after Casey. Severide spies Shay and heads over to her, easing himself down at the same table and letting her head loll onto his shoulder.

"You look tired. Too much hot sex last night?" Shay asks in a tone a bit louder than Severide might have wanted. He can only offer an amused smirk as a few look at him in wonder and Shay's face displays a Cheshire-cat like grin. "I know what's coming. Just think about your best friend's surprise anniversary party," she whispers; Casey in the kitchen with Mills.

"I know I just…" Severide sighs as he looks at her and shakes his head. "I need to go down there."

"No you don't," Shay argues right back. "Want me to tell your wife?"

"Doesn't anyone around here fight fair?" Severide offers a mock grumble as he gets up and heads for the kitchen to get some food; Shay shaking her head no at his back. Severide nears the kitchen counter area and looks up at the clock, turning back to see Casey watching in interest. "Force of habit."

As much as he wants to tell his friend its pointless to think about Hadley, Casey knows that until Monday is complete and Kevin Hadley has been denied parole for another year; that's all that would consume his thoughts. He had at one time thought about cancelling the "quiet" dinner at Severide's place for his five year wedding anniversary but now tells himself that it'll be one more happy distraction that Severide can use to focus his thoughts and energy elsewhere.

But just before Severide can start to enjoy his rather hearty breakfast, the overhead paging system goes off and it's all hands on deck. Severide looks at the clock as he hurries to pull his gear on and then get into the front of Squad truck 3 but all his mind can wonder is if anyone has found out anything on Kevin Hadley.

XXXXXXXX

"What'd you find out?" Erin asks Voight as he comes into the Intelligence area with a determined expression. "I never like that look."

"Kevin Hadley has been a model inmate for the past five years."

"Who'd you ask? Him?" Erin tosses back in sarcasm.

"Warden, a couple of guards…the cook," Voight relates with a smirk before his expression clouds again. "He never did arts and crafts, never sent any packages and has been pretty quiet about anything 51 related over the past few years; this last year especially. However, he has had a few visitors that we should check out. Benny Severide has confirmed it's arson so I'm gonna send these names over to him and maybe we can find something that matches."

"So…either a copycat or…"

"A partner."

"Hadley's got a guy on the outside doing some dirty work," Erin concludes with a groan. "Kid from a broken home…wants to burn the world down. I get it," she muses solemnly.

"51's not that broken," Voight retorts before he turns and heads for his office.

Erin turns back to the small calendar on her desk and fixes her gaze on Monday's date and feels her heart sink. Their one hope was to find something on the ex-firefighter that would link him to the taunting present that was sent that they could in turn present to the parole board as motive of Hadley's simmering hatred toward Kelly Severide and keep him locked away for at least another year. But Hadley wasn't a fool nor an enemy to suffer lightly.

She looks over at Voight in his office on the phone with Benny Severide and hopes they find a common name…something to put hers and her husband's mind…all of theirs in fact – at ease.

XXXXXXXX

"Severide!" Casey shouts just as the fiery beam hurls toward him.

"Casey move!" Severide shouts in return as he manages to duck out of the way; turning in horror to watch Casey disappear from view. "MATT! Cruz! Otis! Second floor NOW!"

Severide hurries toward the area the roof has caved in and breathes a small sigh of relief when he sees Casey huddled on the floor beside the debris instead of buried under it.

"That was too close!"

"Casey! Severide! Report!" Boden's voice is heard over the radio.

"We're okay Chief," Casey answers first. "The roof is too unstable. We need to fall back now."

"Fall back 51. Everyone out. Fall back NOW!"

Casey looks at Severide who nods in agreement. "It's too unstable!" Severide shouts back as he helps Casey over the pile of debris and they turn and hurry after Cruz and Otis; all four of them the last ones out and reaching safety just as the roof collapses.

"Did the sister get out?" Severide asks Shay as he approaches the empty stretcher; the other ambulance already on its way to Lakeshore Hospital.

"No," Shay answers glumly as Casey approaches. "Unless the report was false and she wasn't actually home."

"Once the fire's out we'll do a complete sweep…if we can but if she was anywhere near that roof," Casey's voice trails off sadly as they all turn to hear another loud crack as the other part of the badly compromised roof gives way.

"You okay?" Severide asks Casey in concern as his friend nods and then takes a few mouthfuls of water.

"Cigarette. Father confirmed it," Casey puts his friends mind at ease; especially after the other fire with Hadley's MO. He notices Severide pull his phone to check any messages and then put it back with a small grumble.

"Yeah don't say it…damn needy husband," he growls as he pulls away and storms toward the front of the home to watch it burn out.

"She knows how worried you are and if she had anything useful she'd tell you," Casey assures his friend.

"Hadley knows the game. He grew up in the system and…I'm willing to bet they found nothing because he didn't want them to. He's playing them."

"If there's something to find, they'll find it. Come on…fire's almost out. Let's clean up and then we can go in and complete the search."

The search, however, turns out to be a tragic one after all as the body of the young girl is pulled from ruins; her father left to pay the ultimate price for his unintentional carelessness. Severide watches Boden and Shay as they go and talk to the father; Casey standing beside his fellow 51 Lieutenant and he feels his heart sink. In that moment his mind trails back in time to when he and Boden were the ones to tell the family of one of Hadley's victims the grim news.

'Who did this? Who burnt my daughter?'

'We're still working on that ma'am but it looks to be the work of an arsonist.'

'You mean…someone deliberately hurt her?'

'I'm very sorry.'

'How could someone…be that evil!'

He remembers shuddering in that moment because Hadley was the one who had set the fire for them, not caring about any other innocent lives that had been taken or damaged forever. "Bastard," Severide offers a whispered hiss so that only Casey, standing right beside him could hear.

"The father…or Hadley?" Casey ventures a guess.

"Both…either…Hadley," Severide huffs as he looks at Casey with a sharp glance before he nods and then turns and heads back to truck 3 and hops into the cabin and waits for Tony to pull away. Casey looks at Boden with a strained and somewhat pained look of despair but knows that until Monday concludes, Severide's bitterness would only continue to flourish.

"Hey…Hallie's working the night shift, you have dinner plans?"

Severide pauses in writing his field notes and looks up at Casey hovering in his doorway with an expectant gaze. "Erin's following up…something," he huffs as he closes his file folder. "I could go for a slab of ribs and a pint."

"Rico's it is," Casey responds with a grin. "Did they get any leads from your dad?"

"Nothing that I've heard. I know Erin thinks she's saving my mental sanity by not telling me…ah damn I don't care if that bastard is still behind bars. I know he set that fire…or got someone to. I know it," Severide states gravely as he and Casey walk toward the back exit doors.

"Well if that's the case then they better find a way to prove it because Kevin Hadley could be just as dangerous from behind bars," Casey utters fatefully.

"I know," Severide agrees as they disappear outside.

XXXXXXXX

"You sure? Okay thanks, we'll check it out."

"What?" Halstead asks when Erin hangs up.

"Benny Severide got us a name. Dylan Larson," Erin replies as she plugs his name into the CPD database and waits for results. As she does her eyes trail over to a picture on her desk of her and Kelly making goofy faces wearing large sombrero's and can't help but smile.

'You want to bring that thing home? I don't think so.'

'But honey…look how great we look,' he had retorted with a silly drunken slur.

'We'll take a picture and take that home with us. Deal?'

'Deal.'

The serious tension in her face relaxes as she recalls the fond memory. But that quickly changes back to serious tension when the results pop up and Halstead hovers over her shoulder. "Okay so…a few minor arrests…petty theft and…suspicion of arson."

"Any connection to Hadley?"

"Let's jus…" she starts and then quickly stops. "They worked at the same firehouse for about six months, 43. Larson was the janitor. Well it's a weak connection but it's all we got. Let's go."

"I'll drive!" Halstead declares as he snatches the keys from her open palm.

"Careful," Voight warns them as they head for the front door.

XXXXXXXX

"Ah sorry man…I'm not great company tonight," Severide huffs as he takes another swig of beer. "The first fire was arson and this one…I almost wanted it to be. But then when I saw that girls face…damn it took me back to that fire that Hadley trapped us in…burnt that young woman. It was just an accident and I…" Severide's voice trails off as he looks back down at the name his father had sent to Erin and then to him to see if it rang any personal bells. It didn't.

"Ever heard the name before?"

"No," Severide answers in truth.

"Chances are this guy will say he saw it on the news and wanted to try or…or if he's done it before then he has the tools right? We both know they're pretty common," Casey reminds him soberly.

"And my badge? Hadley…that was his signature. Even if it wasn't him that sent it directly or made it…he had to have gotten someone to do it because who else would even care to do that and then send it to…my wife."

"Okay…that one is a bit of…I have no answer for that one," Casey softly laments.

"Yeah…me either," Severide starts as he looks down at Erin's name on the list below his father's.

'I would like to introduce to this happy wedding crowd – Mr. and Mrs. Erin and Kelly Severide.'

"Maybe I'm just paranoid," Severide finally concludes with a tight smile as he takes another swig of his beer. But in that moment he couldn't fathom that his wife and her partner were about to walk into a trap – one set on purpose. To get back at him.

"Maybe not," Casey whispers as Severide looks up in dread.

XXXXXXXX

"You smell that?"

"Erin…LOOK OUT…."

BOOM!

A/N: *runs and hides* Okay so you all know that I don't/won't kill any of the good guys but I do like to trap and hurt them a wee bit hehe so don't despair! Had to add a few intimate moments for our couple (and some Matt/Hallie also b/c I'll always love them!) and some fire action! But how is Severide going to react when he hears where the fire is? Wont give too much away so please do review before you go (b/c your reviews fuel my muse!) and thanks so much!