Thank you for the reviews and faves. I am so getting into this pairing the more I see them onscreen. That scene from Chicago PD...oh, so good.
"I wanna hear all about it," said Erin taking Kelly's jacket and pulling out a dining room chair. His indication to sit down. Bossy as always, he thought smiling. Wouldn't have it any other way.
"It was okay. Not much happened." Kelly plopped in the chair nonchalantly, exhausted in a good way. He had an innocent look on his face, or as innocent as he could make it.
"Cut the shit Severide and tell me all about it," Erin put a beer in front of him and sat down placing her hand on his.
"I was back. Don't know what else to say. I was back." Kelly let his face settle in a contented grin. It had been a long journey, the longest of his life, but he'd done it. Clawed his way all the way back. And having this beautiful woman by his side...things couldn't get any better.
"You're back alright. Now give me the details."
Kelly described the water rescue, the fire. He left out the scary parts. Yes, Erin was a cop with a real live gun, with bad guys shooting at her, but when it came to hearing about her guy's dangerous job it was best to leave out anything actually unsafe.
"I'm proud of you, so damn proud of you." Erin placed both hands on her guy's hands.
Kelly was proud of her too. She'd come a long way. Displays of affection were not her thing. He knew in a large part because of her childhood, or lack of one. She didn't have a loving mom, or really anyone to tell her they loved her more than toast. Voight the first one to value her. Damn, Voight. Kelly couldn't imagine. Yeah, Benny was MIA for most of his life, but Kelly knew he was lucky having his mom.
He couldn't count the number of times she told him he was the best thing that ever happened to her. He could still hear that voice, "You're my little man." Fifteen-years-old, towering over her, and she still said those words while looking up at him.
Must've been where all that Severide confidence, some would say cockiness, came from...mom. Benny hadn't been good for much but picking out a great woman to have a child with, that was a win. At least for Kelly, and he thanked God for the time he had with her.
He only wished Erin had experienced the same. He made it his personal mission to try to make up for it. He was gonna give her the love, the security she deserved. Now that my crap's over, she's gettin' all of me, everything I've got, he told himself silently.
Kelly pulled his hands out from under Erin's and placed them lightly on her shoulders letting them run down the length of her arms, back up again.
"Couldn't of done it without you," he said grinning at her.
That smile on her face, takes my breath away...every damn time I see those dimples.
"God, you're beautiful," he said moving his hands to her face and drawing her in for a kiss.
He thought he was dead to the world after his first shift back. Now he was havin' second thoughts, feeling a second or third wind. Kelly stood up holding Erin's hand and leading her back to her bedroom.
"You're not exhausted?" asked the brunette.
"You're kiddin' right?" asked Kelly, same grin spreading wider across his face. He'd been out of commission for too long. He told her he was back. Now he was gonna prove it.
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"It was good to have Severide back," said Gabby as they walked through Matt's front door.
"Definitely. He seemed good. Definitely a hundred percent."
"I think so. It'll be nice to have Shay back too. She's been a mess," commented Dawson thinking about her best friend.
"Yes, happy Shay beats bitchy Shay any day of the week," laughed Matt.
"More like worried Shay." Gabby hesitated. "Not to bring up a sensitive topic but you know we're invited to a barbecue tomorrow at a certain sergeant's house."
"And you are more than welcome to go alone. I will never set foot in that man's house. I can't believe you'd even ask, after what he put me through, Hallie through."
"I know. He's not my favorite human being, but Matt, if this thing with Kelly and Erin keeps going then you might have to rethink that."
"No, I don't. Can we drop it?"
"I guess. So I'm goin' it alone then?"
"If you are going." Matt paused for a long moment. "Hey, is your re-take still on for Thursday?" he finally asked thinking about all the postponements she'd had.
"Yes, it is. Why? Do you have a problem with that too?"
"I just asked if it was still on. What's wrong with that?"
"I know you don't want me to do it. I know it would make you happy if I postponed again. So, because I bring up Voight, you have to go there?"
"Jesus, Gabby, just interested in what's going on."
"You know what? I think I'll sleep at my place tonight." Dawson headed for the door.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Casey called out as the front door slammed shut.
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A couple of shifts under his belt, Kelly was getting stronger and stronger, settling into a semblance of normalcy. The guys weren't treating him with kid gloves anymore, and Boden was actin' like he knew what he was doing.
Casey was probably the happiest about having squad's lieutenant back at 51. Clarke had done a great job, but the pressure to be the rock at the house had fallen firmly on Boden and Matt. They'd reassured the guys that Severide would return better than ever although doubts crept in daily.
"What're we going to do if Kelly doesn't come back," Boden had asked in the privacy of his office after a hell of a long shift.
"He'd have to be dead for that to happen. And he's still breathing. He's coming back," Casey reassured.
The words didn't rIng completely true that day, but Matt forced them out of his mouth. He knew what Boden needed.
Today, Casey could revel in his seat in Severide's quarters enjoying the bullshit session about the Blackhawks, and think about giving Boden an "I told you so."
"Well, I could argue with you all shift about hockey, but some of us got work to do," laughed Kelly thinking about a saw in back giving the guys a hard time.
"Alright, I hear you," said Matt slowly rising. "This is good," he added. He'd missed it, not realizing how much until his friend came back.
"Real good," answered Kelly.
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As Severide made his way to the back, he was almost toppled by the force of an ambush.
"What the hell, Kelly! Calling the brass behind my back!" Dawson was screaming exactly two inches away from Severide's face.
"Whoa. I don't know what the hell's goin' on but..."
"Always a little slow on the uptake, right? You didn't think I'd find out? I thought you were in my corner!" Gabby had tears in her eyes.
Kelly had confusion in his.
"Dawson. Slow down. Tell me exactly what you're talkin' about." He tried to put his hands on her shoulders, but she shook them off.
"You did not call the commissioner himself and try to get my retake waived? Try to get them to forget about it and make me a candidate here at 51?"
"Uh, no," answered Kelly.
"What do you mean 'no'?" asked Gabby much quieter.
"Why the hell would I call the commissioner? Your retake is Thursday. You're gonna pass. The only reason you came up short is cause you went back to help Jones and hurt your ankle."
"So you didn't ask for me to stay on at 51?" A clearer picture was slowly forming in Dawson's mind.
"You can't. Because of you and Casey. Sure I'd like to keep an eye on you, but I was hopin' 29 would take you. Clarke's there..."
"I think I just made a huge ass out of myself."
"So what else is new," Kelly said warily still not sure if he was out of the line of fire.
"Sorry, Severide. I've gotta run, um, sorry." Dawson backed away quickly heading to see the other lieutenant in the house.
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"You're a sight for sore eyes," Kelly said throwing his jacket over the couch, and bringing Erin in his arms.
"Rough day at the office?" Erin asked taking his embrace and resting in the warmth and strength of it. She ran her hands down his back and lower.
"Gettin' better by the minute." Kelly had that gleam in his eye that said dinner could wait. Everything could wait.
Erin took off to her bedroom, making a break for it with Kelly hot on her heels. Looking at him from one side of the bed, she knew things couldn't get any better. They would never get any better than this moment in time.
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That familiar buzz of her phone. Usually Voight or Jay. But all day it'd been a number she didn't recognize. Probably a CI with a new burner phone.
"Go ahead," said Kelly in between mouthfuls. Breakfast for dinner...their go to move when they wanted something quick. Omelette's tonight. Kelly's stuffed full of everything found in the fridge.
"Just get it over with. Don't want us interrupted later." Kelly smiled, mouth full.
"Keep eating lover boy. This'll be quick," Erin teased picking up after several rings.
"Hello."
"So good to hear that voice. How long's it been, sweet girl?"
Silence. Erin's breath was sucked out of her. She hadn't heard that voice in years, many years.
"Jimmy?" she asked knowing it was the man from the darker areas of her past. The man she hoped she would never hear from for the rest of her life.
Oh boy. Who wants to be in Casey or Erin's shoes right now? Not me. I'll update soon.