Thanks for all the reviews and faves! I'm glad you're enjoying this one. I'm loving Linseride, so this is one after my own heart. Hope you like it.
Voight would do whatever it took to get Erin out of her Jimmy predicament just like he'd done so many years ago. He would do more.
He rapped on the cheap motel door...three quick knocks.
"Comin," came that familiar voice, the one he thought he'd rid himself of.
"Hank Voight," Jimmy said, big grin spreading slowly across his face like the Cheshire Cat. He didn't have the respect needed to address him as sergeant or even detective. He opened his door wider motioning the sergeant to come on in. He'd been expecting this visit. Actually wondering what the hell took so long.
"I guess you know why I'm here," said Voight with a huge grin of his own. But those eyes said anything but happiness. They held a warning in them that anyone with half a brain would heed. Jimmy had more than half a brain, but he also had the balls of ten men. He didn't have a healthy respect for the cop.
"I need you to get out of my city. Tonight."
"That's gonna be a hard one for me. I don't plan on leaving for a long, long time." There was a prolonged pause. Voight looked like he was running a couple of ideas through his head.
Jimmy continued. "Erin owes me. You owe me. I plan on collecting."
"Everything's been paid Jimmy. I think you forgot that you only did seven months. Shoulda been a lot more." Voight's smile was gone.
"And how much time exactly should Erin have done? Wait, I don't remember her spending one day in jail. I don't remember her record being tarnished at all and that's why she's a cop today. So, yeah. I'm staying."
"The hell you are. We can do this the easy way where you leave tonight. Or we can do this the hard way and believe me, you don't want that Jimmy." Voight took a step toward the younger man.
"Now you get the hell out before I have to call the cops." Jimmy's smile remained.
Voight didn't argue. He smiled again. "See ya soon Jimbo. Don't get too comfortable."
Hank left knowing he needed to talk to Erin first. He was treading on shaky ground and didn't know how far to push. He was ready to push someone straight into a self dug grave. He didn't think Erin would agree.
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Erin's off shifts hadn't coincided with Kelly's for two weeks, and it wasn't a coincidence. She was taking the coward's way out. She knew Severide deserved more...they'd been through so much. She kept telling herself this was just another bump, one bump in a long road that would have many more to come.
Tonight was the night she was coming clean. She'd arranged to leave work early and Kelly was getting off around six. He was heading straight for her place. Lasagne in the oven, salad in the fridge, bottle of red on the table, and a speech the size of Alaska had been rehearsed over and over in her mind.
"Damn, it's good to see your face. I've missed you," Kelly was through the door and had the small brunette in his arms before she could say a hello. She laughed as he picked her up a little kissing her full on the mouth, a big, wet, sloppy kiss.
"Mmmm, I missed you," he repeated. "And I'm starving. Mills and Dawson were out. Otis made something that resembled goulash. He said it was his grandma's recipe and all I can say is she must've had a bunch of skinny kids."
"I made a little something called lasagne, perhaps you've heard of it? Salad's in the fridge. And I have this bottle calling our names." Erin picked up the wine swinging it a little side to side.
Kelly gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Let me shower real quick. I'll be back in two." He took off toward her bathroom, but she grabbed his hand.
"I've also got a six pack in the fridge. So make it snappy." She knew he wasn't big into wine, but offer a beer and he was more than happy to oblige.
"I'm runnin,' I'm runnin," Kelly grabbed his bag and sprinted to the shower.
Truth time. She figured she had about ten minutes. She'd start the evening with a story, a long one about a troubled teenage girl, a girl who ended up on drugs, doing anything she had to for her next high. A girl starved for love, who would devour it from anyone willing to hand it out. Erin poured herself a tall glass of wine...now about eight minutes to finish it.
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"Hey, come here," said Kelly softly drawing Erin in close to his body. He knew things were far from storybook in her childhood, but hadn't realized how hellish her teen years had been. Not until this moment.
"I love you. All of you," he said squeezing her in so tight. "In case you didn't hear, I wasn't exactly a Boy Scout."
"There's more," Erin said trying to stop the tears she would always feel uncomfortable with. She told him about Jimmy, about how he protected her, exploited her, and maybe loved her.
"When I started working for Voight as his CI, Jimmy was for it. He said we could always use a cop on our side. But then everything changed. Hank offered me a new life, a better life. He cared. For the first time I had someone who cared about me and wanted nothing in return."
"I wish I could go back and change it all for you, all of it," said Kelly drawing her in tighter. "I'm glad you're tellin' me all of this."
Erin buried her face in his chest not wanting to tell him about Jimmy's return.
"I mean it. I love you. I don't want you relivin' this shit." Kelly eased her head back a little to look in her eyes.
"There's more," said Erin with a long pause. "Jimmy's back. And I do owe him, Kelly. I do." The tears would not be abated. They were soaking her cheeks and saturating Kelly's shirt.
She felt her man's body tense. Shit, this is it, she thought.
"You don't owe him a goddamn thing," Kelly finally said thinking about this man... no, piece of shit who took advantage of a young girl.
"I do. He took the heat for me when a dealer we worked with went down. Voight scrubbed the books clean but the DA was goin' for more arrests on any level."
"But you were his CI. I don't get it."
"I was a CI on a different supplier. I didn't get my stuff from the house I worked in."
"So Jimmy took the fall?"
"Yeah. Voight brokered a deal. He only served a fraction of what he could've done. I served zero of what I could've done."
"You were a kid. Jimmy was an adult. He knew what he was doin'. You gotta let this go." Kelly had tightened up. The thought of some douche bag threatening his girl did not sit well.
"You're disappointed in me," said Erin knowing something in the fireman had shifted.
"What the hell?" Kelly was confused. "Where's that comin' from?"
"I can feel it...in you."
"You couldn't be further from the truth. I'm proud of you. Look where you are now?"
Erin shook her head. "Kelly, I can feel it in you."
"You feel me gettin' pissed at the thought of some asshole bothering you. You feel me ready to send Jimmy back to whatever hole he crawled out from."
"You aren't doing anything. Promise me right now. Voight's taking care of it. Tell me you won't do anything."
"I can't tell you that, Erin. Your problems are my problems."
"Kelly, Jimmy isn't someone you want to mess with. I don't want you even talking to him. Please. I don't need to be worried about what you're going to do."
"Can't promise that. I can promise you that I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you. I can one hundred percent guarantee you that."
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Voight and Olinsky parked it outside Jimmy's hotel room...discussing various scenarios. Arguing over different ways they could play this out. Over two hours they'd been there.
"Erin is not going for us permanently takin' care of this," said Alvin again.
"Sometimes Erin doesn't get what she wants. Sometimes you gotta do what's best for someone," responded Voight again.
They were at a standstill.
"What the hell's he..." Olinsky said watching a man in a black leather jacket get out of his car, halligan in hand, and stride up to Jimmy's room.
"Aw, shit," rasped out Voight jumping from the passenger side, sprinting to follow the younger man. "Severide!" he yelled as Kelly went through the front door.
By the time Hank broke the door down, the fireman was on top of Jimmy swinging the metal object near the prone man's head.
"Jesus Christ!" yelled Voight pulling at Kelly's shoulder trying to pry him off. Olinsky came barreling in and the two older men got Severide off.
"Get the hell out! I got this!" screamed Kelly in the two faces staring at him in disbelief.
"I wanna press charges! This asshole..."
"Shut up!" yelled the two cops.
"Get him out of here," Voight commanded, leaving just himself and Jimmy in the room.
"Were gonna take a little trip, you and me. We're headin' to the docks." Voight grabbed the back of Jimmy's shirt and roughly pushed him out the door.
Kelly and Olinsky hadn't even made it down the stairs.
"Don't make me arrest you," threatened Alvin.
"You and what army?" challenged Severide. "I'm takin' care of that piece of shit once and for all. He's never botherin' Erin again. He's never even lookIn' at her." Kelly was pushing against Olinsky, the sight of Jimmy out of his hotel room fueling a new hatred.
The smile on Jimmy's bloody face made all three men want to take the asshole to the docks.
Hank roughly shoved the younger man in the back of his cruiser, Olinsky getting in the passenger side and Kelly trying for the opposite back door.
"Go home! You want no part of this!"
"I'm in this! I had it under control till you got here!" yelled Kelly.
Voight slammed his car door shut, tires peeling in a wake of smoke. The fireman jumped in his car determined to follow the cops.
"No docks. Go to the cage," said Alvin.
"No choice. Can't lose this asshole. You lucked out today, Jimbo."
Jimmy remained quiet in the backseat remembering what Erin said about "the docks." He could hear her voice talking about how people didn't come back from the docks. Ever.
Voight pulled into a back alley with a side entrance to the cage. Not the one at CPD. This was the cage for "special" cases.
Kelly slammed his door and strode to Voight pulling Jimmy out of his backseat.
"I'm not leavin.' I wanna part of this."
"Well come on."
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Erin woke up to find a note where Kelly's body had been.
"Went on a run. Be back soon."
After three hours, Erin figured he was up to no good or in a marathon. Calls to Voight remained unanswered. Texts to Kelly ignored.
She took off to Jimmy's hotel. She was afraid of what she'd find. Anything would be her fault.
The empty room did nothing to allay her fears. Seeing a little blood on the carpet only intensified them.
"Shit, Kelly Severide. What have you done."
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"So how's this gonna work?" asked Kelly peering at Jimmy inside the cage. "Just give me two minutes in there."
"Jesus, you sure he isn't your son?" asked Olinsky.
"Shut up. This is gonna work when you turn around and get the hell out of here. You're keepin' your hands clean."
"My hands haven't been clean since I was twelve."
Voight sighed deeply.
"Let him stay." Olinsky was getting impatient.
"Suit yourself," Voight said opening the door to the cage. "You're gonna wish you never came back to my city," Hank said to Jimmy, now cowering in the far corner.
Kelly blinked and Jimmy's face was smashed against the front of the grating.
"Aaaahhhh!"
Voight grabbed his prey by the throat, flinging him across the cage...sending him smashing hard to the concrete floor. He walked to the fallen man, smashing his foot on his hand, a distinctive crunch heard. More screaming.
Voight slowly leaned over Jimmy, placing a knee in his chest. He grabbed him by the throat and squeezed.
"Two choices and one minute to decide. Leave tonight or were headin' to the docks. Answer please."
Silence.
"You might have to let go of his neck," suggested Olinsky.
Voight loosened his grip a little and Jimmy gasped for air.
He was frantically nodding his head yes.
"What?!" screamed Voight. "What's it gonna be?"
"I'm gone," Jimmy choked out.
"You sure as hell are," said Hank leaving the door to the cage open.
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Erin gave up on finding Kelly...or Voight...or Jimmy. She walked through her door to see her guy at her dining room table drinking a beer.
"Hey," he said looking up.
She rushed to him, jumping in his lap, spilling his beer. She grabbed his face and kissed him full on the lips.
Erin pushed him back and slugged him in the arm. Hard.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?"
"Oh, you know. You know. Please tell me that everyone's alive."
"Everyone's alive."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Erin grabbed Kelly's face again and kissed him with a passion leaving no mistake that the bedroom was destination number one. He cupped her in his arms from her spot on his lap and carried her to her bed.
"You got nothin to worry about anymore," whispered Kelly as he rolled Erin on top of him.
"Promise."
"Yeah, promise."
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Outside Erin's apartment, Jimmy watched as two shadows passed in front of the window. Earlier he saw Severide go in, then Erin head up a few minutes later.
Jimmy was making a promise of his own.
"I'm not leavin' my city without you, sweet girl," he said in the emptiness of his car, running his fingers up and down the barrel of the small silver object in his hand.
Holy crap, right? Haha! Maybe Voight should have done more? Hmmmm...