Thank you to those who keep reviewing this one. You make my day with your feedback!
I wrote a mammoth chapter that covers the season finale, but decided to split it in two. Posting both now because not doing so would be cruel, right?
Hope you enjoy my take on the finale that I'm sure will bear no resemblance to what actually occurs.
Erin fumbled with the key trying to get the uncooperative door open.
"You are not making this any easier," she laughed, raising her eyebrows at Kelly while she tried to maneuver the key into the small opening...the wine joining her man in thwarting her efforts.
Severide's hands were on her waist, his head leaning over one shoulder kissing her neck from behind, sending chills through her body. Her soft skin was like heaven on his lips. No matter how exhausted from a shift, he could always raise an extra burst of adrenaline for this, for her. He slowly unzipped her dress halfway just as the key turned and they went stumbling into the apartment.
The couple fumbled in the dark to the bedroom, their hands too preoccupied to bother flipping on a light. Erin's beautiful dress was a forgotten, crumpled pile by the door. The brunette unbuttoned Kelly's shirt, while he unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants stepping out of them, pushing Erin on the bed. His muscled arms held his chest above her, his mouth caressing her velvet lips, tongue tasting the remnants of wine on hers. "I love you," he whispered...the phrase an involuntarily action he needed more than breathing.
Erin ran her hands down his back, her nails raking lightly along his sides. The moan escaping Kelly's lips gave her almost as much pleasure as his tongue on her neck. She wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him flat on top of her. She stretched a leg out using her hip as leverage to force him on his back.
Another sound escaped his lips...this one said something hurt, that damn bruise.
Kelly rolled her over, placing her underneath him again. "This okay?" he whispered between kisses.
"Perfect."
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Erin was humming as she flipped another pancake adding it to the mountain of flapjacks she was building. Humming? Since when do I hum, she thought smiling at her own good mood. What a great evening, topped off with the perfect ending, the cherry on top.
She flipped off the stove, opened the freezer, taking out the largest ice pack they had. She quietly opened the bedroom door, peering inside...Kelly on his stomach, right arm outstretched above his head against the headboard. The muscles in his back chiseled to perfection, her eyes trailing the scar from his neck straight down to the angry blue contusion turning all different shades along its edges.
She took a step forward wanting to put the ice pack on the soreness, but also not wanting to give him a heart attack with the rush of cold.
"I'm up," he mumbled, face halfway in his pillow. "Gettin' up," he corrected.
She sat down next to him. "Ice pack?"
"Please," he said hoarsely, voice just waking up. "Pancakes smell good."
Erin placed the cold along his back, smiling at the sound of relief coming from her fireman.
"Good. So good." Kelly closed his eyes and was out for another twenty minutes. When he woke for the second time, Erin was still there watching him sleep.
"Hungry?" she asked kissing him on the back of the head.
"Mmmm," he answered wiping his hand across his face, thinking about actually getting up this time. "Let me brush my teeth. I'll be right out." He gave Erin a quick peck and limped his way to the bathroom. She followed behind, massaging his neck while he brushed, or tried to brush. He put his hands on the sink leaning heavily forward, letting Erin knead out the knots in his neck and shoulders.
"You are too good for me," he moaned.
"You're too good for me."
"Not a chance," he managed to get out as her hands went lower.
"Shut up and don't argue, hero. You want the pancakes first?"
"To hell with the pancakes."
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"Chief, I think Severide should take a couple more shifts off," suggested Hermann, hoping he could count on his old buddy with this assist.
"And why would I want my lieutenant gone for more time than absolutely necessary?"
"Don't want him pushin' it. He didn't look good at the banquet." Hermann feigned concern as he tried again.
"I think that had more to do with Cindy than anything else. He's coming back tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, is everything set with the church?" Boden had bigger things to worry about than Hermann. He had a wedding to be at, a baby on the way.
"Yeah, everything's under control. You think Kelly's still thinkin' about what Cindy said? You think he remembers?"
"It's been eight days. He remembers. I want to know something though."
"What's that, chief?"
"Why the hell are you more concerned with Severide's work schedule than my marriage to Donna tomorrow?! Now, get the hell out and make sure everything is all set."
"Yes, chief." Hermann hung his head hoping the wedding would put Severide in a good mood. Who am I kiddin', he thought. The wedding's gonna bring back every single word of my beautiful wife. I'm done for.
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"These are great," said Kelly, mouth stuffed. "Was starved."
Erin picked at the single pancake on her plate. "So," she started, torn about the best way to approach the subject.
"Huh?" Kelly looked up at her, noticing the untouched breakfast.
"I'm thinking that the way you're limping, maybe you should take one more shift off." She didn't want to bring it up, but couldn't let it go. "I worry."
"I worry..." he answered smiling at her between chews to let her know he wasn't gonna lose it. "about you."
"I think I know exactly how you feel. That phone call...I don't want that ever again," Erin touched Kelly's hand taking it in hers, remembering Shay's voice.
"You're not gettin' that call ever again. And you don't know how I feel when you're undercover, not even close." He brushed the hair out of her face wondering how he got so damn lucky.
"Oh, you don't think I know, huh?" Erin propped her elbow on the table and rested her face in her hand.
Kelly stared at her not able to resist touching her hair again, pushing a piece behind her ear. "Do you think it's right that we're so damn happy?"
"Yes, silly boy. We deserve it."
"What about Cindy Hermann last night?" The elephant in the room had been ignored long enough. "I thought you were gonna throw up on her," a pinched laugh coming from his throat.
"And I thought you were gonna pass out," Erin teased, her throaty laugh filling the apartment.
"What did you think of all that?"
"Oh no you don't. What did you think?" Kelly turned it back on her knowing he was playing with a live grenade.
Erin hesitated for a few seconds, choosing her words carefully. Kelly wondering what was goin' on in that head of hers. He seldom knew for sure.
"I love Cindy. I love that she loves you so much." Erin touched the palm of her hand on his cheek. "And...none of what she said bothers me. Honestly, if I was gonna tie the knot, I would only do it with you. Just you, Severide."
"I feel the same." Kelly kept it short not wanting to put that sometimes huge foot in his mouth.
"Do you feel like you want all that? A big wedding? Me in a huge white dress?" Erin laughed softly now, nervously.
"I want it only if you want it," said Kelly proceeding slowly as if in a minefield.
"I don't need it. I just need you." She smiled broadly again, stealing a bite of Kelly's pancake.
"Me too," he added stabbing her pancake and dropping it on his plate. Her laughter filled the room again and Kelly thought what he had at that moment would be enough. Didn't need anything else. Not a damn thing.
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"Kelly!" Shay screamed as Kelly tried to sneak in 51 with no fanfare. She tackled him, jumping on him, straddling his waist with her legs. His hands were awkwardly supporting her butt so she wouldn't fall.
"Okay, okay," Kelly couldn't help but laugh. He let go and her legs dropped softly to the floor.
"I've missed you." She kissed him hard on the cheek.
"I've missed you too, Shay. How's Devon?" Kelly didn't want to start anything his first minutes back but needed to check on his girl.
"We're gonna do that now?" Shay backed away from Kelly, shaking her head. "Well, glad you're back. Take care and we'll talk later. Maybe." She turned around and brushed past Dawson roughly.
"Shay!" Kelly called. He tried to go after her but was stopped by the blockade set up in a line of firefighters glad to have the lieutenant back.
"Good to have you back," said Mills patting him on the shoulder. All the guys took a turn at the handshaking, patting, and general bullshitting. They were a family, not complete unless all were present and accounted for.
"Now you didn't get married while you were out did you? Don't have a special announcement to make?" Mouch ribbed Severide while looking at Hermann innocently.
"Nope only wedding I'm going to is chief's." Kelly greeted the fireman holding out his hand. He turned to Mouch's partner in crime. "How's Cindy?" he asked Hermann pointedly.
"Uh, about that. She gets a little loosey goosey when she drinks, even just one, and she starts sayin' stuff that comes outta the blue." Hermann made a "she's crazy" sign with his finger circling at his forehead.
"I'm just askin' how Cindy is, Hermann. It's all good." Kelly moved around the firefighter, giving him a fake punch in the stomach, the kind that Benny was fond of giving when he hadn't come around in a while.
Hermann didn't have the time to worry about any repercussions to come, that were certain to come. He had wedding plans to attend to. The entire house had wedding plans to attend to and a few short hours to get it all done.
Boden arrived right on schedule, all of it falling into place the moment he saw the streamers and wedding decorations. His smile was the size of Chicago taking in his men formed in a straight line, the truck so shiny, the waiting preacher.
His beaming face, Donna's tears creating tears in the eyes of many of the guests. Erin was there beside her man, Sergeant Platt standing next to her fellow officer, then Mouch, the Hermann's. Everyone who meant anything to chief was outside of 51 to bring in a new beginning for their leader.
Kelly watched the vows being exchanged, heart feeling a pull, a longing he knew was there but didn't want to acknowledge. What was the point? Erin had said she wasn't going there, didn't need it. He was quiet as they went to the buffet table, passing on most of the offerings.
"Not hungry?" asked Erin knowing Kelly had grown silent, something brewing beneath the surface.
"Nah, we're still on duty." They sat at Mouch's table next to Platt who insisted she was "Trudy" today.
Kelly watched as Shay loaded up her plate and passed right on by, sitting with Casey and Dawson. Her eyes avoiding his in the way that said "I'm not glancing anywhere near your direction cause I'm pissed."
"You're gonna have to take care of that," Erin suggested.
"No shit."
"O-kay." She turned abruptly to her right. "Trudy, want to attack that cake with me?"
"Just waiting for someone to ask me. Randy, may I offer you a piece?"
"That would be lovely. You know what? Let me escort you two lovely ladies." Mouch rose slowly offering an arm to each of the women.
Kelly was alone at the table surveying the good time everyone was having. Mills sat with squad, Capp making some ridiculous faces cracking up his audience. Shay was whispering with Casey, that bright look in her eyes that said something was about to go down. Dawson was digging into some cake, laughing at what Shay was saying, trying to keep her mouth closed.
And there was Boden. He sat with Donna holding her hand, smile as wide as Kelly'd ever seen. I'm happy for him, Kelly thought, convincing himself that he was really happy for his chief. So fucking happy.
He got up walking to Casey's table figuring he better make things right with the blonde one.
"Hey, mind if I sit here for a while?" Kelly asked looking at Shay. Matt and Dawson said yes in unison while Shay remained silent.
"Come with me," prodded Casey leading Dawson outside.
"Oh my God. I think he's doing it here," said Shay excitedly, her eyes laser focused on the couple.
"What?"
"Popping the question," she responded, her eyes not looking at her best friend.
"You've gotta be shittin' me."
"Really, Kelly. Get over it. Don't ruin what you've got with Erin."
Yeah, she calls me on my bullshit within one minute. Sounds about right, he thought.
"You read minds now?"
"Yours is easy. Simple really." Shay laughed, looking at Kelly for the first time since he joined her.
"Ha, Ha. And how are things with your she devil?"
"Don't go there, Kel. Not again. Can't we just enjoy this day, no drama?"
"You're askin' me for no drama? You let that bitch who's been nothin' but drama for you, for me, for Otis back in..."
Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3... Scrap fire...
They took off in opposite directions, Kelly finding Erin sitting next to Cindy Hermann. Perfect. The wedding getting better and better.
"Scrap fire. We'll be back in less than an hour. Be good," he kissed her full on the mouth.
"I'll say it again...get a damn room!" Hermann gave Cindy a quick kiss on the forehead. "And I say we'll be back in a little over an hour."
On the scene... the building was set up as a thrift store, signs screaming Everything Must Go splashed across the front. Kelly rushed over to Shay, never a good idea to leave unfinished business...
"Hey, I'm sorry," he said grabbing her hand lightly. He tried to soften his tone, asking for forgiveness with his eyes as well.
Shay nodded, "I love you, you know."
"Love you too."
"We'll figure this out?" she asked.
"Yeah, always." Kelly rushed off for some search and rescue, his guys and truck already heading in.
Casey knew the moment he saw the beakers and tubes, this wasn't a scrap fire. He'd seen a few meth labs go kaboom, but none as elaborate as the set up he was looking at. He tried to radio chief, to tell him they had to get the hell out, but the layers of concrete were making communication impossible.
He moved his guys outta that room and into the hall, booking it to the nearest escape when the first explosion rocked the building.
The toxic fumes were billowing out, desperately searching for an escape. The initial explosion would no doubt be followed by another.
"Truck! Head to the roof. Now!" Casey yelled, pointing up, Cruz and Mouch already venting up top.
Hermann made it through the thick deadly gas threatening his lungs, his life. Casey brought up the rear as the older man stumbled up the stairs, Casey not able to see the turnout coat in front of him. They were coughing violently wanting to rip off their masks the second they reached the outside.
"No! Leave 'em on!" shouted Casey, knowing the fumes had only slightly dissipated. "Chief! We're on the roof!" Free from the concrete tomb, communication back on.
Boden thought he would explode... a voice, finally a voice. All was not lost, everyone not lost.
"Casey, 29 and 109 en route! Did you see squad? Where's squad?"
"No, we lost communication. Gabby? Shay?"
"Nothing yet." Boden felt another small sense of relief seeing one of the companies roll onto the scene.
"Severide! Report! Squad! Report!" Chief started up his frenzied chant again.
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Erin, Donna, Cindy and Trudy sat at the cake table helping themselves to the sweets, Cindy bringing over the cheese and cracker tray dumping it in front of the women with a satisfied grin on her face.
Donna excused herself slyly, running to the back offices. She appeared a few minutes later, smug look, hands behind her back. She brought a bottle of scotch into view in a sweeping gesture.
"So, show of hands. Who's been shot?" Trudy narrowed her eyes at her three sister wives as if challenging them to a duel. Erin wasn't sure if her hand was supposed to go up or stay down. Platt knew damn well she'd been shot. She settled on raising her hand.
"Jesus, Lindsay! I know you've been shot. I'm talkin' to these two." Trudy waited for some sign from her new friends.
"You do know I'm a teacher?" Donna asked wondering if it was just the scotch or if the sergeant was always so, um, quirky.
"The point I'm tryin' to make..."
Good, there is a point, thought Erin taking a long drink from her glass. She never knew scotch could taste so incredible.
"Is that you find out real quick who your friends are. Right, Lindsay?"
Erin nodded her head thinking about Kelly never leaving her side...the strongest man she'd ever met. The one she wanted sitting next to her even if he had gone dark with grumpiness.
"Look at her," teased Cindy feeling the effects of the drink as well. "I told you. The next one of these we go to will be yours."
Erin smiled knowing that Cindy had the purest intentions. She didn't understand how anyone wouldn't want what she has. In her mind, she had the best life imaginable.
"We don't need a piece of paper..." Erin attempted to explain.
"That's the biggest load of crap. That's what couples say when they don't got the balls to go all the way. You got the balls, Lindsay?" asked Platt not giving an inch.
"And you would be an expert on this because you have a secret husband I don't know about?" Erin tried to deflect from her to the sergeant. She took another gulp from her glass wanting to swallow down the growing lump in her throat. Kelly, dammit, get your ass back here.
"No, never met a man with balls as big as mine," answered Platt matter of factly, deflating the serious talk.
Cindy and Donna chuckled, nodding their heads, not doubting her for a minute.
"Marrying Christopher was the happiest day of my life," Cindy piped in, attacking the cheese tray, leaving the drinking for the others.
"Yes," agreed Donna nodding her head. "This ranks right up there."
"So you afraid of it, Lindsay?" asked Platt back on the attack.
Cindy plopped another cheese cube in her mouth, raising an eyebrow at Donna who refilled her glass apprehensively.
"I guess I am," Erin conceded, nodding her head as if coming to a great realization. She'd never seen a great example of married bliss growing up. Her mom, if you could even call her that, was more worried about her next fix than her hungry, filthy little girl. Her dad was non existent, a ghost that would sweep in every couple of years to pat her on the head, and join good old mom in the bedroom. Erin could smell the sweet odor she knew so well coming from that back room, then the squeaking of the bed...squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak. Burned in her brain, that disgusting noise, signaling her father would come out in a few minutes zipping up his pants, leaving until he came back again, until he just didn't come back.
"Didn't have any role models growing up," Erin admitted, her delicate face belying a bitterness behind those eyes.
"I will repeat, so pay attention Lindsay. You seem to be a little slow today." The older cop gave her the 'look in my eyes' signal with both fingers. "That is a load of crap."
Cindy swallowed what she vowed would be her last bite of cheese, cleared her throat, and added, "I'm sure Kelly's got enough balls for the both of you."
The ladies looked at her like she was from another planet. A few seconds of silence before uproarious laughter rose up and a clumsy clink of glasses met at the center of the table. Even Cindy took a small sip on that one.
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"Chief, chief, we got the girls," radioed Capp from behind the building. Tony pushed everyone out the nearby exit the second the initial blast shook the building.
Dawson shot the squad member a piercing look, forgiving the patronizing "girls" moniker, knowing she'd be dead right now if Tony hadn't moved when he did. Gabby had seen this chemistry experiment gone wrong many times in her city. Yeah, no Heisenbergs running around Chicago cooking up blue stuff.
"Good, good." Boden responded shakily. He hadn't gotten his bearings, maybe never would after this. "Casey, you copy? Dawson's okay."
"Yeah chief, got it." Casey could breathe. It wasn't the fumes suffocating him. It was the knowledge that his girl was in the building when it blew. No mask, no gear, two paramedics so exposed. Thank you God, he thought looking to the sky above. "Squad accounted for?" asked Matt sure he was going to get the "all clear" that he'd gotten time and time again.
Capp answered for Boden, "Just Tony and me." A fear was swelling in his gut, sharing a knowing glance with his fellow firefighter. Tony started back in with Capp grabbing his arm to stop him.
"Severide? Mills? Newhouse? Where the hell are they?" Boden's voice demanded an answer. Capp could give none.
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The increasing ferocity coming from 51s call system caught Cindy's attention. She'd been at the station enough over the years to know that constant urgency and yammering wasn't normal. She walked over to the volume control, turning it up.
All the women grew silent when they heard Boden's voice calling for additional ambos and a hazmat team. A call went out repeating the nearby location.
"Oh my God," she said bringing her hand to her mouth, running back to the table for her purse. She couldn't find her keys, finally dumping the contents out before grabbing them.
She didn't say another word, everyone rushing with her to the Hermann mini van scattered with so much kid stuff. She squealed the tires as she rounded the first turn, each thinking of a fireman at the scene.
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Dawson's legs felt like they were giving way, an onslaught of sobs catching in her throat. She looked up hoping to see Matt, some sign of him. She didn't hear his voice on the radio, relying on Boden's assurances. Capp grasped her by the arm, Tony taking the other one.
Shay was caught in her own hell, tears flowing as she ran to the front of the building. She was beside Boden watching as firefighters from Clarke's new house arrived on the scene. They slowly raised the ladder to the waiting men up top, their brothers.
"Mouch, go! Cruz, you're next! Hermann, Hermann, where's Otis?" Casey's eyes were wide, scanning the roof for his young firefighter. "Where the hell is Otis?"
Hermann ran around the roof taking the far end looking for his young friend desperately, realizing he hadn't seen him since they were back inside.
"Chief, Otis isn't up here! Hermann and I are going back down!" Casey started for the door leading to the toxic disaster below.
"The hell you are! Get on that ladder! That's an order! Now!" Boden was screaming, eyeballing Cindy's van, hitting the scene before being stopped by the some cops. Dawson was now positioned at his side, arm hooked firmly in Shay's.
"Chief, I can't leave a man behind!" Casey and Hermann looked at each other, the waiting door calling their names.
"Clarke and his squad are suiting up. They're going in now. No one's getting left behind. Get on that ladder."
"Tell Gabby I'm headin' down now." Casey crawled onto the ladder, needing to see his girl, hopefully his fiancée. His sometimes infuriating, hard to please "other half." Capp and Tony...he would owe them for life. It was a debt he wouldn't soon forget.
As he eased his way down, a fear had his stomach in knots. A fear for one of his own. Clarke is one of the best, thought Matt, maybe the best. He'll get Otis. Brian. He has to.
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Erin was the first one out of the van, running to the man in charge despite being off duty, Chief Boden. She spied Shay and Dawson by his side looking very much alive. A damn good sign, she thought.
Boden had relinquished his role as leader to another chief, his emotions getting the best of him. He knew when feelings got in the way of decision making, it was time to get out. He was just another bystander, watching the scene, helpless.
Voight and Jay were on the street, questioning neighbors, anyone in the area. This shoddy meth operation was part of a new upstart of amateur distributors who wanted a quick cash crop, no thought of quality control. They ran to their team member who was frantically asking Boden a bunch of questions he had no answers to.
"What do you mean you don't know where he is?" yelled Erin looking from chief, to Shay, to Voight, to her partner.
Hank roughly grabbed his protege bringing her shaking body in close to his. "Let them work. Severide's comin' outta there." Voight wished Erin would date a damn accountant, librarian...anything but a firefighter. Cop out of the question.
Erin couldn't catch her breath, the more she tried to inhale a deep one, a shallow gasp came instead. One after another in rapid succession, like a machine gun of breaths not able to fully load up with oxygen. She felt light headed, letting her weight rest solely on Voight's frame. I am having a goddamn panic attack, she thought before losing consciousness.
Dawson checked Erin's vitals reassuring the hovering cops that their family member was fine. They didn't accept that their own had in fact passed out. Cops didn't faint. Erin didn't faint.
"Somethin's wrong with her! We need to transport her now!" Voight was takin' charge if these poor excuses for paramedics weren't gonna help her.
"You really want to move her from the scene? Kelly's still in there!" Shay yelled questioning the sanity of the older man.
Erin came to, looking up at the faces of the kneeling Voight, Jay, and Dawson. She could see Shay, still standing, peering down at her. Was that a disgusted look on her face? Reaching for Voight's hands, she eased her upper body up, head swimming.
"I'm fine. I think I, uh, passed out."
The sound coming from Shay confirmed disgust.
"Kelly?"
"You've been out for like two minutes. Nothing yet," answered the blonde tersely.
The rest of 51 huddled around the cop, firefighter gathering. Matt firmly on the ground, taking Gabby in his arms, his eyes saying everything his mouth didn't. Hermann held his wife, his head resting in her chest. They sat on the pavement, exhaustion overcoming the older man. Donna held Wallace's shaky hand in that firm way she held a kindergartner's when they were about to cross the street.
The tension hung heavily like a thick fog descending on commuters during their early morning drives. It was oppressing, haunting. Words weren't spoken...they were in a little bubble watching the buzz of activity around them.
So where the heck is Kelly? Read on, my friends...
Oh, let me know what you think first. The girls at the wedding?