Thanks so much for the reviews! Appreciate the love. Sorry for the long wait, RL is kicking my butt right now. Things should slow down soon *fingers crossed*. Hope you enjoy this one! I kind of love it.

Being back at work didn't really mean back at work. Kelly came to that stark realization as Chief gave him one mountain of paperwork after another. He was on "modified" duty or as he liked to call it "House Bitch." He was filing papers, typing reports, doing stuff he could have just kept his ass at home for.

"Chief, we need to talk," Severide said as he barged into Boden's office shutting the door behind him, ready to make some demands.

"Yes, we do. I needed to talk to you about something," Chief took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes.

"Sleepless nights?" Kelly asked smiling now at the thought of a little boy who had to be approaching one.

"Yes, he's been teething, fighting off a cold. He's tough but it's been kicking his butt, or his diaper," Boden joked, face breaking into a wide, toothy smile, one that appeared more and more since becoming a dad for the second time.

Kelly got it. J.P. had brought a joy to his life in one of the darkest periods. He honestly didn't know what he would've done if the little boy hadn't wormed his way in his heart. And now Kayla. That one was a tough nut to crack, but he'd cracked that shell wide open, he thought with his own broad smile spreading across his face. She had all her girl issues, hell, he'd let Erin deal with that, but she also had a wry sense of humor, a sharp mind and more talent in her pinky than Kelly thought he had in his whole body. She got his jokes, even the ones Erin gave him a "grow up" look for. And when he said, "Don't tell mom" she listened. J.P. on the other hand…

Kelly was slapped back to reality with the word "requalification."

"What?" he asked only hearing half of what Chief said.

"They want you to requalify, Kelly. It's not the fastest process, but ultimately it's what you'll have to do if you want full duty."

Severide walked out of the office numb. This was a slap in the face. After all the years of service, of blood, sweat and tears? This was what he got?

"Mouch!" he barked to the redhead parked on the couch. Retired or not, he held the most knowledge about a fireman's rights and what the department could or could not do. "In my office!"

Kelly wasn't the only one back. Erin had been a part time participant in all things Intelligence while Kelly was struggling. Throw the instant kids into the mix and her head just wasn't on the job. Cally'd picked up the slack and Voight was more than tolerant, allowing her to miss more days than most cops on leave.

"So what do we got, Hank?" she asked her sergeant, eyes sparkling with the promise of a new case.

"Well, cupcake and TF over there wrapped up the last case, the professor is facing some hard time on this one," Voight couldn't bring himself to say the names knowing it all brought back a flood of lost baby memories for Erin.

Erin smiled appreciatively at her friend, marveling at how she hadn't said anything. She didn't need the details. Just knowing the drug dealing professor was gone was enough.

"And who's TF?" asked Erin scanning the room for a new cop.

"Task Force over there," Voight rasped out, nodding in Halstead's direction.

Erin's husky laugh rang out, such a welcome sound that even Jay was grinning at the moniker that usually made his blood boil.

It was one of those rare occasions where there was nothing on the board, not one case. Time to wrap up all loose ends, long neglected paperwork.

The team groaned as Voight basically told them all to get to it at their desks.

"So what's this about the FBI?" Erin asked Halstead.

A chorus of groans echoed throughout the bullpen.

It wasn't the smooth transition Clarke had envisioned. Severide would come back, he'd hand over the reins, he'd leave 51 albeit a little reluctantly. Only Kelly wasn't really back. He was in a kind of limbo that left them all out of sorts. The men had a lieutenant they loved who couldn't do much at the moment. He was starting a few ride alongs next shift, but no action until … when? Jeff guessed when the doc cleared him, or the CFD. He didn't really know much and Severide wasn't talking.

"Hey, you got a minute," Clarke asked, poking his head in Kelly's office, the one he'd been using till a couple of days ago.

"Yeah, still buried in all this," Severide said waving his hands around mounds of paper, now organized in various piles.

"We're grillin' next Saturday, nothing fancy, thought you guys might want to come over," Jeff asked, moving a pile of papers off the side chair so he could sit.

"Sounds good, but J.P.'s got a strength and conditioning camp, thought I'd sit in and get a workout. Not sure if Kay's with me or Erin, but if she's with the wife, maybe they'll drop by," Kelly barely looked up from the report he was trying to correct.

"Maybe I'll join you guys and let the girls have some alone time," Clarke suggested.

"Mmm, they're kinda doing me a favor lettin' me join the boys. You know the whole requalifying bullshit?"

Jeff didn't say anything, just watching as Kelly chewed up half a pencil in concentration.

"Are you pissed at me or something?" he finally asked.

"Huh? What?" Severide was dumbfounded. "Pissed? At you?"

"The requalifying, me still acting lieutenant…"

"Oh, Jesus. You're kiddin' me, right?" Kelly laughed. "You, Casey, Manny. You guys are what got me back here. And hell, I couldn't pick a better fill in."

"You seem, uh…" Clarke continued.

"Mad at the world? Yeah, can't believe the department's making me jump through hoops. So yeah, I am pissed, but not at you. But, hey, if you wanna help me out…" Kelly said pointing at one of the piles.

"Engine 51...Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3...Apartment fire… Rosemont and Magnolia"

"Ah, damn, was gonna take you up on that," Jeff grinned as he jumped out of the chair.

"It'll be waiting when we get back," Kelly said running after Clarke.

"We?" Jeff saw that look in his friend's eyes and hesitated for a second. "Okay. C'mon." The grin on Kelly's face was priceless.

The scene was a mess, fire ripping through the apartment like a hungry lion devouring its prey. Clarke took his, Kelly's men, up the stairs straight to three. "Fire department, call out!" one voice yelled out, then the next as if they'd rehearsed the whole affair beforehand.

Boden and his lieutenant watched from below, Shay was at her friend's side, trying to make small talk, find out about J.P.'s latest baseball exploits, if Kayla was making more friends, if Kelly'd made any more friends at the kids' school.

"Shay, can you shut up for half a second!" Kelly barked, more concerned with the smoke puffing out of the building.

"Stairs out! We're heading to the northeast window!" Clarke's voice called out, the sense of urgency coming through.

Kelly rushed toward the ladder moving automatically to help his men.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Boden yelled.

Severide didn't answer, his feet picking up speed as he hopped on the ladder, Cruz maneuvering its ascent. He blocked out Chief's orders, Shay's objections, everything except that little voice in his head. The one that told him when to break right, when to fall flat to the ground, when to get the heck out of a burning building. Right now that voice was telling him that squad was going to come out of that window hot.

Kelly was dangling on the edge of the ladder, stretched out, arms reaching toward the window. The glass broke, exhaling a huge puff of black smoke. His guys were piling through the small window, Mills getting out first. Kelly half hauled him onto the ladder.

"Clarke! Capp! Come on!" he yelled, swatting ineffectively at the dense smoke pouring from the opening. Capp leapt onto the ladder, small flames following in pursuit. Jeff came next with a river of fire chasing him. He couldn't see even an inch in front of his face and missed the center of the ladder, one arm grabbing at the rungs, the other catching squad's lieutenant.

"I got ya," Kelly called, both hands clutching at his friend as Cruz already began the lowering. Clarke swung a leg over, Kelly holding his back on the metal frame.

The smile playing on Severide's mouth was wiped quickly away once in earshot of chief.

"I think you've forgotten how I do not like to say things twice! That I will not have direct orders ignored!" Boden was in Kelly's face the second his feet hit the ground.

"Chief, I didn't even go in the building. I stayed on the ladder," Severide tried, making perfect sense in his mind.

"If you had gone in, you would not have a job right now!" Boden continued yelling. "My office when we get back!" Chief stomped off with all the men moving far, far away from their leader.

"Thanks, bud," Jeff said patting Kelly on the back. "I'll talk to him. My fault for okaying the ride along."

"What is his problem? I climbed a ladder. He acts like I'm gonna break," Kelly muttered as he stomped off to squad's truck.

Jeff didn't say anything, shaking his head. Uh, you already did that, he thought watching Severide storm away. Hopes for a smooth transition were retreating with the withdrawing figure of his friend.

Kelly clamped his mouth shut in a way Erin hadn't seen in years, not since they first began this relationship thing. From the minute they both decided they were in it for the long haul, there'd been no secrets, really from before they'd even committed themselves to each other. Erin had been a listening board through the entire Katie ordeal. She wasn't used to being shut out.

"Fine," was the response she got when she queried about his big return. Everything was fine, "all good."

Cally offered no insights saying Jeff had responded in kind. The two fireman bonded in silence, showing their wives the fireman code apparently rivaled that cop code the women liked to talk about so much. They definitely had each other's six.

Shay. Erin realized she had to work Shay.

Leslie was no fool. She knew the invitation to have a fun girls' night at the Severide abode was not a casual offer. She accepted anyways knowing full well that Kelly needed Erin right now, needed her in a way Shay couldn't fulfill. He was being too stubborn to admit it to her or to himself.

"So what's going on with Kelly, Shay? At work," Erin didn't skip a beat from the pouring of the wine to the prying for information.

Shay did love that about her.

"He feels useless. Like he's not allowed to do anything. Like he's been replaced," Leslie admitted. She replayed that first day back, the wrath of Boden, and the basically being nothing more than a house decoration.

It all made sense. Kelly's mood, his putting on a smile but it feeling hollow, like it was there as a favor to her or the kids.

The "needing to take a couple days" after only his first shift back. It had been a Boden mandated "time-out" until he could "remember what it's like to be a fireman." Erin winced at the thought of Chief booming that out to her man.

"Why the hell hasn't he said anything about this?" Erin asked, not needing an answer. She knew why.

The months of rehab, the struggle, the fight… he was trying to spare her from anything more. He was back in his mind. That was all she needed to know.

Erin a few years back wouldn't want to know. She would have been glad at being kept in the dark. Love 'em and leave 'em, never opening up to anyone. But Erin now didn't bear much of a resemblance to that girl. She'd stripped away so much of that part of her used as armor, what she used growing up to survive. Erin couldn't believe who she'd become, how she'd opened up in a way that still startled and almost embarrassed her at times.

The rest of the night was filled with a couple of bottles of wine, talk of Shay having the baby bug, bets on how long before Cally and Jeff were bitten, and the latest J.P. and Kayla adventures.

Shay could see that Erin was only half thinking of whatever they were talking about, her mind on a fireman. Shay also knew that the fireman was in good hands.

Kelly was holed up in his office, waiting for the offer to ride along to come from Chief himself. It was happening more and more with Boden letting him do a little more with each call. Chief had been in constant contact with Dr. Stinson, with the doc setting the timetable of a fireman requalification and Boden was making damn sure Kelly stuck to it. Nothing more, nothing less.

The slow return to full duty was a slow torture for Severide. He felt good for the first time in almost a year, he was back to feeling a little indestructible. But here he was in his office with paperwork that he finally figured out Chief was inventing for his benefit. He shoulda known the Marine would never let things get out of control. The place was spotless, all the equipment in perfect working condition, the squad running like a well-oiled machine. It was a hard thing to stomach.

"Hey, got a second?" Casey asked coming in before his friend answered.

"Got nothin' but time," Kelly replied dropping the busy work from his hands. "What's up?" He figured it was another Ra Ra pep talk that almost everyone in the house had tried. Brett's baked goods had started in again, every treat one of Kelly's favorites. Shay had taken to replaying every Severide save she could remember with Kelly feeling like he was attending his own funeral at every meal time. Boden was even giving out compliments at the most mundane things, handling a hose, a saw, stuff Kelly could've done from the time he was twelve.

But Casey hadn't joined the cheerleading team, instead pushing him, running him through drills, not putting up with Shay's almost in memoriam run down on Severide saves, reminding them about his missteps and how many times he needed his own ass pulled back up from the depths of some fire. Kelly appreciated the rough treatment, needed it.

"So, you here to tell me I'm doin' good?" Severide asked, figuring Casey was joining the bandwagon.

"Noo, am I supposed to? Actually, it's Mills," Matt began.

"What's up with Mills?" Kelly asked about his youngest squad member.

"Didn't want to say anything but I feel like you should know. Pete had a close call couple months back," Casey explained.

"No one said anything," Kelly accused, his eyes telling Matt to go on.

"Underwater rescue, old guy had a stroke, drove his car straight in. It was a cluster from the minute we got there. Mills got his line tangled up, Capp had to go in, old man was dead. It was bad from the get go." Casey explained, darkness covering his face at the memory.

"Last time I checked Mills was doin' just fine," Kelly commented confused at the Pete concern. He knew his man was in top shape, couldn't help but think the kid would have his job someday.

"Yeah, he's okay physically, but last water rescue and it was Clarke and Capp going in. Mills suited up but couldn't go in."

"Hell," Kelly commented under his breath, thinking. "Best thing for him is to get back to it. The longer he waits…"

"Yeah, but no one's makin' him. Clarke's no fish," Matt commented thinking about how Jeff preferred saving lives on dry land.

"I'll take care of it," Severide answered, those wheels turning.

"Hey Mills, got a minute?" Kelly asked.

"Sure, lieutenant. What's up?" Pete replied.

"My office," Severide led the way with Mills wondering what he'd done, his mind shuffling through the myriad of recent calls.

"Shut the door," instructed Kelly, sitting at his desk. "It's kinda personal so what I tell you stays here."

"Yes, of course," Pete's curiosity piqued.

"You may have heard the department's makin' me requalify," Kelly started, with Mills chuckling, all the men well aware of the snub. "So that means fifteen hours in the water. Haven't takin' a dip in over a year, could use someone watching my back. I'd ask Clarke but I'd probably end up having to save that desert rat's ass …" both men laughing.

"Sure, lieutenant. Name the day and I'm there," Mills answered enthusiastically. He knew this man gave him a shot at squad when others looked at him like he was still in diapers. He owed him.

They headed back to the common area … "I'll call my buddy at Mermet, see if he can get us in next weekend," Mills said, patting his lieutenant on the back.

"Thanks, Pete. I'll check with Erin 'bout the kids' schedules, but don't think we got anything goin' on," Kelly said shooting Casey a look and grin.

Matt shared his own knowing look with Clarke who raised an eyebrow in reply, Boden stuffing down his own grin. Sometimes a plan just came together…

The strength and conditioning camp turned out to be a day to remember, not because of the dad and son bonding, not because Kelly could show off a little with J.P. beaming that his dad was "stronger than your dad," but because another father/son pair showed up… Clint and Nicholas Hill. The obnoxious dad who Kelly did not seem to be able to escape, with his equally obnoxious son who J.P. was cursed with like a bad dream.

The camp was an exercise in self-restraint – Severide self-restraint. He'd wanted to lay out Clint about twenty three times, wanting to return the black eye favor, but instead he continued his "turning the other cheek" speech with his son. He said over and over, "We're gonna be the bigger man" discourse, loud enough for all to hear.

By the time they got home, Kelly was ready to take out a wall. With his fist. At dinner, everyone was silent, the quiet filling the room. Finally, J.P. broke it.

"Dad, you're my dad, right?" the little boy asked, only making eye contact with the plate of spaghetti in front of him.

"Hell yeah. Why?" Kelly asked, clueless.

"Nicky was asking why my last name's not Severide. His dad said cause I didn't have a real dad, and I was just wondering…"

The fireman slammed his fork on his plate, it bouncing up and onto the floor. "I'm gonna kill that son of a …" he whispered, his eyes on fire as he pushed his chair away from the table harshly.

"Kelly!" Erin said, urging him to sit down with her eyes.

"J.P.!" Kayla echoed, giving him a shut up look. "You know Mr. Kelly and Miss Erin are doing all they can for us."

Kelly took a few deep breaths, settling back into his chair. Doing all they can. Not enough, he thought. The discouraging words of the social worker, "Both of you have such dangerous jobs. The chances of an adoption going through…" she'd told the couple on numerous occasions, stopping them from pushing it. They'd been content with what they had, two great foster kids, no chance of a mom coming back. It had seemed ideal. Only it wasn't. J.P. and Kayla weren't Severides and never would be unless they pushed this thing. Kelly wanted to push.

Without thinking, or talking to Erin alone, Kelly said, "You're gonna be a damn Severide, both of you. I give you my word on that, son." Looking at Erin, he knew it was the right thing to say. Those tears in her eyes told him as much.

Kelly was in the bathroom talking and brushing his teeth at the same time, uncharacteristically enthusing on and on about starting back up on the adoption process. "Hell, look at the crap I'm havin' to do for my job! I'd do ten times as much for those two," he said nodding toward the kids' room.

"Are you going to talk me to death or join me?" Erin teased seductively stripping off her T-shirt that had previously been her husband's.

Kelly stopped talking, finishing the brushing with a quick rinse.

He was on her in two seconds, a deep desire flooding within as his body pushed so hard against hers. He was like a wildfire on top of her, so fast, out of control, raw and dangerous. And then just like that, he was moving slowly, deliberately, teasing her with his hands and tongue. In that moment of pleasure, Erin was happier than ever that he was back, really back.

As she rolled over on top of her husband, she was overcome with emotion. The words of Kelly at the table showed her again that this would be the only love of her life, the only man for her. Always.

"I love you, Kelly," she whispered as his face came next to hers.

"Mmmm," he groaned out in answer.

"And I want to be a Severide too," she continued, his face snapping upwards to look her in the eyes. Those piercing blues questioning her words silently.

"Erin Severide," she said, "I kinda like the sound of that."

Kelly's teary-eyed grin saying he couldn't agree more.

Later they sleep, exhausted and warm and safe. They are home.

So a happy little Saturday update. Hope you liked it.