A/N: Sorry, but part of this is a little sappy, but I'm going through a missing Stellaride phase right now. And I want a happy moment between them. Let me know what your thoughts are about the ending...
Chapter 6
Herrmann was speechless for a moment—just a moment. Once he put his thoughts together, he let her have it. "Like hell he did. Severide didn't cheat on you. He wouldn't cheat on you; that man worshiped you. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. That's a bunch of crazy talk, a bunch of baloney a bunch of nonsense, and a bunch of crap rolled into a pile of lies. You are absolutely insane if, for one second, you believe he cheated on you.
Stella wasn't expecting him to disagree with her or go off like that. "Herrmann the boy is one, and Kelly and I have been together for almost six years. Add it up; math doesn't lie. He slept with that woman while we were together. "
"I don't believe it."
"I don't want to either, but the evidence proves he did." Stella laid the ring on the table by the hospital bed.
"Put that ring back on your finger!" He demanded.
Stella's eyes widened at his demand. "I need to get used to not wearing it." She tells him as she stares at the ring on the table. Her tears were falling again.
"No, you don't; you need to put it back on your finger where it belongs and keep it there forever." He tells her in an irritated tone. He picked up the ring and forced it back on her finger. He slapped her hand like a toddler who touched something they shouldn't have. "Leave it there." He warned her. "Again, I repeated Severide didn't cheat on you."
Stella shakes her head. "The kid is one; he has brown hair, and...
"I don't give a damn if the kid was Severide's twin; he's not his son." Herrmann tells her, interrupting her.
Stella sighed. "How do you know for sure he isn't?"
"Because that man loves you, and he would never do anything to mess up what you two have." He paused. "How do you know for sure he is?"
"I don't know for sure." She tells him. " I don't know anything really, But.
"But nothing..." He said, interrupting her. "I don't even see how it's possible for him to cheat on you. You two are always together; you're on shift together, you live together, and the nights you're at Molly's, he's usually there with you. So, unless he has the power to freeze time, I find it hard to believe."
Stella bit her lip. "Maybe when I was off doing girls on fire,"
Herrmann arched his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Kelly was hurt and upset when I went MIA on him last year. So maybe one night he got so lonely that...
"Stop it," Hermann yelled as he got up from the bed. "Excuse my language, but shut your pie hole right now. I don't want to hear that. That man was devastated when you ignored his calls and texts. He was too worried and heartbroken to be thinking about another woman or to have a one-night stand. "
"You don't know...
"I'm still talking." He said, cutting off whatever she was going to say. "He came to my house; we had a cigar chat outside my house, and we talked about you. He was confused about what was going on with you and how things were going to be when you came back. He was heartbroken, and not looking for a hookup. You were his only thought, the only damn thing on his mind."
Stella watched Herrmann for a few seconds. "The boy is one; his hair is lite brown, and I
"Stella, I love you, and I don't want to cause you any more stress. I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby. but you've got to stop. Just stop assuming shit. You are sitting there assuming things and making up these little scenarios in your head, trying to convince yourself that Kelly is that boy's father. Just stop it. He's not his father. I don't care what you say; I don't care what that Angie woman said; I need to see it in black and white. I want to see the DNA results that say that Kelly Severide is 100 percent that boy's father. If you can show me that kind of poof, then I might believe it."
Stella just sat there, looking at her fingers.
Herrmann sighed. "Look, I don't know why this is happening. The whole thing is messed up. I don't know the woman, but something is fishy about this whole freaking mess."
"Why would some random woman just out of the blue accuse Kelly?"
"I don't know Kidd; I wish I did."
" She knew he was the squad lieutenant at 51. She agreed to a DNA test too, so she must truly believe Kelly is the father." Stella was now debating herself; deep down, she knew Kelly wouldn't cheat on her. But the signs are telling her that he did.
"I don't believe it... I don't know what game this woman is playing, but I'm going to find out," Herrmann told her as Dr. Asher came into the room.
" Sorry to interrupt." Dr. Asher said as she looked between the two.
"It's fine," Stella told her, glad for some distraction from her talk with Herrmann. "Can I go home yet?"
"Well, everything seems to be going well. We are going to discharge you, but I want you to rest, no stress, relax, take it easy, no physical activity for at least the next couple of days or so, and stay off your feet the rest of the day. Make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible."
"I can do that."
"Do you want me to get Severide for you?"
"No, Herrmann is my ride." Stella told her as she gave Herrmann a pleading look.
Herrmann rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, I will make sure she gets home and gets rest."
"Okay, Stella If you experienced any pain, headaches, dizziness, or blurry vision, I want you to come back or call me."
"I will."
"Why am I taking you home?" Herrmann asked once Dr. Asher was out of the room. "What about your husband?"
"What about him?"
"He's here; he can take you home."
"I can't see him, Herrmann." She tells him as she rubs her head. "I'm not strong enough."
"You live with him; you have to see him."
Stella gave him a small, sad smile. "I was thinking...
" No!" Herrmann exclaimed. Interrupting her, he knew what she was going to suggest. "You can't stand with me; I love you and I will do anything for you, but no, I refuse to allow you to hide at my house. Stella, you're married now; you can't run and hide when things get hard. Marriage is loving your partner through all of the ups and downs of life and making sacrifices for that partner for the benefit of your marriage. Marriage is spending the rest of your life with your best friend, the person you love wholeheartedly. But it's also committing in front of God to stand by that person's side through sickness and struggles. You've got to take the good with the bad. Stella, I'm not letting you give up on your marriage. Especially under false pretense."
Stella wiped away a tear. "I'm not giving up; he broke the vow; I didn't."
"For the love of God, Stella, he didn't break any vows. He didn't cheat on you. " He tells her in an annoyed tone. He was getting frustrated with her.
"I can't help the way I feel, Herrmann; I hate feeling suspicious of something because my gut is always right." She said it in a low whisper. As she played with her wedding ring again.
"Your gut is wrong this time."
Herrmann could tell she was having a battle within herself. The sadness in her voice, the confusion, heartbreak, and disappointment mixture she had on her face "It's strange, like I know within my heart he would never cheat on me. I know he loves me; I trust him, but my head is telling me he did cheat, that all the clues are right in front of me." She told him as she wiped her eyes. "I'm just so confused and lost; I don't know what to say or do. I want to believe my heart; I truly do, but..." She is lost and so confused between what she believes is the truth and what the actual truth is. She slipped off her ring again. This time without Herrmann noticing.
"Your mind knows only some things. Your inner voice, your instinct, knows everything. If you listen to what you know instinctively, it will always lead you down the right path." He tells her as Cindy walks into the room.
She was standing by the door and heard the last part of their conversation. "Stella, sweetheart, let me quote a line from one of my favorite songs. Listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye." The three of them let Cindy's words sink in for a few minutes.
"It's like a battle between my heart and my mind."
"In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart," Cindy tells her.
" Stella... " Herrmann began but was cut off by a voice at the doorway.
"Your heart won't lie; listen to your heart, please," Kelly said as he walked into the room.
Cindy walked over to her husband, giving him a sympathetic look.
"I want to, I do, but..." she trailed off, refusing to look at him. She is listening to her mind instead of her heart. She knows if she looks into his eyes, she can see the truth. She is allowing her mind to overrule her heart.
"But nothing, Stella. I love you. I have never loved anyone else as much as I love you. I wouldn't mess up what we have built together. Please don't question my loyalty to you." Kelly said as he got closer to the bed.
"I've never questioned your loyalty to me or all the years we've been together. Even though there were a lot of times I could have, I didn't. Twice you questioned my loyalty to you, but I never did. Even with Seager always batting her eyes at you, I always worried about it and didn't like it. I will get jealous, but I never accused you of flirting or anything else. But you did me. So please don't tell me not to question your loyalty to me. When you didn't give me the same respect. "
Kelly closed his eyes; he knew she was right. He accused her of sleeping with Carver; it was the first thought that came to his mind when she told him she needed to tell him something. And he did it when she came back from setting up girls on fire, asking if she was with anyone else. She never accused him of sleeping with Seager, no matter how many late nights they worked together. He knew she was jealous and insecure about Seager, but he kept working with her. Because he didn't see Seager as anything more than an OFI partner. He doesn't even consider her a friend, just someone who is great at her job; they share the same interest when it comes to investigating fires. "You're right; I have no right to ask you that. I just need you to know that I didn't cheat on you. I need you to believe me too."
Stella bit her lip as she played with her wedding ring. "I just want to go home." She tells him. She looks at Herrmann, who was giving her a reassuring smile. "Just take me home, Kelly."
Herrmann was happy with that statement. Now if only she would quit letting her mind play tricks on her. He knows they will be fine.
"Okay, let's go home," Kelly said as he helped her up. She took his hand and allowed him to lead her out of Med.
"I hope they work things out," Cindy said as she and her husband walked behind Stella and Kelly.
"They will be fine; their marriage is as strong and unbreakable as ours, my love," Herrmann said as he watched Kelly open the car door for Stella. "The truth will reveal itself soon enough, I hope."
At the loft, Kelly helps Stella get into bed. She still hasn't looked at him. "Are you hungry?" Kelly asked as he took her shoes off.
"Yeah, actually I'm starving." She tells him as she fidgets with her fingers.
He hates that she's not looking at him, and he wants to talk about everything but doesn't want to upset her. He stands by the door. "Anything special you want?" He stares at her stomach as he waits for her response. He thinks about how he could have lost the two most important people in his life today.
"Some chicken noodle soup sounds good. My stomach is a little nauseous."
When he doesn't reply, she looks up at him, noticing his eyes on her stomach. And she knows him so well that she knows what he's thinking. " Kelly... " He is lost in his thoughts. "Kelly." She said his name again, a bit louder than before.
He snapped out of his thoughts. " Sorry..."
They looked at each other, a silent affirmation passing between them.
"Come here." She tells him, and he walks back over to her. She reaches for his hand, their eyes still connected. She placed his hand on her stomach. "Our baby is okay." She tells him. He smiles and looks down at his hand on her stomach. He kneels beside the bed. And places kisses all over her stomach. He lays his head on her stomach.
She is in awe at his actions, her heart breaking worse than it was, when she felt his warm tears on her skin. He was crying. "Kelly," she whispered. She rubs the back of his head. "The baby is okay."
He kisses her tummy one more time before leaning up. "I know, am I so grateful for that?" He said this as he rubbed her tummy.
She watches him as he continues to rub her, biting her lip nervously. He takes his other hand and grabs her hand. Interlocking their fingers. She watches as he stares at their hands. "Where's your ring?" He asked with a voice full of regret.
"In my pocket." She whispered as she stared at their hands too.
"You took it off." He stated
The sadness in his voice makes her start crying again. " Yes."
" Why?"
"I... I don't know... I'm just... so confused... and... " She is crying so much that she can't get her words out.
He looks up at her, their eyes connecting. "You're my world, my shelter from the rain. You're the pills. That takes away my pain." He brings her hand up to his lips and presses a soft kiss upon it. "You're the light. That helps me find my way. You're the words I use when I have nothing to say. Stella, I love you and I need you; please don't leave me." His voice is fragile and heartbreaking. "I don't know why this woman is accusing me; I didn't cheat on you, and I would never cheat on you. I swear, I don't want to lose you."
"I know; I believe you." She tells him. All her doubts were washed away the moment their eyes connected. She always sees the truth in his eyes; his eyes tell all his secrets. "You're not going to lose me."
The smile that graced his face made her heart melt. "Do you believe me?" He had to ask, still unsure.
"I do." She reached into her pocket and took out the ring. "I'm sorry for letting my head convince me otherwise. I know deep in my heart that you would never do anything like that to me. Maybe my hormones just got me so emotional and assuming things. "
He took the ring from her. "Please don't ever take this off again." He tells her as he holds up the ring.
"I won't, I promise."
He takes her hand and slips the ring on her finger. "Now it's right where it belongs." He tells her this as he looks at her adoringly.
She smiles at him. "And it will be forever."
He leans up and kisses her, both of them putting every emotion they have into this simple kiss. "Now get up here and hold me; I feel better when I'm wrapped up in your arms."
Kelly got on the bed and pulled her to him. Stella curled into him like a scared kid does after a bad nightmare. She loves being held like this; she breathes him in; he smells like comfort, warmth, and all the things that make her feel safe. "It feels like the world stops when I'm in your arms."
He kissed the top of her head. "I love holding you in my arms and feeling your heart, so close to mine, our energies just collapse into each other, and we completely lose track of time."
Stella sighed. She was enjoying this moment, but they couldn't hide from reality forever. "Did Michael get the DNA test done?"
"I don't think so; after you collapsed, I was more concerned about you."
" Oh.''
"I didn't recognize Angie; I've never seen that woman before. I swear." He tells her as his fingers glaze at her arm.
Stella looked up at him. "Have you met Angie?" She asked in a confused tone. Angie must have come after she collapsed.
Kelly arched his eyebrow down at her. "Yeah, that was Angie today with Michael, wasn't it?"
"No, that was her sister April; she said Angie was stuck in the middle of a meeting, and she usually watches Michael while Angie works."
"Oh, that makes sense now."
" What?"
" I remembered her saying my nephew and talking to her sister, and I was confused. But my mind was more worried about you and the baby. I didn't even pay attention to her or what was going on around me."
Stella ran her fingers along his jaw and asked, "Why would this random woman accuse you of fathering her child? I don't understand it?"
"I don't know, babe, I don't know." He tells her as his phone rings. He sighed.
" Hello?" He looks down at his wife. " Angie?"
Stella sits up and moves from the bed. Kelly grabbed her hand. She listens to his conversation, and she feels uncomfortable.
"She's good, and so is the baby; thank you." Stella glares at him as he continues his conversation. "I think we should. How about Molly's bar? Yeah, okay... I will see you there."
"What did she want?" She asked in a hesitant tone.
Kelly pulled her back onto the bed. "To apologize for everything that happened today and to see if you and the baby were okay."
"Well, that was nice of her."
"She wants to meet and talk tonight; what do you think?"
Stella bit her lip and said, "I think you deserve to know the truth."
"We deserve to know the truth." He tells her as he plays with her wedding band.
"I want to be there."
"Stella, Dr. Asher said to stay off your feet and not to stress."
"I know, but I want to be there for you. And I promise I won't get stressed out." She tells him, giving him her pleading eyes.
Kelly smiled a little uneasy smile at her. He wanted her there; of course, he did; he needed her support, but he was scared of what might happen. He doesn't know what this woman is capable of or why she's doing what she's doing to him. He doesn't want Stella to stress anymore. "Fine, you can go, but just let me hold you for a few more minutes. That's what's going to fix me."
Kelly laid back down and pulled Stella down with him. They lay there, enjoying the comfort of being in each other's arms. After a few quiet minutes, Stella moved so she was lying halfway on top of Kelly. He looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?" He asked, noting her questionable eyes.
"I'm sorry." She told him as she closed her eyes.
"For what?"
"For letting myself believe you would cheat on me. For taking my ring off twice and for refusing to see you at Med, for doubting our love...
He puts his fingers to her lips, and she opens her eyes. "Stella, you don't owe me; no apologies. The whole situation is a hot mess. You had every right to question me. I knew once you calmed down you would listen to that big, beautiful heart you have and realize the truth. And you took your ring off twice?" He asked her, giving her a puzzled look.
She gave him a guilty smile. "The first time when I was talking to Herrmann, I was really upset and confused." She sighed. "Hermann got irritated with me and demanded I put it back on; he actually put it on and told me to leave it on." She laughed as she remembered.
"I owe him a beer," he tells her with a laugh. "Every day I'm convinced that I can't possibly love you more. And every day I'm proven wrong. I'm so in love with you, Stella Kidd Severide and I always will be."
She gave him a captivating smile as she climbed fully on top of him. "You are my best friend, my human diary, my other half. You deserve to be adored, so that's what we're going to do. Your baby and I are going to adore you for years to come. I am so terribly in love with you, Kelly Severide, and I always will be." She watched as he licked his lips; they gazed at each other's lips. And then she leans down and kisses him. He lets his tongue skim her lips, and he moans as she cups his cheeks. His hands trail along her back and trace a small circle at the exposed flesh of her skin where her top and pants meet. He pulls them back from her lips and places them by her ear, his lips grazing the lope delicately, and it sends shivers along her body. "You have no idea what you do to me every time you kiss me," he whispered huskily.
"I'm pretty sure it's the same you do to me," she whispered against his lips, and they started another passionate kiss. He pulled her closer and flipped her onto her back. She let out a giggle. Her lips grazed his pulse point and ran against his Adam's apple as he swallowed. Their lips meet once more as she runs her hands across his abs and up to his torso. She moaned, "Kelly..." as he sucked on her neck. "Baby...
His hand slips under her top. "Kelly... Baby... Wait..." She trails off as his fingers play with her now-hard nipple.
"What's wrong?" He asked as he pulled back from her neck.
"I don't want to stop this because I want you, but Dr. Asher did say no physical activity."
Kelly closed his eyes. "I know." He removed his hand from under her top. He pecked her lips. "I'm going to need a cold shower."
Stella laughs: "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you."
"Hey, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to take to keep you and our baby safe." He kissed her forehead and got up from the bed.
She gave him a small smile and said, "Can you get my soup before you take your cold shower? I'm starving."
"Yes, babe... " He kissed her forehead again. Then he walked out of the room.
After fixing Stella's food, Kelly jumped in the shower. Then they went to Molly's to meet Angie. "Are you okay?" Kelly asked as he opened the car door for Stella.
"Yes, babe, I'm fine." She tells him as he helps her out of the car. He's asked her at least five times since they left the loft.
"Just checking; let me know if you start to get tired."
"I will, I promise." She tells him this as she kisses his cheek.
"If you start to feel uncomfortable when Angie...
"Kelly, I will be okay." She reassured him. She knows he is worried about her stressing out over whatever Angie has to say. They walk into Molly's holding hands.
Herrmann smiles brightly as he sees them walking in. Stella winked at him. "Hey, guys! " Cindy said as they joined her at her table. "How are you feeling, Stella?"
"I'm much better." She tells her as she sits down, and Kelly sits beside her.
"Here you go," Herrmann said as he approached the table. "A beer for Severide and a virgin Long Island Ice Tea for the pregnant lady."
"Thank you," Stella said as she took the drink from him.
"And because you guys are my favorite married couple. Drinks are on me," he said as he looked behind him. "Just don't tell Mouch you're my favorite; I don't want to hurt his feelings." He jokes. "So, all is well with you two, right?"
"Yes, we are perfect," Stella said as she looked over at Kelly, who was smiling at her.
"That's great," Herrmann said. "So I have a friend who is a private investigator, and he can help us figure out what this Angie chick has up her sleeve."
"Well, let's see what she has to say first, and if I feel she's lying or I don't believe her story, then we'll call your investigator," Kelly told him as he took a sip of his beer.
"That's why we're here; she called and wanted to meet Kelly and talk about everything that happened today, so she should be coming anytime now," Stella said as she looked at the door.
"Gotcha."
"Now, Stella and I want to keep this between us four. No one else knows about Angie and the boy. So, we like to keep it private, at least for now, until we get a better understanding of the situation."
"We won't say a word to anyone," Cindy tells them.
"Did you make any enemies, Severide?"
"No. I don't think so, why?"
"I've been just trying to come up with reasons why this woman is accusing you of being the father of her child. I thought you might have gotten yourself into something that you shouldn't have and lost control of the situation, and honestly, I have no idea what the hell I'm talking about." He said this as he noticed the looks the three of them were giving him. "I'm just saying that it's not normal behavior for a woman you've never met before to just decide to randomly pick a man and claim he's the father of her child." He paused. "Maybe you guys bumped into each other somewhere you just don't remember, but she was instantly attracted to you and she wanted you, so she decided to have a child with someone else and to ruin your life in the process because she wanted you."
"Christopher," Cindy said, cutting him off. "Stop it... You're not making any sense. Stop talking."
Herrmann shakes his head. "Sorry, it's all Cindy's fault. She's been having me watch Lifetime movies with her, and the women in those movies are psychos. They do all kinds of crazy things to get men."
Stella laughed. "I'm pretty sure we're not in the middle of a lifetime movie; there's a more realistic reason for this whole mess."
"I agree with Stella," Kelly said. "So, you're watching lifetime movies now we should talk about that." Kelly joked.
Herrmann rolled his eyes. "Severide, don't say anything to the guys." He warned him.
Stella tensed up, and Kelly felt it. "What's wrong?" He asked, immediately thinking she was in pain again.
"I'm fine. Angie just walked in." She said this, looking over at the door.
All eyes went to the door and landed on a short, brown-haired woman. Who was looking around the bar? Her eyes landed on the four of them looking at her.
"I don't recognize her," Kelly said, as he tried to remember if he had seen her somewhere before.
"Well, here she comes," Herrmann said as Angie walked over to their table.
"You're the lieutenant I talked to at the firehouse the other day, right?"
"Yes, the name is Stella."
"You're Kelly's wife?"
"I am," Stella tells her as she gives her a confused look.
"Look, I want to apologize to you; I didn't know he was married. I swear, I never did anything like that before. He didn't have a ring on, and he said he was single. " The four of them exchanged looks and looked at her like she was crazy. As she continues to talk, not once acknowledging Kelly, which the four of them found strange. "I was having a really bad night, and I ended up at a bar, and this guy, your husband, came up to me, and we started talking and laughing. The next thing I know, I'm at his apartment. I didn't expect to get pregnant, I wanted to let him know. I believed he deserved to know. I just felt scared, so I thought it was best to not tell him. But my son is getting older, and I don't want him to hate me for not knowing his father. So, that is why I decided to find him now. " She paused and looked around the bar. "Is he running late?" She asked Stella.
" Who?" Stella asked, starting to piece things together.
"Kelly, I was supposed to meet him here. Didn't he tell you?"
Stella looked at Kelly, who looked more confused than she did. "Angie, this is Kelly Severide," Stella said, pointing to her husband.
Angie looked at Kelly, then back at Stella. "No, it's not."
"Yes, it is."
"That's not Kelly Severide."
"I am Kelly Severide."
"Look, I don't know why you guys are trying to trick me, but I don't appreciate it."
"No one is trying to trick you, Angie. This is Kelly Severide, squad lieutenant at 51." Stella tells her. As Angie glares at her. "We don't have no reason to lie to you."
"He is; anyone in this bar will tell you he's Kelly Severide," Herrmann tells her, and Cindy agrees.
Angie's face hardened. "I came down here because my sister made me feel guilty for what happened at the hospital today, and I wanted to apologize and make sure you and your baby were okay. I don't appreciate you all trying to pull one over on me. I didn't make this up; your husband cheated on you, and that's not my fault. I just wanted to inform him that he had a child out there; that's it. I don't need him in my life, and my son doesn't need him either. I just wanted to do the right thing. I'm sorry you got hurt in the process, Stella, but lying an
"My wife isn't lying; I'm Kelly Severide. And I can prove it to you." Kelly said it in a slightly louder tone than he intended, but hearing this woman call his wife a lair was pissing him off. The bar grew quiet; all eyes were on Kelly. "Here is your proof." He said this in a displeasure tone as he handed her his driver's license.
Angie took the licenses from him. Her eyes widened in surprise. " This can't be true."
"We have no reason to lie to you, Angie," Stella told her again. As she watched the confusion on Angie's face turn to embarrassment,
"I don't understand," Angie said as she looked at the licenses and Kelly. "You're squad 3 lieutenant at 51."
" Yes."
"This doesn't make sense." She said this as she handed Kelly back his license. "I feel so embarrassed."
Stella felt bad for her. "It's a harmless mistake, nothing to feel embarrassed about."
"Why would someone pretend to be you?" Angie asked him. "Could there be two Kelly Severides?"
Herrmann sighed. "There could be two Kelly Severides out there in this big world; it's a very slim chance that there are two here in Chicago, and both are Squad 3 lieutenants. Just saying."
"I am so..." Angie began but stopped. Her face went pale as a ghost. "That's him."
"Who?" Stella asked.
Angie pointed at the door. "That's my Kelly Severide, at least that's the name he gave me."
All eyes went to the door. "What the hell?" Herrmann said...