squad3-sevcase

[squad3-sevcase]

100 Dialogue prompts

Trying this out (feel free to tweak out any grammatical errors) so writers who are bored, have at it! ♥ Mix of Fluff, Angst and Smut

“I don’t see you that way”

“I will just do as I’m told. As I’ve always done”

“Have you never ridden a bike/horse before?”

“You don’t have to be so…formal”

“What happened to us?”

“Good things don’t happen to me”

“Interested in palm reading?”

“Bowing to you felt right”

“There, let me help you.”

“Next time, listen to yourself and not me”

“Why do you want to get in trouble so badly?”

“It’s him/her…isn’t it?”

“Are you keeping it?”

“Good to see a familiar face”

“You never had to ask me anything, let alone beg”

“Oh you again?!”

“I need to take you somewhere”

“With you gone, everything went wrong”

“Insufferable, see you at dinner”

“I wasn’t kissing you, I was saving your life!”

“You did all this already, why not finish the job?”

“I will look for you”

“I couldn’t see anything, I couldn’t breathe”

“You knew about it?”

“I will atone for what he/she did”

“You need to start having some faith.”

“Say what you want, I know what I’m feeling is right”

“It’s okay, you will move on. We will move on.”

“How much do you miss him/her? And what if you didn’t have to?”

“Focus on my hands, on my voice…”

“Perhaps you need to be reminded where you belong”

“I was fine having a non-sexual relationship with you, but instead I’m having non-relationship sex with him/her.”

“I wanted to do it for you and in hindsight it was a terrible idea”

“I’ve been inside him/her more than outside him/her”

“Don’t ask me with ‘please’, you’re paying me”

“Oh why won’t you just die already”

“Sometimes I wonder for how long have you wanted his/her heart and if you will ever stop”

“Filthy cheater, we go again!”

“Didn’t you pay your debt already?”

“I can’t get sick/injured.”

“You act like you’ve never been defeated”

“Diamond thrown into the trash still has the value of a diamond”

“I got engaged”

“All this was decided for me, I had no choice”

“I’m beginning to think not even the jail guards/cops want you around, given how many times they’ve let me bail you out”

“You, sir/madam, should watch your alcohol intake”

“I’ve been denying everyone, you’re not special”

“I’m not looking for a romance”

“Isn’t that immoral enough to tempt you?”

“We’re two sides of the same fucked up coin”

“That’s what I like to see, you are your parents’ best indeed!”

“You have nothing to lose right?”

“Oh I can’t wait to hear you sing”

“Anything you’d like to add to the conversation?”

“Hi.”

“You need to stop making me pick you up in places someone may see”

“I thought I was a puppeteer pulling the strings but instead I was a back seat audience”

“I want names, I want addresses, I’m gonna make them pay.”

“You know where to find me if you ever want me again.”

“My mother is visiting in like 5 minutes”

“Is it that, or is it because you’re in love with me?”

“Not being able to reciprocate has been the hardest part of my life”

“Did you kill someone?”

“Envious of my youth, are we?”

“The others may have gotten away…”

“I found you. Found you looking like you didn’t want to be found”

“Did we use to be a thing?”

“I can fix this. I can fix this…”

“Weird question, are you a supernatural being? Be honest”

“We should have never played Gods”

“Must you be so harsh with me all the time?”

“What did all these men/women do to deserve you?”

“We have a reputation to uphold”

“May I have this dance?”

“I am a bad influence on you!”

“Let’s make history”

“Who the hell wants to live forever.”

“Feeling any different?”

“Time waits for no one”

“You got your happy-ever-after. And for all I know, it’s because I didn’t.”

“Try that again and you’re gonna lose it”

“Didn’t I say one of these days you’re gonna be the death of me?”

“Do you know what my answer was?”

“You look pathetic.”

“Almost didn’t recognize your voice when it’s not yelling at me”

“I often find myself talking to those no longer here as well”

“Excuse me, this is not a buffet”

“I don’t suspect you because I’m the one who put him/her in the ground”

“You look like someone who likes a good gamble”

“I am poison”

“Feel free to stay as long as you need”

“You don’t need to understand, just be a good little thing”

“I’m gonna need your driver’s license, your ID and your phone number please~”

“Say my name”

“You…are telling the truth”

“Is that why you did that? Back there?”

“Stop reading my mind”

“I can teach you”

“How can you laugh?”

“Pretty pictures. I don’t have any”

“Heaven may fall, but __ can’t die.”

[squad3-sevcase]

I found a more heart-wrenching version of When there’s no one to hold you, I will still hold you down on my Google Drive. And uh … kinda thinking of posting that. Same premise and characters, just written completely differently and with a lot more angst.

What do y’all think?

#chicago fire fanfiction #kelly severide fanfiction #one chicago fanfiction #kelly severide x ofc #matt casey x ofc

[squad3-sevcase]

When there’s no one to hold you, I will still hold you down

A/N: Here is the next chapter in this fic. Working on this story has really helped me through a lot of the grief I have been carrying around. I hope it can help you if you find yourself needing it, too. I do not give consent for my works to be reposted anywhere without my permission.

This story is dedicated to the best friend I lost: thank you for being my Leslie Shay. Always. 🤍

Warning: Major Character Death

Content: Angst, Domestic Fluff, Firehouse 51 Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Flashbacks, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Relationships: Kelly Severide/Matthew Casey, Kelly Severide/Original Female Character, Matthew Casey & Original Female Character

Summary: An in-depth look at how the death of Paramedic Leslie Elizabeth Shay shaped the lives of those she left behind.

2. Take My Hand, Take My Whole Life Too

On days when work hits a little too close to home, Matt and Hale take their time reminding Kelly of what waits on the other side of that dark tunnel. This morning is no different. Amid colorful protests, Matt finally coaxes Kelly down the hall to their bedroom for a much-needed shower and sends Hale with him. Today, he’d said, taking Shay from Hale’s arms, he needs you. He left her with a kiss to the side of her head, nodding down the hall.

Hale enters the room quietly, finding Kelly standing at the foot of the bed. Silently, she waits for him to allow her closer, and waits for signs of that shared desire for intimacy. Once she has it, she steps closer, her eyes lock on his and she begins to peel his clothes from his body, layer by layer, taking her time. Hale lifts Kelly’s t-shirt by the hem, gesturing with her chin for him to raise his arms, and with some help, pulls the fabric over his head. Her deft fingers make quick work of Kelly’s belt, the button and the zipper on the front of his jeans, and slide the denim material down his thighs.

Kelly has never been shy about his body, his confidence―though borderline cocky most days―is one of the things Hale adores the most about him. A tiny smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth as he watches Hale’s eyes follow the path of her hands down his bare torso, a kaleidoscope of colors swirling together in her irises. He relishes his partner’s attention, relaxing in the familiarity of it; his own hands at home on Hale’s hips.

He dips his head, warm breath fanning over her lips. His eyes sparkle with mischief, Hale chases his mouth. It’s a game he’s played since the night of their first date; close enough to suffocate her with his presence, with the stifling need to have him, yet far enough to linger just beyond her reach. And Hale Shay falls for it again, falls for him again, every single time.

“Kiss me,” he whispers after the thrill of teasing her has fizzled out to a dull roar.

As another of their unspoken rules, he and Matt never show public displays of affection at work; as it is, they shouldn’t be stationed at the same house, and waiting for reassignment has meant keeping their relationship strictly professional while on duty. Likewise, when Hale visits, none of them ever breaches that boundary.

“Hale. Kiss me,” he says again in a tone he reserves for moments such as this, and Hale does.

She knows at work, Matt and Kelly back each other up no matter the situation, steal glances across the field, and settle for reassuring pats on the back that can’t be misconstrued as anything other than two colleagues in unwavering support of one another. But at home, unrestrained by rules and regulations, they melt into each other with ease and show Hale that same level of devotion and wanting.

Kelly’s grip on Hale’s hips tightens, and he pulls her impossibly closer, unwilling to leave even the slightest bit of space between them. And Hale wraps Kelly up in her embrace, squeezing her arms around his shoulders when he asks for it. The room, the world beyond, begins to fade and they are all that is left. He smells like work; turnouts, the rig, fire and the faint scent of cigar smoke.

Their jobs are not easy, sometimes what they do is brutal and unforgiving. And on the days when it reminds Kelly of all they have sacrificed, all they have lost, Hale or Matt is there to remind him of everything they still have to live for―each other and baby Shay.

Hale removes her pajama pants and Matt’s shirt that she slept in, her undergarments follow, and she leads Kelly by the hand to their bathroom. He leaves behind his boxer beliefs as he follows. The hot water running in the shower cloaks the room in steam and engulfs Kelly in a relaxing fog; here he lets his guard down, and here he allows Hale to carry the weight for him. Though he won't talk about what happened until much later, he lets her take care of him.

It’s Kelly’s turn to pull Hale by the hand, tugging her gently behind him as he enters the tub. He positions her under the spray of water from the rain showerhead, whatever misses her lightly pelts warm droplets on his skin. His green eyes hold a tender adoration, roaming the length of her from head to toe. She is all he has left of the woman who made him who he is today, and he doesn't know how but he wonders if it's possible that Shay had nudged them together all along. That she made sure the two most important people in her life would have each other if anything happened to her. No matter how it happened, he is grateful that it did.

The sun broke through the clouds, beaming down on Marquette Park where the 2011 annual Friends of Firemen Barbecue is underway. Kelly followed Andy through the park to the section 51 had claimed as their own; Andy’s boys, Griffin and Ben, ran ahead of them. He transferred the extra bottles of beer and cans of pop he agreed to bring from their cases to the coolers.

Checking his watch, he scanned the park for Shay; she had insisted on meeting him there, had said something about bringing someone with her, and promised to save him a seat. He knew Squad would pull him to whatever table they secured at some point and as their lieutenant, he would be hard-pressed to say no. But he just needed to see Shay first, to calm his nerves and make sure she was okay. He spotted her, finally, next to a young woman he couldn’t recall ever meeting before.

Approaching the table, he greeted Dawson and the members of Truck, smiling when Shay caught his eyes. He noted that the woman beside her bore a striking resemblance to his best friend, though he was certain now that he’d never seen her. She looked up from her conversation with Dawson when Shay rose to round the table and pulled him into a hug; her hair was slightly darker than Shay’s, her eyes were a brilliant shade of hazel unlike Shay’s green, and the smile she gave him was utterly breathtaking.

“What took you so long?” Shay said, poking him lightly in the chest.

“Had a stop to make,” he said, chuckling.

Shay raised an eyebrow in disbelief but said nothing else about it. Instead, she pulled him toward the head of the table, near the girl he had trouble taking his eyes off of since he spotted her. “Hale, Kelly Severide. Kelly, my sister, Hale.”

“Sister?” He balked, surprise evident in his tone. His eyes darted back and forth between them. “Hang on, I thought―”

“I have two sisters, Kelly. Some people do have more than one sibling, you know?”

“Right. Yeah. No, I know. You’ve just never mentioned her.”

“Happens a lot, actually. That’s because Megan’s the favorite sister,” Hale answered with a smile that made Kelly’s heart flutter.

“Megan meddles more,” Shay corrected.

“Sorry,” he said. “Nice to meet you.” He smiled, shaking her hand.

“Yeah, you too. Shay talks about you all the time.”

“Shay?” he repeated, bewildered. He couldn’t remember the last time he heard a civilian call Shay by her last name, even stranger is that it had come from her sister. The melody of laughter that spilled from Hale’s lips at the look on Kelly’s face punched through his stomach; she was beautiful in a way he couldn’t describe, and his brain refused to form the words.

Hale’s amusement sobered when her sister’s elbow found that space under her ribs. She glared playfully at her before returning her attention to Kelly. “I was a combat medic for almost 10 years, calling her Shay instead of Leslie just came naturally to me. I guess that’s one thing I haven’t quite figured out how to grasp about civilian life yet.”

“She was always just Hale to me,” Shay said, her face wreathed in a beaming smile. Kelly heard the pride in her voice and tucked it away.

“Thank you for your service. So, 10 years as a combat medic; what are you doing these days?”

“I’m actually not sure yet. Got back a few months ago, honorable discharge. The transition has been rough, and I haven’t found anything that satisfies my desire to help people.”

“You will.”

“Do not flirt with my sister, Severide,” Shay scolded, punching him in the shoulder.

Kelly pulls himself from his thoughts, opening his eyes to find Hale standing before him, waiting. He smiles and it’s soft and kind and exactly how he looked at her when they met, when she told him they were having a baby, when their baby was born, and when he knew he wanted to name her after Shay. Lifting a hand to the side of her face, he gently cradles her cheek, stroking the soft skin with the pad of his calloused thumb. He can’t help himself, he drinks in all she is and all he remembers her to be.

“Kel? Did I lose you?” Her voice is soft, soothing. “What are you thinking about?” She reaches up with her right hand, settling her palm against his temple, her thumb ghosts over his forehead, smoothing out the lines between his eyebrows. “Talk to me, hmm?”

Kelly leans his head into the warmth of Hale’s hand, he closes his eyes as her finger continues to stroke a soft path along his browline. He takes a breath in and on the satisfied exhale, he says, “No, baby, you didn’t lose me. I’m still here. I, uh, I was just remembering the day we met, at the barbecue.”

A sweet hum emanates from Hale’s lips and her forehead finds the strong, hard muscles of Kelly’s chest. His heartbeat tattoos itself against the softness of her cheek, his other hand still protectively around the other side of her face. Hale’s sudden shyness fills Kelly with a strange feeling that blooms warmly in the spot where his heart should be. He realizes, while holding her to him, that it’s love: pure, sweet, beautiful love. A feeling similar to the one he felt when she looked at him for the first time.

“Shay was so annoying that day,” she says, voice muffled in his pectoral. She places a kiss there and lays her cheek against his sternum. “She was always so weird about you, and I never understood why.”

“She loved you,” he replies, running his fingers through her hair and along the base of her skull. “She was protecting you. And me, I think.”

“Hmm...wish she wouldn’t.”

“Nah, don’t say that. You wouldn’t have liked me much back then; not how I wanted you to, not with the way I was. Shay knew what she was doing.”

“Right. So, my sister played the long game for you.”

“Hey, no! No! On my behalf.”

Hale giggles, wrapping her arms around his torso and squeezing playfully.

“I was...an asshole when I met you. She didn’t want me getting too close, she didn’t want you getting hurt. Shay knew who I really was then; she’s the reason I changed, became a better man.”

“You have always been a good man, Kelly Severide.” Hale presses another kiss to his sternum, and more after that across his chest. She shifts up onto her toes and presses their lips together. Her kiss is different this time; slower, softer, but filled with every ounce of love and passion that resides bone-deep within her. Kelly chases after the high her attention brings, Hale gives it to him willingly.

“I thought I found Shay on a call this morning,” Kelly says, pulling back and resting his forehead against hers. Hale frowns and then it clicks that he’s talking about their daughter. “A little boy and his mother were trapped in their apartment. I could hear him crying when Mills and I were searching for survivors. She had placed him in the bathtub when the commotion started, by the time she realized it was a fire and they needed to get out, she had already inhaled too much smoke and couldn’t make her way back for him. We got them out before the building came down, they’re both recovering at Med. Will says they’re going to be fine, better than. But I-I― I couldn’t get the image of you and Shay out of my head. I just...” His voice trails off and he takes a shuddering breath in, his throat is tight against the memories assaulting his mind, fear squeezes his heart in an iron grip.

Choking sobs fill the air, pinging off the tiles around them. Hale’s arms tighten around his torso, and she lets him cry. Between his memories of Shay and the call at work, his meter for emotional control is lower than Hale is used to seeing. Exhaustion weighs him down, she does her best to hold him up.

Hale rubs her fingertips through the hair on the back of his head, massaging his scalp as she does. The best way to help him relax is to tell him about what they’ve done in his absence. “Shay is okay, Kelly. She slept most of the time, on her own schedule. She’s been a little fussier than usual, I think she misses you and Matt. I know I do.

“Christian helped so much while you both were on shift, I want to do something nice for him to say thank you. This morning Shay woke up at 2 and has been vocal about her disdain for you being gone ever since. She is still just as strong and healthy as she was when you saw her two days ago, and I’m sure she’ll be even stronger than that any day now.”

Kelly nods his head where it lays on her shoulder, tucking his face into her neck, breathing her in. His body stops shaking as his tears subside; he can breathe again.

She turns her face to kiss under his jaw. She presses her left hand in the middle of his back, molding their bodies together, letting the curves of her chest, her waist, her thighs press into him. “I am still here, my love. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere. You have me, Kel, as long as you want me.”

He snakes his arms around her lower back, pulling her flush to his chest. “Until the stars go out,” he says quietly.

“Until the sun dies,” she promises back.

They stay there under the water for what feels like an eternity, soaking in the safety of being in each other’s arms. Then Hale mutely persuades Kelly to let her ease the burden. With a little convincing in the form of a few more soft kisses placed along his jaw and his right shoulder, she turns them around and pushes him back under the water. She grabs the bar of Irish Spring soap and lathers it up along his body from his neck down, working her fingers into his tense muscles. The familiar scent of eucalyptus and mint alleviates his stress and lifts the haze of fog that had been clouding Kelly’s mind since he’d returned to the station. Next, she’s squirting a generous amount of shampoo into her hand and working it through his hair and scalp. And here in their bathroom with the mother of his little girl, the woman he fell in love with the moment he saw her, he finally finds peace.

#chicago fire fanfiction #kelly severide x matt casey #sevasey fic #kelly severide x ofc #matt casey x ofc #kelly severide fanfiction #matt casey fanfiction #one chicago fanfiction #kelly severide #matt casey

[squad3-sevcase]

I don't know who needs to hear this, but as a creator -

I am fine with "the audience" -

downloading my fics

printing my fics

copy/pasting or screenshotting my fics

sharing your saved copy of my fics with anyone else who might want them in the unlikely but never impossible case that my fics are no longer available on ao3

making a book of my fic(s) and running your fingers across the pages while lovingly whispering my precioussss

doing these things with anything I create for fandom, such as meta, headcanons, au nonsense like 'texts from the brodinsons,' etc

I am not fine with "the audience"

doing any of the above with the purpose/intent of plagiarizing my work or passing it off as their own in any capacity

feeding my work into ai for any reason whatsoever

Save the fandom things. Preserve the fandom things. Respect the fandom things.

Enjoy the fandom things.

[squad3-sevcase]

I thought it was time to post the first 3 chapters of When there's no one to hold you, I will still hold you down. I have posted to ao3. The first chapter is here, but I will post the next two shortly. There is more to come.

[squad3-sevcase]

When there's no one to hold you, I will still hold you down

A/N: The truth is, this story was born from grief. At the moment, I am uncertain whether there will be more chapters. However, I am planning to cross post to ao3 under the user Ink_and_Smoke when I feel it is complete. Right now, I am just trying to get a feel of sharing it. I do not give permission for my works to be reposted anywhere without my consent.

This story is dedicated to the best friend I lost: thank you for being my Leslie Shay. Always. 🤍

Warning: Major Character Death

Content: Angst, Domestic Fluff, Firehouse 51 Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Flashbacks, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Relationships: Kelly Severide/Matthew Casey, Kelly Severide/Original Female Character, Slight Matthew Casey/Original Female Character

Summary: An in-depth look at how the death of Paramedic Leslie Elizabeth Shay shaped the lives of those she left behind.

1: I'll Be Your Lifeline

The call comes at 3 on Friday morning, just as it seemed like the firefighters and paramedics of Firehouse 51 would finally be able to rest. The alarms blare through the station, dispatch calls for all available units to be mobilized for backup at a structure fire in the Near West Side; Kelly had just laid down. He pushes himself from the mattress, digs his feet into his shoes so he's not walking across the station floor in his socks, and exits his quarters.

He stifles a yawn with his fist, pulling on his turnouts in what feels like record timing, and climbs into the front of the Squad rig. He goes through the motions of radioing into dispatch and letting them know that Squad 3 from House 51 is en route, checking over his shoulder for the exhausted faces of his crew. He knows that no matter the state they find themselves in, they'll show up and give 110%; he feels lucky to be leading these men in the field. He catches Tony's eye and the two share a nod of understanding: get there fast, get there safely, but get there fast.

Static crackles over the open channel on Kelly's radio and he hears Matt's voice echo his call to dispatch, "This is Lieutenant Casey. Truck 81 en route to Near West Side structure fire." He finds himself smiling despite the knowledge that they're heading into the unknown, at least they're going together. He's lost count of how many calls they've been on, how many saves have gone down to the wire, how many times he's held his breath before Matt comes walking through thick walls of smoke. They may be on separate teams, but no one has ever been as in sync with him as Matthew Casey. He wonders if Matt is keeping score, too.

When Tony pulls the rig to a stop behind Engine 51, Kelly's the first one off and heading for incident command. A quick debrief reveals that the fire originated on the first floor and is now making its way up to the additional floors, two neighbouring firehouses are already working on evac but they're short-staffed. Kelly nods his understanding and turns to the members of his house, his brothers and sisters in arms.

"All right--Dawson, Brett, you two get set up in triage and help with emergency transportation as needed. Squad, Truck, I want teams of two to fan out and help check the remaining units for any survivors, radio if you need assistance. Engine, post up with the other crews and provide coverage. We attack this thing head-on, we need to be in and out as quickly as possible before this building comes down. Let's move!"

Between them, Kelly and Matt dispatch their men--one from each team--into the burning building (Herrmann and Matt stand by on RIT). Over the years, an unspoken rule within 51 was that the two Lieutenants go in together and no one said a word against it. But that was before their daughter was born. Roan Shay Elizabeth Severide was the moon that lit up the night sky, the star that guided each of them home. And she was named after the one person they would trust to take care of her if anything happened to them--Kelly's best friend, Leslie Shay. One day, they will tell her all about the woman she got her name from.

This time, Kelly was going in with Mills. Kelly gears up and waits for him at the back of Truck; he locks eyes with Matt who sends him a quick nod. To anyone else, the gesture is simply a silent communication between the two lieutenants. But Kelly knows better, and that nod is Matt's way of saying that he's got his back. That he's with him, that he'll follow him anywhere. It's Matt's way of making sure Kelly comes out alive.

"All right, Mills, let's do this," he says, turning toward the building.

"On your mark, Lieutenant," Mills confirms, putting his full faith and trust in Kelly Severide.

One last glance at Matt, and Kelly is returning his nod with one of his own. There is no one else either man would have at his side, at his back, than each other. But this is how it is now, Kelly would be damned if both of them were in immediate danger from the jump. They have too much on the line. Two in, two out takes on a whole new meaning when it's said between them, a promise to always come back.

Time feels like it's dragging on, though the minutes are ticking by quickly. Side by side, Kelly and Mills go down the hallways, breaking in the doors and calling out for survivors. Steady on they go, clearing unit after unit. Then he hears it... it's faint, nearly drowned out by the roaring of the flames and the screaming of splitting wood and drywall. But he would know that sound anywhere, it sticks in the back of his mind, a core memory. The wailing siren of a baby's distressed cry. They have almost cleared every apartment on the fifth floor and this is the last one, with a baby--and God only knows who else--trapped inside.

Kelly doesn't allow his heart and stomach the time to switch places; he signals for Mills to breach the apartment and they enter. The fire hasn't made this rescue impossible yet but it's trying. He knows they have only minutes before they'll be ordered to evacuate, he's done rescues more dangerous than this with less. They're in synchronization as Kelly takes the Alpha and Bravo sides of the unit, and Mills starts along the Charlie and Delta walls. He also knows Mills's diligence is due to Matt demanding perfection from the young firefighter.

("Do exactly as he says, when he says it. No unnecessary heroics."

"Copy, Lieutenant.")

"Fire department, call out!" He hears Mills call behind him and he's grateful for his presence on this call. There is no one in their immediate vicinity, so he moves on.

He advances down the hallway to his left and finds those wailing cries growing louder. Who would leave something so precious alone? he thinks prematurely, he doesn't know the full story yet but his gut is twisting in rage anyway. He echoes Mills's question and waits for a reply when he hears that sound again this time on his right.

He switches gears, turns to face the door and sets his gloved palm against it. The door--for all the rest of the apartment seems to be contending with the fire--is cool to the touch. Kelly lets out a relieved breath and tries the handle, the door opens to him, and he's standing in front of a bathroom. The small room is swirling with tiny plumes of smoke, more so now that it doesn't have to fight with the crack under the door to get in. He finds the baby in the bathtub.

Everything blurs together after that. Somehow Kelly and Mills manage to make it out before the roof caves in and sends floors six through eight crumbling down on them.

Looking back on it later, he will remember the rush of adrenaline that surged through his veins, the look on Mills's face when he spotted Kelly exiting the bathroom with an infant clutched to his chest, and their ability to work in tandem without speaking. He will remember the relief that flooded his system upon reuniting mother and child, the unbelievably crushing weight of the realization that it could have just as easily been him or Matt or Hale and their daughter. And then, as he always does after a tough call, he will bottle it up and pack it away.

* * *

It's after 5:30 when Engine, Truck, Ambo and Squad return to the firehouse. Kelly's muscles are begging for a break, his skin itching for a shower. There are three hours left of this shift and he would like nothing more than to go home, crawl into bed, and not think about work for the next 48. He curses Matt for knowing him so well when he walks through Kelly's office door uninvited and without remorse.

He's sitting at his desk when the door opens, despite his annoyance, he leaves it unlocked for this exact purpose. Matt walks in silently, sits on the edge of Kelly's bunk and waits for him to be ready to talk. Sometimes all it takes is just being in each other's presence to turn a bad day into a good one. Kelly's eyes remain on the silver picture frame--a photo of him, Matt and Hale the day Shay was born. And something tells Matt it's not going to be that easy.

"Hey," he says, after giving Kelly ten minutes and realizing he's not going to say anything. "Come with me."

Kelly opens his mouth to protest, to argue that he's fine and doesn't need one of their routine cigar chats but Matt fixes him with a strong look that says the matter is settled and he can't weasel his way out. He exhales deeply, standing to follow Matt back through the door. "After you," he says, but it's the last thing he wants to do.

The sun rises slowly on the horizon, washing the skyline in burnished gold hues. The first rays of daylight invite them to sit among their coming warmth and work through their shared trauma. Kelly pulls the collar of his CFD jacket up around his neck and holds it there as if trying to shield himself from something other than the chilly morning air.

Matt doesn't say anything for a while, just sits quietly on the front bumper of Squad 3. He cuts the cigars and lights them, handing one to Kelly and keeping the other for himself. He fixes the cap he haphazardly threw on his head and settles back, his ability to wait out Kelly's stubbornness has grown in the last few years.

"You were a hero to that mother today," he says quietly. It's something to say, to break the tension between them but he means it all the same. He doesn't have to tell Kelly that to him, he's a hero every day, it's implied.

He isn't sure what Kelly needs to hear but he's okay waiting. He knows, deep down, the rescue--though successful--took a lot out of him. He can see it in the slight frown he wears, in the dim green of his irises that usually shine like gems, in the way he's retreated into himself in a desperate attempt to block out the world.

Kelly answers with an acknowledging hum, taking a drag from his cigar and watching the smoke he breathes out disappear into the air above him. He's grateful for Matt's stubbornness, even though he doesn't know where to begin articulating his thoughts and feelings. He doesn't want to think about the call, he doesn't want to think about the way his insides were rearranging themselves when he heard that little boy cry, he doesn't want to think about where his mind went for a split second before he snapped back into focus.

"Case, I can't―" He cuts himself off with a swallowed-down sob, tries not to fall apart at the words that are coming unbidden. Memories of the day they lost Shay had been fresh in Kelly's mind throughout the beginning of this shift, and he found himself struggling with the realization that she will never meet her namesake. "I can't stop hearing that baby's cry in my head or seeing Shay's face when I close my eyes. I thought― There was a moment when I thought it could be her, when I thought it was her... And I don't know what I would have done if it had been our daughter."

"But it wasn't Shay, Sev," Matt says matter-of-factly. He understands, now, Kelly's hesitation to let the child go. He understands why he's been so guarded since they got back, why he found him nearly shut down completely in his office. If there is anyone Kelly loves on this earth more than he loves Matt or Hale, it's their daughter. And they feel the same way.

"Yeah, but it could've been," Kelly says.

"But it wasn't," Matt insists. "You went in there, you did exactly what you were born to do, and you saved someone. Thanks to you, a mother gets to watch her son grow up. Sev, no matter how much your anxiety wanted you to believe otherwise, that wasn't Shay. And that little boy's mother wasn't Hale. They are both perfectly safe at home, waiting for us to return."

Kelly nods, he knows Matt has a point but his ability to rationalize has dissipated and all that remains is the heavy weight of fear and grief in his chest. Matt continues, "Kelly, you were amazing today. In a few hours, we will change shifts, we will say goodbye to this family for a couple of days, then we will go home. We will pay Christian who lives down the hall and thank him for helping Hale with Shay while we work and when all of that is done, we will crawl into bed and hold each other and our daughter close."

"I keep thinkin' maybe we should lay off the cigars. You know, while she's still so little."

"You say that as if we smoke them on a regular basis. The last time being when you told me Hale was pregnant. Which means there is something else on your mind, so, hit me."

"I don't know, I've― I've been thinkin' about switching shifts. So there is always one of us at home with Hale and the baby while the other is working."

"If this is about that call―"

"It's not. I've been considering this for a long time. Matt, that call this morning only confirmed that it's something I want to do, something I need to do."

Matt sits there quietly for a while, staring out at the sky and listening to the sounds of the morning as Chicago wakes around them. He considers what Kelly's said; it makes sense. He knows there's probably more that's bugging Kelly but he doesn't push him for answers, even getting him to talk this much is a feat rarely accomplished. He ponders Kelly's suggestion as he lets the last of his cigar burn out.

"Okay," Matt says finally.

"Okay?" questions Kelly.

"Yeah," says Matt. "I think you're right. I think we need to do this for all of us."

Kelly beams, that gem green light in his eyes that Matt loves so much has returned. The tension in his shoulders lifts. "Thank you, Case."

Matt can't help but smile back. There he is, the man he loves with every fibre of his being, fully and completely. "You don't have to thank me, Sev. I'm with you even when shit gets hard, no matter what."

* * *

The rest of the shift passes without incident and Kelly isn't sure they can get out of there fast enough. He decides to forego showering at the firehouse, too eager to get home to his girls. After completing the shift change and saying their goodbyes, Kelly follows Matt to his tuck. The drive back to their apartment feels longer than it is with Kelly's anxiety reaching its boiling point; Matt does what he can to ease his nerves, keeping a reassuring hand on his knee. The cloud lifts once again as the two climb the stairs up to their home.

Outside the door, Kelly is immediately in tune with the sounds coming from the other side. His movements falter and he takes a moment to compose himself when Shay's unhappy wailing sends his mind back to that call. Matt's chest settles at his back, his arms encircle Kelly's waist, and he guides the stressed and exhausted man through a series of deep breaths.

"Hey, hey. Shay's fine. She gets like this every morning we come home. Remember it's just her way of telling her Mama that she misses her Dada and Papa," Matt calmly explains, swaying them soothingly back and forth. He curses the few inches Kelly has on him, standing on the balls of his feet to press a soft, reassuring kiss behind his left ear and reaching around him to unlock the door. "Well, come on then, Dada. Let's go see our girls."

Kelly hums appreciatively, grateful that Matt sees Hale as his too, not just Shay. It happened quickly, organically--falling in love with both of them--but he never expected Matt or Hale to love each other as they loved him. Though, he supposes he got lucky in that department anyway; they were best friends before Kelly's feelings got stuck in the middle of things, and in a way that no one could explain, they were even closer now that they had. Kelly would have gladly traded his life for Leslie Shay's back then, but thanks to her, he has a life worth fighting to come home to.

#chicago fire fanfiction #kelly severide x matt casey #sevasey fic #kelly severide x ofc #matt casey x ofc #kelly severide fanfiction #matt casey fanfiction #kelly severide #matt casey

[squad3-sevcase]

Posting a snippet of the new fic to keep me motivated to write! It's called "When there's no one to hold you, I will still hold you down". The title for this fic is taken from the song Hold You Down by X Ambassadors, and the song itself pretty much provides the tone for this fic. I should warn in advance, this fic is non-canon compliant.

Without further ado, the snippet!

She turned on him and he thought the look in her eyes was powerful enough to level a building; loneliness and anger and mistrust, months of difficult emotions she'd fought like hell to keep at bay now crashed to the surface like a tidal wave. She pointed an accusatory finger at his chest. "You are pathetic!"

He scoffed, unsure whether to be offended or annoyed by her critical analysis of his character. "Oh, I'm pathetic? Me?"

"Yes, you!"

"I don't walk around here acting like she's going to come through the front door at any moment! Now that's pathetic."

He watched as her cheeks flamed a slight red, embarrassment joining the flood of emotions locked and loaded in her arsenal. "That's rich, real fucking nice. You're right, you don't expect to see her walk through those doors anymore. You're just disappearing for months at a time and sleeping your way through half of Chicago like she never existed!" she said, biting back bitter tears. "God, what did she see in you?"

"If you hate me that bad, Hale, why are you still here?" Kelly asked, gritting his teeth.

Hale took a deep breath. Her hazel eyes had dimmed under the accusations that had flown from Kelly's mouth. The exhaustion was easy to see. "Because for some fucking reason that I will never understand, Shay loved you with her whole life. Right down to her last breath. Even when you didn't deserve it,―and believe me, you didn't deserve it a lot―she loved you. And I loved my sister. And I can't be mad at you anymore, Kelly. It's too much."

For the second time since Leslie Shay's death, Kelly Severide watched Hale Shay fall apart and felt a desire to put the pieces back together.

#chicago fire wip #kelly severide fanfiction #chicago fire fanfiction #matt casey fanfiction #kelly severide x oc #matt casey x oc #one chicago fanfiction

[squad3-sevcase]

May or may not have a new fic in the works while I try to demolish this massive writer's block for IKYH.

It's a sort of friends-to-lovers "I hate everyone but you" slow burn set in season 3-ish, I guess. Basically, from the end of Real Never Waits to however much of S3 I want to add in. But there will be enough of a backstory told throughout by the characters that it should all make sense.

We will see where it goes.

Stay tuned! x

#ikyh is still happening I just need to make it through the creative block #in the meantime I'll be posting snippets of the new story as it hits its stride

[squad3-sevcase]

I Know Your Heart (13) Hanging On [part two] | Chicago Fire Fanfic

Summary: In the aftermath of Voight’s attempt to escalate things with the Casey siblings, Becker and Matt try to navigate what comes next. Hallie makes a request of Becker that she refuses.

Warnings: General Chicago Fire warnings apply. Read at your own discretion.

🏷️: @campingmonkey @fullwattpadmusictree @deardelicatedamage @marvelatthetwilight

The door to Becker's room opened slowly, revealing her brother and Hallie, and the resident who would hopefully set her free.

Matt stopped on her left side where Kelly had been for the better part of the week when he wasn't on shift; he looked over her body, placing his left hand in hers. He offered a soft smile, though anger still rolled off of him in small waves.

“Hey, kid,” he said quietly. He looked up at the young doctor as she checked Becker's vitals. “Everything looks good. This is Sarah, she's going to take you off of the ventilator and you should be able to go home later today. How are you feeling?”

Becker reached for the notepad and flipped to an open page. Good. Ready to get back to work.

“Oh, no. You're not going back to work. You are taking time off, Becker. That's not a suggestion.”

I'm sure as hell not sitting on my ass at home while you're out there busting yours. The last three and a half months of my life have been running away from this guy, I’m not running anymore.

Matt turned to the window, ran his hands through his hair, and exhaled deeply. On the one hand, he knew Becker needed to face this thing head-on, and needed to fight it with everything she had. On the other hand, he couldn't stand the sight of his baby sister lying in that hospital bed with worse injuries than she'd already sustained. If anything else happened to her, he wouldn't forgive himself.

“What if you compromise?” Hallie cut in, trying to keep tensions from escalating. “At least until your ribs are healed, stay around the firehouse. If you get bored, you can come and help me in the clinic. And before you say anything, Matt, I promise nothing too strenuous.”

Becker nodded slightly and waited for her brother to agree.

“Yeah, all right. But I mean it, Becker, don't mess around with this. I'll see you later.” Matt gave his sister and Hallie one last nod of approval and left the room.

“Hey, I know this has been a rough week for you. Both of you have taken a huge blow to your pride, and you're not the easiest people to talk to once you get an idea in your head. Give him some time, he'll come around,” Hallie said softly.

Sarah put on a fresh pair of gloves and set the tray on the stand behind her. She pulled the tape away from Becker's mouth, checked to make sure her airway was clear and deflated the cuff. “When you're ready, take a deep breath and exhale, okay?”

As Becker breathed in and exhaled, Sarah carefully pulled the breathing tube out of her windpipe. She handed her a small cup of water and disposed of the instruments, then left the room. At least Becker was finally out of the woods and breathing comfortably on her own.

Hallie took a seat in the chair next to Becker's bed. “Matt would probably kill me if he knew I was telling you this but …” she trailed off, sighing as she blinked back tears of her own. The first time Becker had ever seen Hallie cry. “This thing with Voight is getting worse and Matt's losing his mind. He isn't thinking clearly anymore, he hardly even talks to me lately. I think he's pushing himself too hard with all of this.”

Becker sat up. Her throat hurt; her voice felt heavy from going unused. She could see the fear in Hallie's eyes and desperately wanted to offer her some comfort, but what could she say? Even she didn't know when things would settle down again or if they ever would.

“We can't stop until Voight is off the street. We can't stop until his son pays for what he did to me and Mikey,” she said, fighting through the discomfort to speak the truth.

Hallie scoffed. “You're both so damn stubborn. Is it not enough that our lives are this close to being threatened? Voight already planted drugs at Matt's house, Becker.”

“What would you have me do, Hallie? That's exactly why we have to see this through,” she replied.

“You have to talk him out of testifying at the deposition hearing. Please?”

“How can you ask me to do that?” she asked, fury rising in her gut. “Do you understand how much pain and suffering that kid has caused? The boy from the car accident is paralyzed because of Justin Voight's actions. Mikey will never walk or play hockey again.”

“I'm just thinking about all of us. Voight isn't going to stop, we know that. The only way to end this is if you and Matt retract your statements. Don't you want this to be over?”

“This will never be over. But the least we can do is try to get Mikey the justice he deserves. I won't talk Matty out of testifying at the hearing, he's doing the right thing.”

“I asked Gabriela to talk to him, but he doesn't want to listen. I can't watch him ruin his career behind this. I can't watch our lives be turned upside-down behind this. All I'm asking you to do is talk to him, Becker. You're his baby sister, there's no one in the world he loves more. He will listen to you.”

“God, you got Gabby involved in this? Hallie, you're asking me to do something you know I never will―stand against my brother. I think you should leave.”

“Becker, I'm—”

“Go, Hallie.” Becker turned on her side, putting her back to Hallie's face.

She couldn't believe that Hallie would ask her to do such a thing, knowing how much she'd suffered from Justin Voight's actions as well. Becker had accepted that she couldn't get anything from testifying against him, but at least she still had a career to look forward to. Mikey would never walk again, never play his favourite sport again, his family would never be the same. He deserved better, and Becker was as determined as her brother to make sure he got it.

Becker sat on the edge of the hospital bed, still reeling from her conversation with Hallie. Her heart ached as much as her body did. Her first month back home had been in a constant downward spiral, all she wanted to do was put it behind her.

There was a quiet knock on the door, and she lifted her head to find Herrmann standing in the doorway.

“Hey, kid,” he said, “ready to go?”

“If I never see the inside of this hospital from that bed again, it'll be too soon,” she said with a laugh. She took hold of Herrmann's hand when offered, leaning against him for support. “Thank you. And thanks for giving me a lift home. Matt has banned me from driving my truck until my ribs heal.”

“It's no problem at all. You know we take care of our own, Casey.” He grabbed her backpack and slowly led her from the hospital room.

Being out in the hallway felt less stifling already; Becker would take the heavy scent of saline over the stench of near-death any day. She shuffled along next to Herrmann in silence, ready to be back in her own bed ad leave this week in the rearview mirror.

“Has anyone seen my brother since this morning?” she asked once they exited the hospital.

“Can't say that I have,” he said.

Herrmann helped her settle into the front passenger seat and tossed her backpack in the back. The drive to her apartment was quiet, neither of them spoke on the tension in the air, but they were both thinking the same thing. With the deposition only a day and a half away, everyone could only hope it played out in their favour.

Becker waved goodbye to Herrmann then went inside. She wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and sleep in her bed tonight. And since Matt was forcing her to take time off to heal, she figured ordering a pizza and catching up on Grey's Anatomy would take up a good chunk of her time at home.

She slowly made her way inside the building, smiling to the doorman as he held the door open for her.

“Good to have you back, Ms. Casey,” he said with a polite nod of his head.

“Good to be back, Miles. Remind me to thank my brother for insisting I take a ground floor unit,” she returned.

“You got it, Ms. Casey.” Miles bid her farewell and returned to his seat behind the desk.

Becker chuckled; Miles the Doorman was the only good thing about her building. Well, that, and being around the corner from Kelly and Shay. She pulled her keys from the front pocket of her backpack and went to unlock the door, a small draft hit the bare skin of her hands when she reached for the handle.

Stepping back a bit, Becker noticed that her door was slightly ajar, unlike how she'd left it earlier in the week.

Her heart rate kicked up at the thought of an intruder being in her apartment. She glanced over her shoulder, making eye contact with Miles and offered him a shy smile. Thankfully, his attention was pulled away from her when another resident entered the building.

She pulled her phone from her back pocket and touched the screen, then held it up to her ear. Keeping up appearances was something Becker knew how to do very well.

“Hey, Herrmann, what's up?” Becker turned to the front door. “Thanks, I was wondering where those went. In my pain-riddled haze, I tried unlocking the door with the keys to my locker. Yeah, I'll be out in a sec.”

Miles was still tending to the 2nd-floor resident who stopped in for a chat, unaware of the waver in Becker's voice. It didn't matter that her locker had a combination padlock on it. She turned quickly and made her way back out to the street. Who could she call? Everyone she knew would be at the firehouse.

“Matty, hey! You didn't stop by my place after you left the hospital earlier, did you?” she asked when her brother answered her call.

“No, why? Is everything okay?”

“I just got back, and the door to my apartment is open.”

“Have you given a key to anyone besides me?”

“Shay and Severide. They live around the corner, it made sense.”

“Where are you right now? I'll come get you.”

“Standing outside the building. Made it seem like Herrmann was bringing my keys back for me.”

“All right. Go around the corner to Kelly's, we'll be there in 10.”

Back at the firehouse, everyone crowded around Becker in the common area. Two of their own had been attacked in the same day, and now Becker's apartment had been broken into. Voight was pulling out all the stops, it was becoming increasingly clear to the members of 51 that he'd stop at nothing to ruin them.

Matt paced back and forth, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that someone had broken into his sister's apartment. “Tell me again what you saw when you got there? Did you see anyone inside?”

“Matt,” she said, frustrated, “I've told you four times already. Herrmann dropped me off, I went inside, and when I went to unlock the door, it was already open. I didn't stick around long enough to see if anyone had made themselves home.”

“Well, you can't stay at your apartment.”

“Yeah, no shit, Sherlock.”

“Hey, I'm just trying to figure this out. You've been attacked and had your apartment broken into within the same week. Someone has to do something.”

“And you had cocaine planted at your house, you still go home at night.”

“That's different and you know it.”

“Why? Because―”

“Because I'm not the one who―”

“Who what, Matt? You're not the one who was assaulted by the crooked cop's kid, right?”

Matt groaned. He scrubbed his hands down his face and paced in front of the television. Navigating all of this was becoming harder as the days went on.

The frustration in his eyes eased into concern as he looked at his sister. “No, Bec. That's not what I was going to say, but you're right. He hasn't hurt me the way he's hurt you and Mikey. I don't know how to handle this, I need you to tell me what to do.”

Shay walked over and handed Becker a cup of water, then stood behind her chair. “You can stay with us. I haven't gotten enough time with you since you've been back, and you need a place to crash. Two birds, one stone.”

“Thanks, Shay. I guess that settles it.” Becker looked around the room at her friends and colleagues. She could see the gears turning in their heads, knew what they were thinking without having to ask. She would be lying if she said the same thing hadn't gone through her mind a time or two, but she knew they couldn't afford to handle it themselves.

The waiting and the uncertainty of it all was the hardest part about the whole thing. If Matt and the guys had their way, they would have taken Voight out a long time ago. But even if they could scare Voight enough to get him to leave them alone, it wasn't worth risking their jobs.

Becker wouldn't let them gamble with their lives. They were too important to her, too important to their families to let them get mixed up in this thing with a crooked cop. She would leave again before she let that happen.

Kelly must have read her mind, he crouched down in front of her before she'd even finished the thought. He placed his hands on her knees and squeezed.

“I'm okay,” she said. Her smile was small and as reassuring as she could muster.

“I know you're not, but you will be. And if you think any of us are going to let you walk out that door again, you're wrong.”

“Severide”―she rolled her eyes―“it was one time.”

“Yeah,” he laughed, “one time too many.”

Various noises of affirmation sounded from the men and women around her and she knew she wouldn't be let off the hook that easily. Truthfully, leaving had been one of the hardest things Becker had ever done. She figured she would give the incident with Justin a week to blow over, but when his calls kept coming, one week quickly turned into six.

She figured he'd grown bored with his game and moved on, and that's why she chose to come back a month before Halloween. But it turned out, he would only be distracted by yet another strike to his record. And once Detective Voight caught wind of her return, the whole thing started over again like clockwork.

“Just promise me you guys won't do anything stupid,” she pleaded, looking at Kelly with a bright smile. “It is nice to know there are a few good men left in this world.”

“Only for you, Mini Casey, only for you.”

#chicago fire fanfiction #one chicago fanfiction #kelly severide fanfiction #matt casey fanfiction #chicago fire series #i know your heart

[squad3-sevcase]

I Know Your Heart (12) Hanging On [part one] | Chicago Fire Fanfic

Summary: In an attempt to get his way, Voight puts out a hit on the siblings that leaves Becker hospitalized.

Warnings: General Chicago Fire warnings apply. Read at your own discretion.

A/N: I will be posting full chapters on my ao3 before posting them here, where they will be broken down into parts depending on how long they are. This chapter/part deals with stalking and assault and the resulting injuries. Soft & Protective Severide is the best Severide.

🏷️: @campingmonkey @fullwattpadmusictree @fictionlover100 @deardelicatedamage @marvelatthetwilight

“Casey,” Chief Boden called to Becker on her face way out of the station that afternoon. His tone told her that he had business to discuss, and she guessed the rest. “My office.”

Becker cast her bag aside and followed the chief to his office.

“Chief,” she greeted, walking into the familiar room. Not long ago, she'd sat in one of the chairs opposite the chief and her brother and told her superior officer a story that transformed her life. It set in motion plans that not only changed the way Becker felt about being home but the way her brother saw her. Being a firefighter was all Becker had, dealing with a dirty cop had become another layer of the job.

The chief gave Becker a politely stiff nod in greeting and gestured to the chair in front of him. He folded his arms over his chest and sat on the edge of his desk. “Have a seat. Do you know anything about Lieutenant Casey making a stop at the CPD?”

The colour drained from Becker's face; she didn't want to believe what she was hearing, she wanted to believe Matt was smarter than that. He wasn't stupid enough to publicly challenge a senior detective. Certainly not Lieutenant Matthew Casey, a man who had an entire career ahead of him leading Ladder Truck 81. But her idiot big brother, the boy who used to pick fights with other children for bullying her on the playground when they were kids? Well, that one was easier to accept.

Becker sighed; if things weren't terrible before, they were about to become a whole lot worse now. She thought back to the note she'd found on her windshield, she still hadn't told anyone about it.

“This is the first I'm hearing about it, Chief.”

“Have you had any more run-ins with Detective Voight or his son lately?”

Becker shook her head, she thanked her lucky stars that the only person in the world she couldn't lie to wasn't in the room. “Not recently. But I don't doubt I'm on his list.”

The chief nodded. “First sign of trouble you come to me. Understood?”

“Understood,” Becker agreed.

“All right. Go on, get out of here. Remember, first sign of trouble.” Chief Boden stood from the corner of his desk and shook Becker's hand as she stood to exit his office.

Few things frightened Becker Casey, none of which had to do with her job. She was certain her recent jumpiness hadn't gone unnoticed by the members of 51, but no one had taken the time to ask about it. She'd caught Kelly staring at her a few times, though he quickly diverted his gaze. She chalked it up to the fact that she'd been gone for almost two months and he hadn't known where or why.

Something was off. A small voice in the back of her mind that sounded a lot like her brother, alerted the young firefighter to an uneasy presence. She could feel eyes on her, watching her every move. It felt like it had the night that started it all. . . the only difference now was that she wasn't alone. Becker knew that she could call any one of her family members at 51 and they would help her if she needed it.

She decided to keep walking, hoping that her feeling was just growing paranoia from the note left on her truck. That damn note, still finding ways to haunt her days later. But even she knew that sounded like a load of bullshit.

“You're good, you're safe, you're fearless,” she repeated the words over and over, a mantra to get her through the walk back to the firehouse.

She pulled her phone from her pocket to send a text to her brother but decided to call into the station instead. The line rang twice then someone picked up the other end.

“51,” the voice said.

“Herrmann, hey, it's Becker.” She looked around the street. “Is my brother around?”

“Nope, haven't seen him since this morning.”

“What about Severide? Is he around at all?”

“Nah, haven't seen him since you guys got back from that construction accident. Want me to let them know you called?”

“Uh, no. No, that's okay. Thanks, Herrmann.”

“Hey, Casey, if something's going on. . . If you need help with anything, I'm—”

Becker quickly cut him off. “No. Just wondering if they were around. I'll catch them later. Thanks, Herrmann.” She hung up before he could say anything else. The feeling of being followed hadn't let up and she still had three blocks to go. She finally sent a text to Matt.

Hey, big brother. Haven't seen much of you today, don't know if your shift is over yet. Call me later, we'll get drinks. My treat.

She sighed, put her hands in the pockets of her coat, and tried to calm her nerves. Everything went dark after that.

Becker awoke to chaos.

Bright lights burned her eyes, rhythmic beeps sounded in her ears, the scent of chemicals filled her nose. She had a splitting headache and every muscle in her body was on fire. There was a strange weight in her mouth, and she found she couldn't move her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, a soft whine, barely audible slipped past her parted lips.

“Hey, you're awake,” a soothing voice to her left remarked gently.

Awake?

Becker couldn't remember the last thing she was doing. She couldn't remember where she was headed or who she was with, her head was foggy and pounding to the beat of her pulse. She panicked, fighting against the thing in her mouth. She struggled to turn her head and get a good look at where she was. She could barely make out the sound of chair legs scraping against the tile floor ― where was she?

Kelly appeared in her line of sight, his eyes were glassy and bloodshot, he'd been crying. He gently stroked her hair with his right hand.

“Hey,” he said, voice wavering, “you gave us quite a scare, you know that?” He smiled weakly.

Becker raised her left hand toward her face, she was determined to pull whatever was on it off. Kelly's hand settled in hers and he laced their fingers together, he gave her hand a soft squeeze, continuing to stroke her hairline with the pad of his thumb.

“I know you're scared, but I need you to leave the breathing tube in, okay?” He squeezed her hand again. “Relax, Bec. You're safe now, you're at Lakeshore. We're all here for you.”

Becker frowned. She could count on one hand the number of times Kelly called her by her first name, it was always Mini Casey. Things were bad if he was using her name and had been crying before she woke up.

She tried to speak around the breathing tube, growing frustrated with its presence. The beeping of the heart monitor increased in speed as her heart rate went up.

“Leave it alone, Casey,” Kelly scolded firmly. He was looking at her with sad, tear-filled eyes that only raised her sense of panic.

She watched from her bed as Kelly turned toward the door and stuck his head out of it.

“Someone page Hallie for me, please. And get word to Matthew Casey's room that his sister is awake. Now!” Kelly returned to Becker's side and placed his hand back in hers. “Hey, hey. I'm not goin' anywhere, I'm right here. Two in, two out.”

What felt like an eternity passed until Hallie breezed into the doorway. Matt followed closely behind his fiancée, as did Chief Boden. The two men stopped at the foot of Becker's bed.

She stared up at them with hazy, unseeing eyes. She had questions they had the answers to, but she couldn't ask them in her current state. Her helpless, pleading eyes met those of her brother's.

“Hey, there, Becky. Welcome back to the land of the living,” Matt whispered. He chuckled softly, hoping to lighten the mood but Becker didn't find his joke amusing.

She struggled past the tube, the burning sensation in her throat caused tears to sting her eyes. She pulled her gaze away from her brother and up to Hallie as the resident leaned over her, stethoscope in hand.

“Hey, Becker. Welcome back,” Hallie greeted with a smile. She pulled the collar of Becker's gown down and placed the stethoscope against her chest. “Breath sounds are still uneven; oxygen is still pretty low as well. Becker, we're going to leave the tube in until your oxygen levels even out, okay? We want to get them back up before we remove you from the ventilator.”

Hallie's voice was calming in a way Becker hadn't known she needed, too caught up in trying to figure out what the hell was going on. She remembered Matt standing at the foot of the bed, looking like he'd been in a fight. She looked up at Hallie and over to her brother.

The resident understood and moved back to let Matt take her place. “I'll let you all talk. Page me if she needs anything. I'll check on you later, Becker. Rest up.”

As soon as Hallie was out of the room, the chief closed the door behind her. He resumed his position at the end of Becker's bed, his expression one of concern.

“Casey, do you remember the last thing you were doing this afternoon?”

Becker tried to speak around the tube, clenching her fists in frustration upon realizing again that she couldn't. Her eyes shifted up to her brother's face.

“It's okay, Becky. Take your time.” Matt slid his right hand into hers, offering her a small bit of comfort.

Kelly sniffled, drawing her attention to him. “Squeeze my hand if you remember, squeeze Matt's if you don't.”

She looked at her brother and lightly squeezed his hand.

Matt spoke up again. “Do you remember calling the station on your way home?”

Becker thought for a moment, she did remember that, but she couldn't remember why she had. She blinked through her tears, squeezing Kelly's hand.

“Do you remember texting me about grabbing a drink after shift?”

They watched with pained relief as her left hand flexed around Kelly's once again. She wondered what time it was.

“You were three blocks away from the station. My neighbour, Mrs. Walker, found you while she was out walking Trixie and called 911.” Kelly's voice met her ears, he was calm but visibly shaken up.

“If you have any recollection of who might've done this, now would be the time to let us know.” Chief Boden stepped forward, handed Becker a small notepad and pen.

She looked between her brother and Kelly, both men nodded their agreement. Becker picked up the pen, wincing at the pain shooting up and down her side. She was certain there would be significant bruising, if not a few broken ribs.

Becker stared at the notepad in her left hand; she'd waited so long to tell Kelly about what had caused her leave of absence, that she wasn't sure she had the courage to do so. She noted the bruising on Matt's cheek and the way he held his side, and was sure that whatever happened to him, was connected to what happened to her and the note from Halloween.

When she was finished writing, she tilted the notepad toward her brother.

“She's positive it has to do with the note she found when she was leaving here after getting her stitches removed on Halloween night.”

“The one that was in your jacket pocket?” Kelly asked.

Becker gave him her best approximation of a scowl; he shouldn't know about the note.

“I wasn't snooping, it fell out of your pocket when you handed me your jacket. I thought you'd want the chance to tell me yourself.”

“What note?”

“It wasn't signed. Who was it from, Bec?”

Keeping secrets hadn't served Kelly or Becker well over the last few weeks. Just that morning shed lied to the chief about Voight harassing her simply because it hadn't been direct the way his treatment of Matt had. And now, it'd come back to bite her in the ass.

She put pen to paper once more and showed the notepad to Kelly, hoping this small display of truth would fortify the trust between them. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep her walls from crumbling.

Kelly looked down at the notepad, then up at Becker's face. Did he have a right to be angry with her for keeping this from him? Becker wasn't sure, but at least he was by her side. His green eyes were filled with pain anyway. “She didn't see who placed it, and all it said was ‘Get your brother to drop the charges. Or this little game becomes a lot worse.’ She thought she had more time.”

Matt straightened up; anger flashed in his bright blue eyes. “It's one thing to go after me and Hallie, but my sister?”

Kelly held up his hand, stopping Matt's rant. “I don't understand what your thing with Voight and his son has to do with Becker. Why is he targeting her if she wasn't even here for two months? She doesn't even know the guy.”

Becker looked over at Matt. Her dark eyes were pleading with him to tell Kelly everything she hadn't, everything she needed to and couldn't. Hiding the truth from her partner, her best friend, was no longer an option when their lives could be in danger.

“Becky, are you sure?”

Kelly's eyes found Becker's as she stared up at him, only shifting down toward the bed at the firm pressure that returned to his hand. He looked up at Matt, the chief, and Becker. . . Being left in the dark was only going to cause him more pain. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “She, uh. . .she's squeezing my hand again.”

Matt nodded. “Okay.” He took a deep breath. “Kelly, recently Becker told me that the accident Justin Voight was involved in isn't the first time we've run into problems with Voight. He's been covering things up since his son followed my sister home three months ago.”

“Three months ago? So this punk has been messing with you for three months and we're just now hearing about it?”

“I only found out a week ago myself, I left it up to Becker who she did or didn't tell. I haven't even been the best since finding out,” Matt said. He picked up the notepad after Becker was done with the lengthy explanation and read what she wrote. “She knew you would freak out and that's one of the reasons she didn't tell you. It's the same reason she didn't tell me. When I found out it changed how I looked at her at first. And the other reason is that she was ashamed and thought we would be ashamed of her, too.”

“Ashamed of you for what, Becker? Some punk ass kid harassing you isn't your fault.” 

“Sev.”

The two men sat in the chairs next to Becker's bedside, Kelly on her left and Matt on her right. She'd closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see the horror and anger cross Kelly's face when realization set in. She didn't want to have to admit that she had been too weak to fight off the advances of an inebriated 19-year-old.

“Becker. . .” Kelly didn't know what to say to comfort her, he didn't know if there was anything he could say.

Becker blinked her eyes open. She took the notepad from Matt one last time, then handed it to Kelly once she finished writing.

The Squad lieutenant looked at the notepad, then up at the chief, and finally across the bed to Matt. He swallowed down the rage bubbling up in his chest.

“What'd she say?” he asked, attempting to remain level-headed despite the hatred growing under his skin.

“Call Antonio Dawson.” Kelly looked down at his partner's face, reaching forward to wipe away a stray tear. “Are you sure?”

Becker squeezed his hand; tears fell.

#chicago fire fanfiction #one chicago fanfiction #kelly severide fanfiction #matt casey fanfiction #chicago fire series #i know your heart series

[squad3-sevcase]

The first 5 chapters are now on AO3!! (:

I am excited to see where Kelly and Becker’s story takes them.

[squad3-sevcase]

Working on cross-posting to AO3.

I am going to say this now because I have seen a lot of other works deal with this on the archive already and I am not up for wasting my time:

I do not need or welcome comments about Severide's relationship with Kidd on my story. If you can't picture him with anyone else, that is fine and completely your prerogative to do so. (I love Stella Kidd quite a bit myself.)

However, this is fanfiction.

Fanfiction doesn't need to stick to canon relationships. It doesn't even need to stick to canon plot. But if you cannot offer feedback about the story you are reading, then do not comment.

Your opinions on Severide and Kidd do not belong on a story that isn't about them. This goes for any story that doesn't cater to your ships, OTP or otherwise- if you don't like what you're reading, just don't read it. It doesn't lend anything to us writers except feeling like we don't belong in a space we enjoy.

So, please be kind.

Look for me at Ink_and_Smoke on AO3.

[squad3-sevcase]

I Know Your Heart (11) One Minute [part three] | Chicago Fire Fanfic

Summary: Becker and Kelly reconcile on Halloween night.

Warnings: General Chicago Fire warnings apply. Read at your own discretion.

A/N: I ended this episode here for a reason. Things are getting good. I've added this to the mature community labels, make sure you have the proper labels allowed so you don't miss out!

🏷️: @campingmonkey @fullwattpadmusictree @fictionlover100 @deardelicatedamage @marvelatthetwilight

After taking the afternoon off of her shift to sort herself out, Becker kept her outpatient appointment with Hallie at Lakeshore Memorial to have her stitches removed.

She hoped that she would feel calmer when she walked out than she did the last time she saw Matt, but she only felt the case against Justin Voight taking more and more from her. She expected things to change for the better once she told her brother but it was only getting worse. And Hallie's reassurance that her arm healed nicely with minimal scarring had done little to set Becker's worries at ease.

Halloween wasn't quite what she thought it would be. Usually, she loved the holiday. . .spending the evening helping her building's doorman, Miles hand out candy to the children who lived there if their parents allowed it. But tonight she was heading over to Kelly and Shay's for drinks, to help him run interference after Shay's run-in with an ex-girlfriend. And as a way for him to keep an eye on her, she knew. 

Her phone went off in her pocket with a text from Kelly updating her on Shay's condition post-Clarice-reunion and Becker giggled, shooting off a quick reply:

Sev: Hey. Are you on your way? Shay is busting out the liquor and I am not prepared to handle Drunk and Heartbroken Shay on my own.

Just finished with Hallie. Keep her talking, you'll be fine. I'm on my way. 

A piece of paper stuck under one of the windshield wipers caught her attention as she approached her coal-black pickup truck. She figured it was left out of courtesy, someone must have swiped the side of her truck and dinged the door again. It was a common thing, happened a few times before and was no big deal. She plucked the note from under the wiper blade and unfolded it, her heart skipped a beat as she scanned the words scrawled on the thin piece of paper: Get your brother to drop the charges. Or this little game becomes a lot worse.

Becker swallowed. She looked around; the parking lot was empty except for patients and staff coming and going. She carefully checked the driver's door, it was still locked and no one appeared to be inside. She cleared the truck bed, finding it empty as well. She was alone.

She crumpled the note and put it in her pocket. Another text from Kelly came in:

Sev: Bec? Everything ok? Starting to get a little worried. Call me.

Yeah, yeah. I had Hallie check my wrist. I'm leaving now. Relax, Kel.

The drive to Kelly and Shay's condo provided Becker enough time to decide whether or not she finally wanted to tell them about her involvement with Detective and Justin Voight. On the one hand, having someone else to rely on for moral support who wasn't close to the incident was a good thing. But on the other, she was terrified of what could happen to them once they knew. She had yet to discover the extent of what Voight was capable of. She wasn't sure if she could live with herself if Kelly and Shay got hurt because of her too.

Becker spent the elevator ride up to their floor mulling over her options. She decided to wait and see how things panned out over the next few days, to just enjoy what was left of their evening and worry about the rest later.

The bell chimed signalling her arrival and as the doors opened, she left it all behind for one more night. Becker sent a quick text to Kelly, letting him know she'd be right outside their door in less than two minutes to relieve him of his Drunk and Heartbroken Shay duties. She was too wrapped up in the back and forth between them to notice the person rushing by, and nearly bumped into a sobbing woman in a trenchcoat.

“Oh, sorry. That's my bad for not watching where I'm going,” Becker said, politely stepping out of the way. “Nicki?”

She was shocked to see the young woman standing in front of her. She guessed what was or wasn't underneath the coat, and put it together that Nicki had likely just come from Kelly's place. It was the look of rejection on her face and the way she scrambled to wipe away the tears that almost had Becker feeling sorry for her. She felt the heat of jealousy from earlier that afternoon slowly crawl its way back under her skin, burrowing deeper the longer she and Nicki stayed in each other's presence.

Nicki's face twisted in self-pitying disgust, and she wiped a sleeve down the side of her cheek. She sneered, “Figures. Of course, he called you. Did you know?”

“I'm sorry?” Becker blinked confused.

“Did you know when I asked him out. . . Did you know that Kelly was engaged before?”

Becker's confusion melted away into the desire to protect her best friend's heart from further damage. She balled her hands into fists at her sides, if getting into a fight with that woman would accomplish anything, she'd break her face in a heartbeat. But she had crossed the line too many times already, Nicki wasn't worth losing her job over.

“I― hold on. You don't get to be mad at me just because you got found out.”

“I asked you if you thought he'd go out with me, I―”

“Again, for the record, I wanted and tried to stay out of it.”

“So you did know, and you let me ask him out anyway. You must think I'm stupid,” Nicki's voice broke.

Becker laughed, dry and humourless, “No, I think you're a bitch. You knew you were engaged. Kelly was cheated on, you're the one doing the cheating. He's been where your fiancé is. So, you do the math.”

She headed down the hallway, she should've been at Kelly and Shay's by then. Instead, she was entertaining Nicki for the last time. She slowly carded her left hand through her hair, just to give herself something to do as she turned around to offer the woman one final piece of advice.

“You know, I was serious when I said we weren't friends. I told you it wouldn't be pretty if you hurt him, Nicki. And I told you I wouldn't be there to pick up the pieces for you when you did.” Becker stepped back, widening the gap between her and Nicki, drawing the line between them. “You might want to listen the next time someone tells you not to play games with their best friend's heart.”

Somehow Becker knew that wasn't exactly what her brother meant by getting her head on straight, but she was seeing things clearer than she had in days. She had a lot of apologies to make and a few people to seek forgiveness from. The CFD took care of its own and Becker may have lost sight of that for a moment.

She rounded the last corner in the hallway, feeling the weight begin to lift from her shoulders. Confronting Nicki helped her face the worst parts of herself and she finally felt the world starting to shift back into place. She pulled her keys out of her pocket and looked up to find Kelly leaning against the doorframe.

Kelly's eyes searched Becker's and for a moment neither was sure what to say. The knowing smile on his face told her that he had heard most―if not all―of what she'd said to Nicki, and her cheeks warmed under his gaze.

Becker played with her keychain, nervously rolling it between her fingers. “So. . .how long have you been standing there?”

He rubbed his left hand over the stubble on his chin. “Uh, long enough. Thanks for lookin' out for me, Bec,” he said, holding his hand out to her.

“Anytime, partner.” She let him pull her in for a hug.

That moment was the first time things between them had made sense all day and she relaxed into the familiarity of his presence. He pressed a kiss to her hair and rested his chin on top of her head; she breathed in the comfort of his cologne. Becker Casey knew one thing for certain, no matter what Voight tried to do, she had a family of people behind her who would stop at nothing to see justice served. She wouldn't go down without a fight.

Kelly tugged Becker inside and shut the door, whatever else they needed to say could wait.

Shay shuffled over, handing a glass of the various drink mixers she was messing with to Becker with a smile. It was clear then why Kelly wanted the three of them to have a night in; Shay was already two sheets to the wind and Becker guessed it was going to be a long night.

“It's good to have you back, Bec,” Shay slurred with a smile.

“It's good to be back, Les,” she answered. “Looks like you started the party without me, though. I'm offended.” She opened up her bag as Kelly took her glass and jacket, and retrieved smaller bags of theatre snacks and candy. “I brought snacks!”

Shay's eyes grew wide at the pile of junk food on the coffee table. “Whoa! When did you have the time to do this?”

Becker shrugged. “Right after Matt pulled me from the rest of my shift this afternoon. Kelly texted and said we needed to run ‘post-reunion interference’. So, I come bearing shitty chocolate, Rocky Road ice cream―Cookie Dough for me―and my stash of terrible horror films. We can do the I just broke up with the love of my life thing again or we can ignore it, drown our feelings in booze and junk food, and watch shitty movies. Your call.”

“Booze and junk food for 500,” Shay said, sinking into the couch cushions.

“Now that, I can do.” Kelly laughed, ignoring Shay's look of incredulity and handed her the pint of Rocky Road ice cream along with a spoon. He settled down in the middle of the couch, grabbing the Cookie Dough ice cream from the coffee table and two more spoons while Becker started the first of many movies they were sure to watch that night.

Becker took the remaining seat on Kelly's left and commenced their night of drowning their feelings in too much alcohol and sugar. It wasn't the usual way to spend Halloween, but it sure beat sitting at home alone, worrying about the things she couldn't control.

As the end credits for American Psycho rolled up the screen, Kelly turned the volume down. Shay had fallen asleep halfway through The Lost Boys, leaving Becker and Kelly to round out the evening with their favourite psychological thriller. He draped the blanket from the back of the couch over Shay's shoulders and leaned forward to grab the empty glasses and bowls from the coffee table.

“You want anything else?” he asked, taking the dishes to the kitchen.

“A beer if you have it?”

“Coming right up.” Kelly smiled. He watched Becker get settled on the couch again after switching over to the highlight reel of the week's baseball games. He wasn't entirely sure if he should mention that he found the note in her jacket pocket or wait for her to bring it up. They'd been keeping a lot of secrets from each other lately.

Shay sat up from her end of the couch, cutting Kelly's thoughts short. “Ow. Fuck. That's gonna hurt in the morning. I'm going to bed,” she said, holding the heel of her right hand to her temple. She headed for the stairs, calling back over her shoulder, “Thanks, you guys. . .for tonight. I owe you.”

Becker shook her head. “No, you don't. You're our best friend, we've got your back. Always. Get some sleep, see you tomorrow.”

Shay smiled softly and disappeared up the stairs.

That was one of the things Kelly loved about Becker―she knew how to cheer everyone up regardless of her own feelings. He retrieved two beers from the refrigerator and popped the lids on both, leaving them discarded next to the dirty bowls for now, then rejoined Becker in the living room.

“Thanks,” she said with a soft smile. It was then Kelly realized how much he'd missed her that day. Between her attitude that morning and being relieved of duty for the rest of her shift, he hadn't seen much of her at all.

He took a drink of his beer and settled back against the cushions. “Are we gonna talk about what the hell happened today?”

“Depends on what you want to know,” she said.

Kelly sighed, the ball was in his court. “How about we start with why you were avoiding me? Why you iced me out all day?”

“The truth?” she asked, looking up at his expectant green eyes.

He nodded. “The truth.”

“I let Vargas get inside my head. He was so sure that you were in a bad mood when I got there, he warned me not to do anything that would make it worse. After what you found out about Nicki I figured he was right.”

“Come on, Bec. You know me better than that.”

“I know. It's just been a weird few days. Shit with Matt isn't helping either. There's still a lot I'm not ready to talk about. But who we are and who we've always been, I kind of forgot that for a moment.”

“Well, don't forget it again. Squad works the way it does because we work the way we do. I can't do this without you, MC. You're my partner.”

“You know, speaking of working the way we do, when has an acceptable amount of time passed for me to say I told you so?”

Kelly narrowed his eyes at Becker and lifted the bottle to his lips again. Of course, she wasn't going to let him live down one of the most reckless mistakes he'd made since she had known him―she wouldn't be Becker Casey if she did. He shook his head. “Mnh-mnh, don't start with me, Casey.”

Becker laughed, deep and full and complete. And Kelly wanted to lose himself to the sound of her voice. “What? Oh, come on. You know I was right all along. Nikki was bad for you, but that's not entirely your fault.”

“Yeah? Is that what you were telling her in the hallway?”

“Heh, yeah, uh. . .so-something like that. How much of it did you hear?”

As Becker looked down at her hands, Kelly's heart seized for a moment. It had become a strange song and dance between the two of them, and he wasn't sure if they would ever go beyond the casual flirting or cleaning up each other's messes. Becker had been right about Nicki, she was right about a lot of things lately, Kelly didn't want to lose sight of that.

Whoever had left the note that he'd found in her pocket knew more than he did and he wasn't sure he liked that. Kelly and Becker didn't keep secrets unless they needed to; he had to wonder what she was hiding and why it was so important to hide it from him. In the meantime, he was more than relieved to have his best friend back.

“Only as much as you want me to.”

#chicago fire fanfiction #one chicago fanfiction #kelly severide fanfiction #matt casey fanfiction #chicago fire series #i know your heart series

[squad3-sevcase]

I Know Your Heart (10) One Minute [part two] | Chicago Fire Fanfic

Summary: Becker pushes back against Kelly and Matt’s attempts to be there.

Warnings: General Chicago Fire warnings apply. Read at your own discretion.

A/N: The tension continues to build.

🏷️: @campingmonkey @fullwattpadmusictree @fictionlover100 @deardelicatedamage @marvelatthetwilight

Becker stood in the kitchen stirring a fresh cup of coffee to nurse her wounded pride when Kelly and the guys entered. She kept her attention on the steaming cup even as she felt the Squad leader's eyes lingering on her back. Work was not the place to air their dirty laundry. . . if she could even call it that.

“Who is that?” Capp asked, eyeing the young woman making her way out of the side door to the kitchen.

Becker scoffed in disgust. She never worried about the guys objectifying her body on or off shift, they wouldn't dare cross that line in front of either lieutenant. But their tendency to think with their dicks and not with their brains when it came to other women often left her with the urge to throttle them where they stood.

“That's Mills' sister, Elise,” Kelly answered.

“Wow. When is the next Family Picnic?” Hadley put in with a wink. Becker tightened her grip on her coffee cup.

She felt a new wave of emotion wash over her, standing by and watching Kelly play the perfect gentleman for Elise who was bringing in food from the restaurant. What was his deal? First Nicki and now Elise? She didn't think he had it in him, but there he was, proving her wrong.

“Hey, let me give you a hand with those.” His smile was 100 watts, the same one he gave Becker when it was just the two of them. The same one, she supposed, he probably gave Nicki too. She knew she was being unreasonable, Kelly was just being Kelly.

“I'm good, thanks,” Elise declined politely. She smiled at Becker over Kelly's shoulder and the young woman grinned back.

“You sure? If this food ends up on the floor instead of the table, it could cause a riot.”

Becker didn't begrudge Elise's laughter, charming was Kelly's default setting. But he was also correct. Hungry firefighters were not something to contend with on busy days, especially not on Halloween. Still, part of her wished he wouldn't flirt with the candidate's sister in front of her.

“You're Severide, right?”

“Kelly.”

Elise left the trays of food in his arms and turned to the table where she placed the grocery bags. She sighed, concern evident in her tone. “Peter called, said he was supposed to make lunch and he got busy. He didn't sound so great. Is everything okay around here?”

Kelly looked behind him for Becker, then turned back to Elise. “It's just another day on the job. Your brother's a good kid.”

“Yeah, he is. I gotta get back to the restaurant. Thanks for the help.”

“Let your mom know I'll be by for breakfast this weekend. I should have a couple days off,” Becker said, offering Elise a bright smile on her way out.

“I will. See you.” She turned back to the two firefighters before pushing through the door. “I almost forgot, there's an extra meal for you in one of the bags. Totally allergy-free―no eggs, peanuts or strawberries. I packed it separately with your name on it just in case.”

Becker's smile widened. Leave it to food to brighten her mood, even if it was only for a moment. “You and your family are God's gift to man! Thank you, and thank your mom for me too.”

Elise nodded and left.

“You friends with Mills' sister now?” Kelly asked once Elise was gone.

Becker walked out of the kitchen without another remark to the Rescue Squad lieutenant.

She didn't have words for why she suddenly felt invisible in Kelly's presence or why his usual behaviour struck a wrong chord with her. It wasn't as if it were new to either of them. Kelly was who he'd always been, a bit of a player and a flirt, all talk. Everything he did Becker had loved about him for nearly a decade, he was the star that lit her way home.

Now she was unsettled, there was a storm raging within her that she couldn't find shelter from. She felt like her light in the dark had gone out.

“Hey, MC. Walk with me for a minute.”

Becker didn't argue with her brother's request, choosing to pick her battles carefully. While she wanted a few moments on her own to wade through the emotional turmoil and get her head on straight, she knew her brother meant well. She didn't have the energy to defy Matthew Casey right then.

The silence between the siblings was comfortable in a way it hadn't been for weeks; Matt had worked his ass off to get back on his sister's good side, Becker hadn't made it easy but he'd been up to the challenge. With news of what sent her away two months prior out in the open, she was finding it easier to depend on him as she always had. Matt was still working through it, but he was putting forth the effort to be there for her and she loved him for that.

He set a leisurely pace down the hall away from the common room, passing by the offices. He took in his sister's dishevelled appearance and knew he couldn't put off bringing up the shift in her demeanour. “Are you feeling okay?” he asked, rubbing nervously at the back of his neck.

Becker pushed her eyebrows together and pursed her lips. There were so many ways to answer Lieutenant Casey's query, but only one of them was correct. She lifted her coffee cup to her lips and took slow slips, pulling away from her brother. Avoidance was Becker's forte.

“No, don't do that. Come on, it's just you and me. Talk to me, MC. What's going on?” Matt reached out a hand to stop her movements.

Becker remained silent.

“All right. Then I'll talk and you listen. I can't help you through this unless you talk to me. If it's the hearing coming up or work stress or something else that you're not ready to talk about, you can't let it affect how you are on the job― Let me finish. You've been doing great out there and in here,” he said, gesturing to the walls around them. “But you need to get it straight in here too.” He pointed to her head and her chest above her heart. “You need to talk to someone.”

Sometimes the line between sibling and coworker blurred while on the job. They knew that was why family wasn't normally stationed together, but theirs had been a special case and the lieutenant fought hard for Becker to be placed at 51. He knew his colleagues would welcome her with open arms, Andy and Kelly already had.

Becker's throat tightened; she couldn't look her brother in the eyes. They sucked at handling their pain properly. She learned how to swallow it down and make it go away from him, he was a pro. And now he was standing before her, telling her to get help.

She did her best to hide the tears forming at the edges of her eyes, not wanting to let him see her cry. She was strong because being strong was all she had left.

“It's nothing I can't handle,” she said with a weak shrug. Becker attempted to reassure Lieutenant Casey that she had everything under control, even if she didn't quite believe it herself.

“Look, all I'm saying is, I know you. All right? I know you like to try and do it all on your own, but you don't have to. Whenever you're ready, we're all behind you.”

He was talking about Kelly too. . . Maybe the two of them had talked when she wasn't around. She hadn't exactly been Friend of the Year in the last few days, hell, the last few hours. Becker's attitude changed rapidly, without warning, and she knew Kelly had picked up on it. How could he not? They spent nearly every moment of their lives together.

She shook away the rising feeling of guilt and replaced it with a smile.

“I know, Lieutenant. Thanks for checking in. Are you doing okay? We haven't really had a chance to talk since the whole Voight thing last week.”

“Uh, yeah. . . Just trying to make it to the hearing, you know? You?”

“I don't know. I thought I would feel better once you knew, but honestly, I just want it all to be over with. I'm tired of thinking about it.”

“We should talk some more when this is all over.”

Becker pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don't― I don't want to talk about it anymore. I want to put it behind me.”

Matt nodded. “We don't have to talk about that if you don't want to. But we will talk, in general. I miss you, Bec.”

Becker smiled. “I miss you too.” She folded her arms in front of her chest and ran her fingers over her left forearm where the stitches still held the skin in place.

“When do you get those removed?” Matt asked, motioning to her arm.

“Oh, these?” Becker flexed her hand, watching the muscle roll beneath the stitches, pulling her skin taut. “Supposed to stop by and see Hallie after shift, before I head over to Shay and Kelly's.”

“Hey, that's great. Bet you're glad to be rid of that hassle, huh?”

“I'm just trading in one for another,” she said, flashing the back of her wrist for him to see. “What the hell was Mills thinking? Any longer and we wouldn't have made it out of there.”

“Go easy on him, MC. He's pretty busted up about what happened.”

“Easy? Nothing about this job is easy. The sooner he learns that the better off we'll all be.”

“Don't forget, you were new on the job once too.”

“Yeah, and I got over wanting to change how things are done pretty quickly. I got over the idea that I knew better than my senior officers. Why are you babying him?”

“Whoa, this isn't you. Take a lap and come back in when your head is clear.”

“My head is fine.”

“Casey, I'm not asking. Take a walk.”

Heat pooled in Becker's belly as she stared up at Matt with brazen defiance. Her attitude was getting her nowhere except on the fast track to being written up. How had her day come to this? Her morning started fine, with excitement for Halloween and passing out candy at the end of the school day. But as time went on, it devolved into Becker finding every reason to fight back against those who had her best interest at heart.

The Casey siblings made themselves at home in the hallway between the offices. Becker's chest hurt. It all came rushing back to her in an instant, crushing her under the weight of what she couldn't change and she didn't know how to handle the pressure.

The uncertainty of what she and Matt were doing, knowing their entire careers were on the line to bring justice to a family who deserved more than they were getting. Wishing she could do more for a kid whose life would never be the same again, and seeing parts of herself in the situation everywhere she looked. Becker was suffocating, drowning in a sea of confusion.

Rage darkened the blue of Becker's eyes. Her hands tightened around the coffee cup until it felt like it would break between her palms. Her face twisted in anger, and a scowl pulled her lips up at the corners. “I don't need to take a walk. What I need is people who will have my back. People that I can count on to be there when shit hits the pavement!” Becker's voice rose another octave, reverberating off the walls around them.

Matt tensed, Becker had drawn the line between lieutenant and brother for him. He squared his shoulders and levelled his gaze on the firefighter in front of him; he had to treat her as he would anyone else on the team. He pushed aside the voice telling him Becker's outburst was begging for the comfort and safety of her big brother, and focused on the one that knew her temper tantrum could not be ignored.

He let a single beat pass between them knowing her shouting had called the attention of the rest of the firehouse. Matt cleared his throat and spoke firmly, leaving no room for Becker to dispute his instructions, “Go home, Casey. Take the rest of the day to cool off. Come back tomorrow with your head clear. You're done for the day.”

Becker shoved her empty coffee cup at Matt's chest, hitting his shoulder as she left him and the weight of her words behind.

#chicago fire fanfiction #one chicago fanfiction #kelly severide fanfiction #matt casey fanfiction #chicago fire series #i know your heart series

[squad3-sevcase]

I Know Your Heart (9) One Minute [part one] | Chicago Fire Fanfic

Summary: A warehouse fire wreaks havoc within the firehouse during Halloween; and following Kelly’s triste with Nicki, Becker has a hard time figuring out how they fit together on and off Squad.

Warnings: General Chicago Fire warnings apply. Read at your own discretion.

A/N: This one feels a bit strange. There is certainly growing tension. Also decided to just use the same photo of Kelly from here on out (subject to change). Found on Pinterest. Edited 14th November 2022.

🏷: @campingmonkey @fullwattpadmusictree @fictionlover100 @deardelicatedamage @marvelatthetwilight

Halloween was Becker Casey's favourite holiday. She weaved her way through the thick Chicago evening traffic, admiring the holiday decorations around the city put up in time for the next day.

It was her first day back at work after a weekend break to deal with Voight's already growing harassment, she was simultaneously excited and nervous. She'd been back for a couple of months following her initial leave of absence, why her nerves were choosing right then to present themselves so raucously, she couldn't figure out.

Becker pulled up behind the familiar grey pickup truck, almost a carbon copy of her black one, and smiled shyly to herself. How strange it felt to finally begin the process of putting it all behind her. She had so much to catch up on, so much to apologize for.

She grabbed her duffel bag, locked her truck, and swiftly made her way to the apparatus bay in the firehouse. Upon arrival, she found it empty, void of the members of Engine Company 51 who had become family to her and her brother.

Becker breathed in slow and deep, allowing herself a moment to become reacquainted again with the smells of her favourite place to be. She lifted her gaze to the rig she'd missed in her short time away; how a weekend felt like a lifetime. . . It was good to be home.

The door to her right opened, she turned to face the person standing just beyond it and grinned. Chief Boden approached the young woman slowly, a look of pride settling on his face at the return of one of his own.

“It's about time you came back for good. You look great, kid,” he praised. He held his right hand out to her.

“Feels good to be back, sir.” She shook his hand firmly, then nodded toward the door. “Is he here?”

The chief nodded. “Go on in.”

“Happy Halloween, Chief,” Becker called as she made her way into the station.

The hallways were barren and quiet. Becker crossed the threshold into the locker room, pushing a heavy sigh past her lips. She eyed the strip of masking tape with CASEY written on it adhered to the front of her locker, the blue combination padlock cold in her hands. She entered the combination on the dial, pulled down on the lock to release the shackle, and removed it from the door.

Becker opened her locker and shoved her bag in. An old photo still taped to the inside of the door reminded her of simpler times. She traced her finger down the front of it and smiled. It was now or never. She shut the door, replaced the lock, and turnee to leave.

As she spun around, she nearly bumped into Mills' broad chest. The Firehouse's latest candidate stared down at her with a grin.

“You can't be back here,” the young man offered, teasingly, a replication of his greeting the first time they met. His brown eyes swept quickly over her face.

She narrowed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. “Down boy. I work here,” she replied, grinning back.

They got on well since he started at 51 with Becker being the only one who didn't see him as just fresh meat. She figured her brother and everyone else picked on him enough, he could use a friend. Much like how Andy had been when she started.

Before she let him say anything else, she slipped past him and headed for the common area. The guys were scattered around the room; her best friend's back was facing her.

Guilt settled in her chest thinking of how they spent the weekend together, like old times. She had many chances to come clean, to tell him the truth about why she left all those weeks ago and she didn't take them. He'd been honest with her, as much as she allowed with already knowing about his injury but she was still keeping secrets.

The one person who knew her half as well as Lieutenant Casey did, and she just couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth.

“What's a girl gotta do to get some coffee around here?” Becker said, smiling when Kelly's head lifted at the sound of her voice.

“It's about fucking time you showed up, MC,” he replied, holding a mug out to the side. “This disappearing act you've got going on, can't say I'm a fan.”

“Is that right?”

“Mmhm.”

“Severide, you saw me over the weekend. It's been what, three days, since then?”

“Need you around to keep these jokers in line.”

Becker laughed. She took a sip of her coffee and settled into the seat beside him. “Casey around?”

Kelly waved absently. “Somewhere,” he said.

The alarm buzzed and the dispatcher's voice called out clearly over the PA system: Engine 51, Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61―Warehouse fire, 6620 Oak Park.

“Guess I'll have to catch up with him later.” Becker patted the tabletop and followed Kelly and the others to the apparatus bay. Her first night back was off with a bang.

Sirens wailed and horns blared, signalling the rigs' speedy arrival at the site. For the first time in months, Becker didn't feel nervous sitting behind Kelly on the Squad apparatus. Despite the uncertainty of what she and her brother agreed to do, her mind wasn't wandering to the night of the assault. She was present in a way she hadn't been for a long time.

She closed her coat and gave Kelly two thumbs up when he turned to meet her gaze. She knew he still did it as a way to ease his nerves, and felt bad that she was still keeping him in the dark. Her reevaluation was signed off on with flying colours, but he still worried. Someday I'll tell you what happened. But for now, I'll let you keep that rosy-eyed vision of me.

Becker hopped off of Squad 3 as it came to a complete halt, following closely behind Kelly before he could give her the order. Two in, two out. . .and she would be damned if either one of them were left behind.

“This is the old Triskin Warehouse,” Casey said, stopping in the middle of the lot next to the chief. They were joined by Kelly and Becker, and he gave his sister a brief nod of acknowledgment.

“Looks like the door's been pried open, could be squatters inside,” Kelly said.

The chief raised his eyes to the roof and Becker followed his movements. “Smoke's already coming out pretty quick. We don't have long on this one.” He spoke into his radio, “Engine 51, give me a 2 1/2 in the front door to cover the search teams. Truck 81, open up the back and vent the skylights.”

He turned to Kelly and Becker, eyeing the latter of his firefighters with a hardened stare. The Squad leader would take her in with him, and the chief wouldn't speak against it. “Kelly, give me that primary search.”

“You got it. Casey, with me.”

Two in, two out.

Becker remained silent, she stuck to Kelly's back like velcro through the front door of the warehouse. Their initial sweep of the front entrance didn't yield any survivors or recoveries, Becker was grateful for that at least. Smoke filled the building, swirling and billowing upwards, obscuring their long-range view.

“Fire Department! Call out!” Becker stayed close, sweeping her flashlight over the floor and calling out for any survivors. Two by two they went, moving in tandem past areas engulfed in flame, and Becker momentarily thought back to the basement fire that nearly claimed her brother's life. She shook it away, she wouldn't let that happen again.

“Fire Department! Anyone in here?” She could hear Matt's voice at the back of the building over the roaring of the fire, and her drive to make him proud spurred her on.

Kelly pulled her toward a body, still breathing and Becker's heart raced in her chest. Would they get him out in time? Would they get out in time?

“Hey, guys, over here!”

The smoke grew thicker, blackening as it continued up toward the roof. Becker and Kelly handed the man off to one of their colleagues, it was too dark to see who, and she kept going. Crawling under patches of heavy smoke, Becker left Kelly's side to check behind a crate to the far left. She could have sworn she'd seen movement. And wasn't it their job to make sure everyone got out safely? They were Rescue Squad; it was her life. She'd retrieve everyone she could or she would die trying.

“All companies, evacuate the building.”

“MC, head out!” Kelly's voice rang in Becker's ears. She stopped. She couldn't see beyond her own hands. “Casey, we need to go!”

Becker knew Kelly was right, Chief Boden gave the order. She could tell by the colour and thickness of the smoke, the warehouse was going to flash over and she'd been in enough of those to know when to get the hell out of Dodge. But something in her just wouldn't move. And then she saw him. . .

“Go!” she yelled over her shoulder. “I'll get Mills and Herrmann. We'll be right behind you.”

“Casey―”

“Trust me.”

Kelly nodded, and he let her go.

Becker began her crawl toward her brother's firefighters. The memory of Herrmann's rescue from the Franklin Street fire flashed in her mind and she clenched her jaw, she wouldn't lose him. She wouldn't lose Mills. She was made for Rescue Squad, even when that rescue came down to her extended family.

She did her best to ignore the heat of the fire growing hotter, the blanket of smoke growing blacker and continued to move toward where she saw Mills sitting on the floor of the warehouse. “Mills! Herrmann! We gotta go!”

“Casey, what are you still doin' here?” Herrmann asked, eyes wide behind his face shield.

“Chief called for all teams to evacuate. The building's gonna come down. We gotta get out!”

“Mills, come on!” Herrmann pulled at the candidate's arm, eyes frantically moving between the young man, the fire and the Squad member in front of him. A loud crash sounded behind Becker and Herrmann pulled her forward on top of him. “Help me get him out, he won't move!”

Becker grabbed onto Mills' right arm and together she and Herrmann dragged him through the back of the building. Black smoke concealed the crowd outside from view, their flashlights barely lighting the way through. Becker's heart pounded wildly in her chest as she prayed to whoever was out there listening that the three of them would make it out alive.

Two in, two out, she repeated over and over. . .a promise to herself that she would see Kelly and Shay again after that. Her steps faltered as they nearest the edge of the cloud.

Herrmann dragged Mills the rest of the way through the smoke. “Come on, Mills. Casey, you still with me?”

“I'm here,” Becker said. She pulled her face shield off, coughing from the effort it took to pull fresh air into her lungs, wiping away soot and sweat with the back of her hand, hissing at the stinging pain. She's sustained burns worse than that before. She stumbled forward and Kelly caught her under her arms.

“Easy, MC.” He took her helmet from her hands, and his eyes roamed over her face. “What the hell happened back there?”

“Ask him,” was all she said, angry eyes nodding toward Mills who pulled his own helmet and shield off and stood in front of Chief Boden.

“There's a guy still inside, I saw him. Chief, give me one more minute to go back in there,” Mills said. Looking to Becker for backup.

Chief Boden set his jaw and looked over Becker where she stillod against Kelly's side, struggling to stand on her own. “No, it's over. No more minutes.”

Mills insisted, “But he could be alive. Just give me one more minute. I know I can get to him, I know it.”

“You're not going anywhere. This building's about to flash.”

“Chief, I could get―”

“Enough!” The chief turned his eyes back to the building and radioed his men, “All officers take count of your firefighters. Nobody goes back in. All members out of the collapse zone. Everybody, back up. Back up.”

Lieutenant Casey appeared at Becker's other side, pulling her right arm over his shoulder. The scene was reminiscent of that night weeks ago during her accident when he and Kelly carried her out of the burning apartment, only this time she was conscious. The three of them moved back into the group.

He squeezed above her wrist. “Good work tonight, MC.”

Becker managed a weak smile, her storm blue eyes dulled only by exhaustion, but a swell of pride rose within at her brother's compliment. Things between them were finally getting back to normal. “Thanks, Lieutenant.”

Becker held her breath; the building flashes and the fire busted through the warehouse windows.

“Fire up the water cannons,” the chief ordered.

She silently thanked God she and Herrmann got Mills out in time.

On the morning of Halloween, Becker pulled up to the station behind her brother's truck just as she always had, eager to see the kids in the neighbourhood walk by on their way to school. It was a tradition she and the chief began after learning that they each shared a mutual fondness for the autumn holiday.

She grabbed her bag and locked her truck, bounding up to the head of the firehouse with a bright smile, in time to watch the parade of children in their costumes.

“Morning, Chief,” she caller. “Happy Halloween!”

Chief Boden turned to the favoured Squad member with a nod of his head. A man of few words, he often found himself striking up conversations with the younger Casey sibling whenever time allowed. “MC,” he greeted warmly. “Happy Halloween.”

She never said it but she was certain he knew, their small moments together had rewritten the way she viewed the authority in her life. Chief Boden wasn't just the man who led an entire army of firefighters, he somehow taught Becker what it meant to look up to positive role models in the seven years she'd been part of 51. She wasn't sure if she'd ever tell him what that meant to her.

“Ah, here they come,” he said, turning the subject to the small group of children headed their way dressed for the holiday.

“Happy Halloween!” they cheered.

“Happy Halloween,” the chief answered. He winked at Becker before returning to their guests with a smile wider than any she'd ever seen him give. “Guess what? After school, I'm gonna break out a bottomless bowl of treats. Gonna come back and get 'em? You'll bring 'em back?”

The kids smiled, happily agreeing to stop by after school let out, and the adults with them assured the chief that they wood bring the children back for an afternoon of trick-or-treating. And Becker could only smile, remembering days long gone, when she and Matt were just as happy to do the same.

She left the chief to his routine and politely excused herself, heading into the firehouse, happy to be back at work. Nothing gave Becker a greater sense of accomplishment than when she crossed the entryway into the station and began a shift. 51 was her second home, her second family. She could count on the men and women of the firehouse to have her back the way she counted on Matt. . . They gave her purpose.

Becker rounded the corner into the locker room, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips upon seeing Kelly in his usual spot in front of their lockers. But a frown from Vargas quickly sobered her familiar excitement.

“I wouldn't,” Vargas warned. “Lieutenant's in a bad mood,” he cautioned quietly when she stared up at him confused.

She frowned. Kelly was never in a bad mood, not when it came to her. She tried to take Vargas' word of advice with a grain of salt, certain Kelly would brighten up the moment she sat down beside him but the Truck member seemed so sure, that Becker instead found herself shrinking back.

Silently, she dialled the combination lock and stuffed her bag into her locker without a second glance at the Squad Lieutenant. Her stomach twisted in knots, that wasn't their way and the change in routine had Becker on edge. She pulled her uniform top on over the grey t-shirt, buttoning her shirt in silence. She reached in her duffel bag for the burn cream and smoothed a small amount into the healing wound on the back of her left wrist.

Becker nodded her thanks to Vargas on their way out of the locker room.

The atmosphere that greeted her in the commons was different compared to the lack of reception received from Kelly. Chief Boden led Squad into the common area where Truck already sat lounging around the room, lost in various conversations; and even Matt appeared to be in a better mood than he had on previous occasions.

Becker made a bee-line for the coffee pot, seeking a fresh mug as a refuge from Kelly's unwelcoming attitude and settled on the stool beside her brother.

“Creature,” he said, teasing.

“Spawn of Satan,” she snarked.

The chief cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. “Okay, everybody, listen up. Today, our very own Jose Vargas transfers from Truck to Squad. As of now, he's officially a member of Rescue Squad 3.”

The room erupted into cheers and applause, Kelly tried to meet Becker's eyes across the way but she turned her attention to their newest addition with a proud smile. Despite the Squad leader's best efforts, Vargas had proven himself capable of handling whatever Kelly threw his way in the last few days leading up to his transfer and Becker was excited to watch him eat his words.

“Make sure you bow next time you walk by,” Otis joked.

“Best of luck, Vargas,” Matt congratulated, shaking his hand.

Becker raised an eyebrow at the exchange, it was a different vibe from her brother than a few nights ago when he acted like he couldn't care less. Maybe she got through to him? Or maybe he got over himself? Whatever the reason, she was proud of him for stepping up and being the leader his men need.

Kelly approached her as the celebrations died down and she tried losing herself in the drink in her hands. It was no use pretending she hadn't seen him coming when the only person besides Kelly and her brother whom she spent her time with, was nowhere to be found.

Becker tried not to appear annoyed by Kelly's presence at her side. The time for their ordinary morning banter came and went without him acknowledging her company in the locker room.

Kelly poured a cup of coffee and settled in next to her. He let the silence hang between them long enough to make her squirm.

“You don't say hi anymore?” he said.

Truck 81, Squad 3―House fire, 220 South Kilbourn.

Becker took one last sip of her coffee before leaving it behind on the counter. “No. I don't say hi anymore.”

The tension between Kelly and Becker was high on the ride over. He couldn't figure out where the hostility was coming from, much less what he did to deserve it. He didn't wait for her to join him once they pulled up to the scene.

“Fire is out on arrival. Hold all incoming companies. We'll do a little overhaul,” he informed over his radio. The victim, an elderly woman by the name of Mrs. Grady, stood on the sidewalk with a fire extinguisher in her hand. “You okay, ma'am?”

“I'm fine,” she said. “I must have dropped a cigarette or something. I was cleaning out the garage. So stupid of me.”

Kelly took the extinguisher from her and smiled gently. “Well, good job putting it out.” Usually, he did that part with Becker. He noted the car and his eyes found hers over his shoulder, he sent a subtle nod her way and she was off to do a general sweep of the premises. “We were here a few weeks ago. Fire in your car, parked out front.”

“The car is old,” Mrs. Grady said sadly.

Kelly wasn't sure. “Two fires in two weeks?”

“Bad luck always comes in streaks.”

“I need to check inside, make sure the fire didn't get into the adjoining wall.”

“All right.”

He less her inside, keeping an eye on those who gathered around the neighbourhood to watch the commotion. Something about the situation wasn't sitting right with Kelly but he couldn't put his finger on it, if only he could pick Becker's brain. She was much better at assessing those kinds of things than he was, but they weren't speaking to each other. . .or rather, she wasn't speaking to him. 

He laid his palm against the kitchen wall and tested the temperature, satisfied that it remained the same. “No heat. That's good.” A photo on the table caughh his eye and he stopped to take a look at it.

“Me and my late husband,” the woman offered.

“How long were you married?” Kelly asked. He thought of Peter and Georgie and the way they told him to take care of himself and Becker. And he wondered if he would be able to fix whatever was broken between them.

“45 years, till he passed.”

“Wow, what's the secret?”

“I never asked. Just counted my blessings every day.”

Kelly nodded, wondering if he would ever get the chance to count his. At the rate things were going, the only blessing he had left was quickly slipping through his fingers. He left out the back door with a final glance at the photo on the table.

Capp and Becker finished their walk around the perimeter as Kelly exited the building, the latter still refusing to meet his gaze. Without Becker's assessment of the problem, Kelly was left fumbling for answers; he www used to them working as a team, and it only made her earlier snub back at the firehouse sting a little more.

“She say what happened?” Capp asked as he and Becker passed by.

“Mm-mm,” Kelly answered, eyeing the group of men across the street. His hand reached for Becker's arm on instinct, but she was already gone.

The ride back to the station www strangely quiet for the duo whose usual cheerful attitudes after a successful call were dampened by the cloud hanging over their heads. Kelly didn't turn in his seat to offer praise or the usual witty remark and Becker didn't counter with her regular brand of irony and crude humour. The silence in the rig was loud enough to make everyone uncomfortable.

Upon returning to the firehouse, Becker excused herself after changing out of her turnout pants and coat, and left Kelly behind in the apparatus bay. If anyone had questions as to the sudden change in their ritual, no one voiced their opinions. Even Lieutenant Casey kept his thoughts tucked inside when he noticed that familiar streak of honey-blonde curls bouncing past his line of vision on the way to the common area.

Kelly Severide prided himself on many things in his life, but figuring out the intricacies of his friendship with Becker Casey was something he still needed to work on.

#chicago fire fanfiction #one chicago fanfiction #kelly severide fanfiction #matt casey fanfiction #chicago fire series #i know your heart series

[squad3-sevcase]

Kelly really be doin all of that. 👀

I know they're not about to knock off an emt this early. We aren't even halfway through a season.

Also, Kelly. Wtf.

Cruz. Wtf, man.

KELLY SERIOUSLY WTF. I love you but honey...

@squad3-twointwoout @resanoona @campingmonkey @eddiemunsonsbattoo

[squad3-sevcase]

Cole. Cole.

There is so much I can say about … mmmmmm … all of this. Lmao.

Tag me in your live reactions PLEASE!!

Starting Episode 7.

Mills ain't gonna cut it.

Fuck Clarice.

What is homie's problem with Canada?!

Kelly is still Bae but he needs help.

Shay is a sweetheart but man she's got a fucked up love life.