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𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞: 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐠.

╚═══*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═══╝

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
𝗚𝗨𝗡 𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 & 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛.
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗔𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗞.

The bed was empty again. 

Well, at least her side was empty again. Groggily, Kelly got up from their bed and ventured downstairs in search for his wife. It had been three weeks since the incident and, in those three weeks, they had moved into their new house and Maddie was currently seeing Dr. Charles for her problems. His feet padded through the wooden floor and into the room where he just knew she was in. 

The door was ajar. Kelly peeked inside the baby's room and saw her standing in front of the wall, her fingers curled around a paintbrush as they delicately painted the beige walls. True to his word, he had assembled the crib. He was thankful that his Firehouse 51 family helped them out in this difficult time. Matt had fixed anything that needed to be fixed in the new house which included the sink and some of the floor tiles while Otis, Cruz, Capp, and himself did most of the heavy lifting and that included that fuchsia couch from their previous apartment. Sylvie, well. . .she was being an angel by making sure Maddie and Brianna went to their therapy sessions. 

"Hey." Maddie said softly, "You can come in, Kelly." She was facing him, the moonlight illuminating her very round figure. 

Standing behind her with his chest pressed against her back, Kelly observed her current artwork. "Is that a giraffe?"

She nodded. "I'm planning to add some monkeys too. Our baby is going to wake up in a jungle." 

She grimaced and dropped her palette and paintbrush on the nearby table. Maddie sat in the rocking chair while Kelly pulled up the foot rest to sit on and prop her swollen feet on his lap. His hands started to knead her ankles first then her feet and she could only hum in response. 

"That feels nice." She tipped her head back and exhaled, "Kelly, I'm really trying."

"I know, Mads." He replied, "And, I'm really proud of you. I can see your progress and it's what he would've wanted."

"It's just. . .it feels like JJ getting shot was my fault, you know? I mean, why didn't he shoot me when he literally looked at me right in the eyes? Why did it have to be JJ?" She ran a hand through her hair, "I'm sorry. These are just my 2 AM thoughts."

"It's already three in the morning actually."

"Huh. Bummer."

"The first time that I got my heartbroken was when my mom died." Kelly told her; he'd mentioned this before but never really elaborated. "She used to read a lot of Anne Lamott's works. Her favorite quote from her ─ if I can remember it correctly ─ is something about a broken heart being like a broken leg and how you'll eventually learn how to dance with a limp." He met her eyes, "It helps when someone is willing to dance with you." 

Maddie reached her hand out and interlocked their fingers. "Will you dance with me, Kelly? I promise I won't step on your toes."

"Of course, Mads."

Ever since JJ had died three weeks ago because of that shooting in their building, Maddie hadn't been the same. How could she be the same after that kind man practically stepped in between her and the shooter? Fortunately, there was no quiet treatment from her this time around. 

The swarm of workers exit the building and a bundle of nerves swarm up in Kelly's chest as his eyes scanned the crowd for her. CPD said that there were five confirmed dead and he prayed that she wasn't part of them. He spots her ─ her petite figure, the chopped dark hair, and her blood-stained maternity dress. 

"Maddie!" The Squad lieutenant calls out, shoving his way through the crowd. When he reaches her, Kelly could tell her breathing was frantic as if she was struggling to get the air towards her lungs and her eyes ─ oh, her brown doe eyes ─ are stained with fear and unfocused until they settle on his. "Are you okay?" He asks, his calloused and shaking hands holding her small face. 

"It's ─" Maddie's voice breaks, "It's not my blood, Kelly. It's not my blood." 

"Hey." He took her in his arms. She was trembling like leaf. "It's okay. We're together now. It's okay." Kelly pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "We're  together." 

Because that's all that really mattered. 

"Can we go back to bed now?" She asked, standing up. "My appointment with Dr. Charles is early in the morning."

And so, he led them back to their new bedroom. For the first time in three weeks, Maddie slept peacefully as she curled herself into his chest. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Do you blame yourself for JJ dying?"

"He didn't die. He was shot in the chest. He was shot dead." 

The psychiatrist scribbled on his notebook. "Do you blame your boss? Because it was his dispute with a colleague that led to the shooting?"

"I guess but Mr. Brighton's family quarrels isn't any of my business. I saw them arguing once. It was the day Bri and JJ found out I was pregnant. I saw him again outside the building when JJ and I were having our afternoon snacks." 

"I see. And, how are you, Madeline?"

"I'm. . .doing well." 

She leaned back on the couch and stretched her legs, a hand on her very much round stomach. She felt like a senior citizen these past few days with how she needed to hold on to the railings when using the stairs to feeling fatigue and her shortness of breath when she went from her desk to the break room. Maybe she and JJ would have shared a laugh about it.

"I understand it's your first day back to work after the incident." Dr. Charles stated and met her eyes, "It's going to be a bit overwhelming but I want you to know that it's okay to feel that way. You need to process the trauma and loss. It doesn't go away that quickly."

"I know." Maddie responded instantly, "I lost my dad over a year ago. I almost got my brains blown out too by a psycho arsonist that also murdered my husband's best friend. I've survived a shooting. I know about trauma and loss and the nightmares that come with it." She closed her eyes as if willing for everything that had happened over the past three weeks to be gone. "It's an all too familiar feeling but it doesn't mean it gets any easier." 

"You want everything to go away." Dr. Charles asked gently, "Is that how you feel?"

"I feel scared. I'm scared that everyone I love is going to be gone in just one day. I'm scared because I only have one month left until the baby comes but. . ." She straightened her back once she feels the familiar flutter in her very swollen abdomen, "I'm pretty excited for our kid to be here already." 

Dr. Charles flashed her a kind smile. He resembled a giant teddy-bear much like Joe Cruz did. "That's good, Madeline. It's nice to know you have a bit of a silver lining amidst all this chaos."

"A bit? If what Benny says is true, then this baby is going to be ten pounds just like when Kelly was born." Maddie chuckled lightly and she seemed to breathe easier at the mention of her little family, "But, I do agree. This baby is a silver lining for us. Kelly and I, we've been through tragedy more than the average person and ─ and ─ uh ─ "

How could she possibly put it into words? How could Maddie say that her husband and this growing human inside her was the only thing keeping her going each day? As her due date got closer, the nerves seemed more prominent but under that was hope too. A kind of hope that everything would be okay ─ that someday Maddie could think about her father and JJ and she would only smile at the memories they shared. They would have wanted her to be happy and prepare for the arrival of her kid and complain to her husband that he was taking up all the bed-space. Hell, she wanted that for herself too. Kelly was right: she'd have to learn how to dance with a limp eventually. 

"I know what you mean, Madeline." Dr. Charles told her. He checked his wrist watch. "I think our session is over and you need to go to work."

She pushed herself off the couch, gathered her bag, and said her goodbyes to the kind doctor. When she reached the door, Maddie heard him say:

"Be kind to yourself, Madeline. It's okay to have days where you feel like everything is too much. We all have them."

With a nod and a grateful smile, Maddie exited his office and the drive to the building when the day where the sky felt like it was falling was in motion.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── 

Kelly realized he has never been to her work floor or seen her desk before. The place where Maddie worked at reeked of sophisticated creativity and coffee. The coffee part must have been the brown walls and wooden floors (or the strong smell of it drifting throughout the office). He was right behind her, hands tucked in his jacket and blue eyes scanning the room as Maddie pointed to different rooms and blue-prints. 

Her desk was organized from what he could tell. Kelly was also sure that her sketch pad was tucked into one of her drawers. The framed picture of them during their first wedding anniversary made his tough heart flutter. It was a bright and sunny selfie taken by Maddie and she was smiling widely at the camera as he placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek. That was a good day. 

When they rounded a corridor, Maddie stopped abruptly. Kelly stepped in front of her and saw that she had a far-off look in her eyes. Her teeth dug in her bottom lip as she gave a heavy sigh. His hands held her face and he said softly, "Hey, Mads. We don't have to be here."

"I know." She smiled weakly, "This was just where it all happened." Oh, Kelly thought, the hallway where it happened. "I've just been ─ I ─ I avoided this hallway ever since it happened because I might fall apart."

"We can go home if you want. Watch a movie or a paint. It's all up to you, babes. You get to set your own pace."

Hand on his cheek, she kissed him deeply. "Thank you, mahal ko (my love)." Maddie rounded her shoulders and looked straight ahead, "But, I don't want to keep avoiding the things that break me."

With that, he followed her as she walked and even as she halted and dropped to her knees right by the spot outside the break-room. He followed her actions and paid no mind to the passing employees as they paid no mind to them too. Everyone in her office was still reeling from the losses that day. Kelly observed her hand smooth over a spot on the floor. 

Maddie cleared her throat. "I think this is where it happened." 

"I'm telling you guys!" Brianna cried after sipping her energy drink, "I think this gout thing might actually be real."

JJ and Maddie shared a look before she told her friend, "Bri, I told you to get it checked out by a doc ─ "

The popping sounds ricocheting off the walls cut her off. For awhile, the three of them just sat frozen until they heard it again but this time closer. JJ was the first to react. He grabbed the two girls by their arms and shoved them far away from the door of the break as possible. 

"Oh my god." Brianna cried quietly, her voice trembling. "Is this a shooting? Fuck, I never thought it was going to happen to me. I mean, I've seen the news but this!"

Maddie was still frozen in fear yet she heard everything she was saying. And agreed to. She never thought about which hiding spot in her office would be the best whenever this type of stuff occurs. But, what about those stories about school shootings? Did those students ever think which hiding spot was the best as they entered a classroom? 

"Hey, boss, Bri." It was JJ kneeling in front of them, "Stay calm, alright? It's going to be okay." 

"O ─ okay."

"He went out to call for help and look for employees that needed a safe place to hide." Maddie said and Kelly placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "We heard the shots and the door opened and it was him, a gun already pointed towards Bri and I's heads. That's when SWAT came in and hot him too. They were a minute too late." 

Swiftly, she turned and rested her forehead on Kelly's sternum. "Can we go home, Kelly? Please? I thought I could do it today but I ─ I can't." 

Quietly, Kelly led her away from the building and into their home ─ their safe place away from the cruel world. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SIX MISSED CALLS FROM POPS!

POPS IS CALLING!

ANSWER | DECLINE

"What, dad?"

"Were you sleeping?"

"It's five in the morning and we just had a rough call thirty minutes ago. So, yes. Sue me for sleeping."

"Can you be awake?"

"Hmmm. . .a few more hours sounds much better."

"Kelly, your wife's in labor."

"What?!"

"Maddie is in labor. She's about to give birth. You know. . .labor!"

"Dad, why didn't you start with that?"

"You gave me attitude."

"Can you put her on?"

"I could but she's ─ uh ─ putting on her make-up?"

"Tell her I said I hate lechon (roasted pig)."

"Okay."

". . ."

". . ."

"Potang ina mo (you son of a bitch/damn you), Kelly Severide! You take that back!"

"Maddie, why the hell are you doing your make-up? Shouldn't you be waddling to the car with the hospital bag?"

"I want to look decent, okay? God knows how many hours until the kid pops out."

"You'll look beautiful. You are beautiful."

"Aw, mahal (love). Give me ten minutes to do my brows then Benny and I are going to be off to Med."

"Okay. I'll see you there."

"Okay. Bye, Kelly! Drive safe!"

"Bye ─ hey, I almost forgot!"

"What?! What?!"

"I love you, Maddie."

"Don't scare me like that! And, I love you, Kelly!"

CALL ENDED!

He had never been more awake and ready in his entire life. With a huge grin on his face, Kelly hopped out of his bed, took a shower, and changed into civilian clothes. The squad lieutenant navigated through the dimly lit firehouse and stopped by Sylvie's bed to tell her that her godchild might arrive in a few hours from now. But the blonde paramedic was too tired and asleep to be bothered.

"Go away, Severide. I want to sleep and not talk about Maddie's swollen ankles." She grumbled and shooed him away ─ an action Sylvie would be regretting so much later on.

It was as if caffeine was injected into his system despite their difficult call a few hours ago. A structure fire with a mountain of paperwork waiting for him. Kelly rapped his knuckles on Chief Boden's door and told him about his special emergency. The chief smiled at him and told him he would be covering Kelly's position for as long as he needed.

When he got to Chicago Med with bags of food in his hand (ice cream and spicy chicken wings due to Maddie's request), Kelly saw his dad by the vending machine ─ eyes similar gazing up at the variety of chips and energy drinks. He went up to his dad and cleared his throat.

"Don't eat that garbage, pops." Kelly told him and brought at the burger that Maddie told him to buy for Benny, "Have some real food. This is good stuff."

Accepting the food, Benny scanned his eyes over his son. He looked nervous but the bright smile on Kelly's face seemed to mask it. "You nervous?"

"For myself? A little." Kelly answered, "For Maddie? Nah, she's going to pop our kid out like a champ."

"You're going to be a great father, Kelly."

"You think so?"

Benny shrugged. "From the way you never left Maddie's side and how you're willing to take a desk job at the OFI just to come home to your family every night, I can tell." A few seconds ticked past before he spoke again, "I'm sorry I wasn't around."

Kelly exhaled and clapped his father's shoulder. "Well, we can't do much about that now, can we, pops? At least you're putting effort this time around."

"I hope the kid doesn't have your set of lungs for Maddie's sake."

"Oh, please, dad. I was the best newborn any parent could ask for."

"Say that again? I couldn't hear you over my damaged ear drums."

They both erupted into a fit of chuckles until April Sexton came running up to Kelly, jumping in excitement. "Kelly! Come on!" The nurse exclaimed and pulled him by his arm with such urgency that he knew what she was talking about. This was it.

"You going to be okay here, dad?" Kelly asked, looking back at his father who had a proud smile on his face.

Benny waved him off. "Don't worry about me. Go! Welcoming your child into the world, getting to hold them in your arms for the first time. . .that stuff is like magic." 

AUTHOR'S NOTE
i'm sorry!! but we
get to meet baby
severide in the next
chapter so hooray!!!

also,, this book is
almost coming to an
end and i hope you
stick around for the
next part of my one
chicago series that i
plan on doing 😸