Me Plus You

Plenty Good Enough For Me

So finally the verdict comes in and 51 go to the courthouse as one big family...

Kelly gets a surprise visitor...

And Stella and Kelly lay all their ghosts to rest...

**************

Three days and the telephone call from Conrad to say the jury had reached their decision came in. They would report the verdict to the judge tomorrow.
Stella sat on her bunk holding the cell to her ear even after Conrad had finished the call. What if he wasn't found guilty, the little voice in her head was prodding her, telling her that perhaps she should worry. If he wasn't found guilty did that mean that she deserved what had happened to her? Did it mean that she couldn't ever be absolved for her past, even though she had no part to play in Mikey Starmer's death?

Casey walked past on the way to his office and saw her sitting on her bunk and did a detour.

"Kidd? All o.k?" The Captain was very perceptive when it came to his team and his antennae was usually ready to pick up signals when something was awry pretty quickly.

Stella lowered the cell, realizing she was sitting there still clutching it, her face somewhat pale.

"Yeah, Captain.... that was the D.A. The verdict is in." She let out a little laugh but it wasn't convincing even to her ears.

"That's good news! Will all be over tomorrow?" Casey guessed, hoping that it would be positive news for Kidd and that this whole ugly episode would be put to bed for her and she could move on with her life.

Stella was nodding. "Yeah, sure hope so. Fingers crossed find him guilty.

" They will... 100 per cent. No doubt about that." Casey gave her a nod of certainty reaching out to pat her arm.

And that's exactly what shift two all told her as they congregated outside the courtroom the next afternoon before they went in. It was touching for Stella that they had all turned up to support her today including Kylie too.

The defence team was already inside with Frank Starmer but the prosecution was just going in.
Conrad inclined his head at Stella as he went in, offering a small thumbs up, clearly, he had a good feeling.

Kelly halted Stella, taking her hand as she was about to start following the others in as they started to file into the courtroom.

"Hey, hold up a second."

Stella stopped midstride, brows raised. She looked perfect, he was thinking, her hair parted and pulled back and pinned into a knot at the base of her neck, in a style that could have looked severe on some. Instead, on her, it elegantly accentuated her neck, the soft lines of her jaw and the dusky beauty of her face. A rush of feelings raced through him, all culminating in him becoming tongue-tied and forgetting what he wanted to say. Wide, chestnut eyes stared back at him, waiting.

Kelly recovered himself hastily before he did something embarrassing like maybe crying from the enormity of what she was carrying into that courtroom.

"Whatever happens in there you know I've got you, right?"

A slow but tender smile that could probably light up a night sky spread across her face.

"I know." She nodded lifting a hand to his cheek and keeping it there, providing an intimate solace for both of them.

Chief Boden popped his head out of the courtroom door.

"Kidd, Severide. They're ready.

Leaning closer Kelly kissed her softly before moving aside so that she could go in first but Stella held out her hand so that they could walk in together.
Kelly took it, his grip secure and a proclamation that whatever happened, they had each other