♣️Season 1, Episode 17♣️
Nicole chases the Herrmann kids around their backyard. She manages to catch the youngest, Max, and pick him up, "I got you! Are you gonna help me get your brothers and sister?"
"Yeah!" He yells, getting down and chasing after his siblings.
Cindy sits in the covered patio, running a hand over her stomach, "Thank you, for running around with them. I would but-"
"Cindy, stop it. You know I love your kids. They aren't little terrors with me, which is nice. I'll come over and hang out with them whenever I'm not on shift. And I'll bring Matt with me, he can be a jungle gym for them," Nicole tells the woman, sitting next to her.
"Christopher told me your dad's coming for a visit this week. How are you feeling with that?" Cindy asks, rubbing Nicole's knee.
"I'm not excited. Kelly has a...rocky relationship with Benny. They can still be on good terms, but me...Benny disappointed me one too many times. This week, he's just an old firefighter visiting his old firehouse. He's not my dad," Nicole rants, shaking her head, "And I know he's gonna ask questions about the wedding and offer to pay for some of it like a good father's supposed to but...I don't want him involved. He can come, sit in the audience, eat some food, whatever. But he won't walk me down the aisle. That will either be Kelly, Boden or Christoper. The three men that I can look up to and know have my back."
Cindy gives her a sad smile, pulling her in for a side hug, "I know that any of them would be more than happy to give you away."
Nicole smiles, "And I was hoping that Annabelle would be okay with being my flower girl?"
"Are you kidding? Getting to play dress up with you? I think you just made every dream of hers a reality."
"Good. And Matt and I will talk about how your boys will be involved, as your entire family is so important to us."
"Well, you and Matt are important to us. And not just because you come over to run around with the kids."
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Nicole moves to the apparatus floor where there's a gathering around Benny. He was talking with Boden before spying Nicole over his shoulder, "Nicole. Hey."
"Benny," She gives a stiff nod.
Kelly clears his throat, trying to stop the awkward silence, "So, dad, did you hear? Matt finally popped the question to Nic."
Matt had made his way to Nicole's side and wraps an arm around her, kissing the side of her head.
Benny nods, "Yeah, well, most girls do go for guys like their father. A true smoke eater."
"Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61, Engine 51..." Is heard before Nicole could snap at Benny about how Matt would never be like him.
Kelly gives Nicole a look as to say, play nice.
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Benny stands at the call, watching his kids work. He couldn't help but be proud as he watched Nicole handles every victim with ease, guiding them to any available paramedic as Kelly hangs from a window, holding onto a female victim.
His kids turned out great but he missed the rush.
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As she's hiding from Benny, Nicole is plenty happy to talk with Gabby and Shay about sperm donors in the back of the rig, "The sperm donors with college degrees, I organized under this yellow tab right here. If their majors are lame, I put them under the blue one and I- there's a lot. I just need your guys input here."
Gabby nods, taking the tablet, "Yeah, okay. Sure. Still, just digesting all this news."
"Well, you look like you're gonna hark it back up."
"No, hey, I'm happy for you, I am. I'm just..I mean, are we sure this is the right time for a baby?" Gabby asks.
"Dawson, I'm asking for your opinion on sperm donors. Not your permission to reproduce. Cause it's happening."
Otis sticks his head in the rig, "Hey, are we opening the box or what?"
Nicole shakes her head, "Nah, you guys can. I'm gonna hide out here from Benny."
Shay looks at her, "You can't hide from him forever."
"I can damn well try."
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Nicole walks into eat breakfast as Shay stands, "Okay, okay. I have an announcement to make. A, because I'm completely proud of this decision. And B, to prevent everybody here from acting like a bunch of gossipy bitches behind my back. Uh, I'm gonna be artificially inseminated. And hopefully have a baby. So, I need to eat healthily. And yes, I'm going be eating mostly fruits and vegetables and organic lean meats and avoiding such things as the sausage turbo cheddar scramble, and the like. And now I'm going to browse through potential sperm donors, which was something I was hiding. I don't feel the need to anymore. And continue to look for the perfect applicant."
While everybody process that news for a second, Nicole points at Shay, "If you are this bitchy before all the hormones, I don't want to sit in the rig with you when you have all the hormones."
"Or we could just be pregnant at the same time and make Dawson deal with all the hormones," Shay suggests.
"There's an idea. Matt?"
Gabby points at both of them, "No, I get a vote in that. No. Veto. Nope, not doing that."
Nicole laughs before going to grabs herself a plate of breakfast. Kissing Matt on her way to sitting down, "Don't worry, Shay. I'll help you decide on sperm donors, as long as you are 200% serious about this?"
"Severide, I'm 500% serious about this."
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Nicole leads up to their next call, "It was like a sudden flash of pain in my head. Next thing I know, I'm blind. It took me nine tries to dial 911."
"You probably just took a good bump to the head," Shay tells him, "Concussions can cause temporary blindness."
"But-but how do I get a concussion. I was...I was just sitting here."
Nicole feels something on his head, "Wait a second. Just hold still. The bleeding's not coming from the bump," She pulls the neckline of his shirt back to reveal a bullet hole, "It's a bullet."
"What?" Gabby asks, looking, "Okay, Dave, do you have any firearms around here that we need to know about?"
"No, I-I don't have any guns," He says.
"Dave, did you try and harm yourself?" Nicole asks.
"What? No."
Nicole reminds him, "You've just been shot. In the head, alright?"
Shay stands, "Alright, sweetie, let's get you up."
They all jump as a gunshot comes through the window, hitting a lamp. They duck for cover before sharing a look, "Let's go."
Moving quickly, they run out of the apartment. Getting to the rig, they call CPD who arrives. They check the building before calling out, "We need a medic. We've got another gunshot."
Nicole looks to Shay, "Go, Dawson will call another rig."
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"C'mon, you need to have dinner at least once with him before he leaves," Kelly urges his sister.
"And he needed to be a dad to me growing up, but he didn't do that," Nicole argues, brushing her hair.
Kelly groans, banging his head against the lockers, "Please, can you just come to one meal?"
Nicole shakes her head, "Nope. I will see him at the academy's dinner or at the house. Otherwise, I will not interact with that man. Have fun with Benny, Kelly."
He blows out air, "Look, he's making more of an effort-"
"He's tried that before. Remember my senior year when he promised to be there at my senior night of volleyball or the night of my prom to see me off or my high school graduation? And don't say he was working because he had those days off. I know it because that was how I justified him missing half my life before that year. I knew his schedule better than he did. So no, I don't need to give him another chance. He's blown too many."
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Matt and Nicole sit at the kitchen table, wedding planing book between them, "Okay, bridal party. Who do you want as your best man?"
He thinks for a second, "I was thinking Severide."
"I should've known. Okay," Nicole makes a note in the planner, "Kelly as the best man. Either Shay or Gabby as the maid of honor. What about the rest of your groomsmen?"
"Uh, Cruz, Otis, and Mills."
"Okay. Bridesmaids for me will probably be either Gabby or Shay, whichever one isn't maid of honor. And then Hallie and Cindy."
Matt approaches a difficult subject, "Is your dad gonna walk you down the aisle?"
Nicole immediately shakes her head, "No way. Since Kelly is gonna be your best man, I'll either have Boden or Herrmann do it. Uh, flower girl, Annabelle Herrmann has already been offered the job."
"Good. How would you feel about having Violet with you as like a little bridesmaid or something?"
"I would love that. Now, ring bearer. Lee Henry or Luke Herrmann?"
He thinks for a second, "Uh, Lee Henry. Just because he's older."
She nods, noting down all the names, "The other Herrmann boys...cute little assistants or something?"
"Yeah, that works. They're family, let's have them involved any way we can."
"Perfect. And I think that's enough wedding planning for the night. Want to go up to bed, Mr. Casey?"
Matt smirks, kissing her, "Let's go, future Mrs. Casey."
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Wearing a nice dark green dress, Nicole walks in with her arm in Matt's to the academy dinner, meeting Heather at the bottom of the stairs.
She immediately hugs Matt, "Hey, Matt. Thanks for inviting me to tag along."
"Yeah, no problem," Matt says.
Heather looks at Nicole and forces a fake smile, "Nicole. Nice to see you."
"You as well, Heather. How are the boys?"
"Great. As I told Matt, we're finding our new rhythm."
They give each other fake smiles before Matt holds his arm out to Nicole again, "Shall we?"
Nicole nods, "Let's."
Walking up the stairs, they see Kelly and Shay there. As Heather hugs Shay, Nicole steals her brothers drink and shoots it back before handing him the glass again, "Hey, Kel."
"Hi. Next time you could ask," Kelly sasses before looking at Heather, "Hey, Heather."
"Hello, Kelly."
"I'm really glad you could come," He tells her.
She nods, "Yeah. Me too," Heather gives Matt a smile, staring at him long enough for Shay and Nicole to share a look, "I mean that."
Matt looks to his fiancee, "Drink?"
"Oh, dear God, yes please."
He escorts her to their table before going to the bar to grab her drink. Nicole looks around before spotting Benny and ducking her head no avoid eye contact.
Eventually, Boden stands up to make his speech, "I'd like to thank everyone for coming out tonight to support the academy's scholarship fund," Everyone claps, "When I look around this room, I think of the importance this institution has had on each and every firefighter here. The discipline, the tradition, it's what ties us all together. The young, and the well-seasoned alike, and I'm very well-seasoned, so. This was made clear the other day when I watched a young candidates bold actions save a life," He points over to Mills, "He's sitting right there. He's Peter Mills. Now for me, it was like looking back 20 years, to the same candidates father, Henry. A firefighter who I served with, who had selflessly given his life in the line of duty," Nicole looks at Bodens eye line and sees Benny get up and walk out, "This father and son. They attended the academy many years apart, somehow they shared the same capacity for exceptional heroism. Truth is, every soul that knocks on those academy doors, asking to serve, they're already heros. Cause they were born that way," Nicole smiles at her brother then looks at Matt, kissing his cheek, "When we are gone, they will be the ones holding the torch, ensuring that for generations to come, this CFD academy will the stone and the bedrock of this department and this great city," Boden's speech ends with applause from everyone.
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Nicole gets a text from Cindy and looks to Matt, "Hey, so, Herrmann's working on the bar and she's home alone with the kids. She needs my help, you good going home by yourself?"
"I'd prefer to go home with you, but if Cindy needs your help, then I'm good," Matt assures her.
"You're the best," Nicole kisses him, "I'll be home either tonight or tomorrow morning depending on what time Herrmann gets home. Love you."
"Love you too."
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The next morning, Nicole yawns as she unlocks the front door and sees Matt sitting at the kitchen table, "Hey, sorry it took so long. Max and Luke were being mini tornado's and Annabelle wouldn't let go of my leg so I had to wait until Herrmann lifted her off me."
Matt just stares at the table, "Babe, you okay?"
He looks up, "Heather kissed me last night."
"What?"
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AN: Heather's really pushing it....hehe
I have a surprise for you all coming in a few chapters.
QoC: which love interest of Kelly's do you think Nicole will hate the most?
Thanks for all of the votes and reads and comments!!