A/N I am so sorry for the long gap in updates even though I said I would get these stories up! But third year is even worse than I imagined stress wise and with having to get everything done. While I said there will be twelve stories in this series this might change as I have got severe writer's block for my other ideas.
Kelly might seem really out of character in this, and I apologize but in this story, and I guess you'll know which bit I'm talking about, I have seen some people act like (really out of character for them) this to 'help' their friends this term. And as that made me have to try and contain my laughter in the silent library, I felt like I will share it with you and I need another laugh after finishing the term stressed out. So I hope you enjoy this!
(To me this feels a little rushed towards the end, but this story is also about helping me get back into the mind-set of writing this series, as I feel I lost a bit of the knack for it over the past three months I spent at uni. Also I know season 4 has been on in the US, but its not here in the UK, and we'll probably get it in June 2016, as we got season 3 in June 2015, so if there are any bits of information given which could affect this series, sorry but I won't be changing or putting anything in as I will have no clue as I'm not looking for spoilers!)
Matt sighed as he closed the apartment door behind him, relieved to be going on shift to, no joke, enjoy the peace and quiet of fifty-one. This was because last week Kelly had injured his leg on a call, and was thus on medical leave for roughly the next month. Matt was using every excuse he could to stay out of the apartment as Kelly was driving him insane.
As he drove to work, Matt was lost in his own head, just last shift Grayson had pulled him aside and talked to him about the upcoming Lieutenants exam.
"Hey Casey!" called Grayson,
Matt looked up from the newspaper he was reading, "Yeah?"
Grayson gestured for Matt to follow him. Once they were out of earshot from anyone nearby he asked. "I was just wondering if you were considering taking the Lieutenants exam?"
"Er…what?" spluttered Matt, he then shook his head, "No I hadn't."
The truth was, a part of him wanted to take the exam, but then he knew he'd have to leave fifty-one, and not only that, after having worked with Kelly and Andy for the past seven years he couldn't imagine working from a different House than them. Especially now that Andy and Heather were married with their two boys, fifty-one was where Matt could rely on seeing Andy often.
Grayson gave Matt a look, which showed that the older man knew what he was thinking. "Well it just so happens that I am taking the Captains exam. So if we both passed, you could stay at fifty-one, as I m sure Chief would approve that."
Matt gaped at Grayson, the older man chuckled and after patting Matt on the shoulder he walked towards his office. Matt wondered back into the communal area and found himself staring at the notice about the Lieutenants exam. He looked to the side when someone stopped beside him.
"You should take the exam," commented Herrmann, giving Matt an encouraging smile.
"I don't know," hesitated Matt. It was true his interest had picked up after what Grayson had said, but he still wasn't sure.
"The Lieutenant was right though. Boden would allow you stay here," said Herrmann.
Matt raised an eyebrow, "Did you eavesdrop Herrmann?"
"…No…"
Grinning Matt shook his head, and then looked at the notice, "We'll see." He commented and then he walked away.
In the end, Matt did put his name down for the exam and the day before picked up the stuff he needed to help him revise for the exam, but he had told no one that he was taking it. Although he was sure both Grayson and Herrmann knew he was.
He walked into the locker room and found Andy grinning at him, "So how's Kelly doing?"
"Don't. Just don't," shuddered Matt. "He alternates between doing too much on his leg, so yelling that I'm coddling him too much when I try and stop him and just sitting down in the living room ordering me around like his personal servant."
"Well its only for another month," laughed Andy.
"Not helpful," glared Matt. He then wondered what it would be like to be the truck Lieutenant at fifty-one, certainly Kelly and Andy would be no different. He snorted, but that was just fine with him.
Kelly sighed as he flicked through the channels on the TV. He was so bored. He saw Matt practically run out of the apartment that morning, as soon as Matt had seen him hobblingly over towards the kitchen.
Sighing again, he looked down at the coffee table when a book caught his eye. Reaching over he picked it up and saw that it was revision material for the Lieutenants exam. His eyebrows slowly rose. There was only two people living in the apartment, and he himself wasn't taking the exam as he wanted to remain on squad three and his Lieutenant, Johnson, was not leaving anytime soon. So Matt was taking the exam and had said nothing. He got out his phone.
Hey, why didn't you say you were taking the Lt.'s exam?
I'm not.
Kelly rolled his eyes.
Don't lie. I found your revision book on the coffee table.
Damnit.
Thought I'd put it back in my room.
Well why didn't you say anything?
I don't know.
Matt. Stop sounding like a petulant teenager. You're twenty-eight!
Thought that if I failed no one would know.
Really? That's your excuse?
Not an excuse!
Now stop texting me!
No.
Kelly!
Matt!
Seriously, Grayson is giving me a funny look for texting so much.
Well should have told me then shouldn't you?
Then I wouldn't be bothering you.
Hey Lieutenant Casey…
I hate you.
No you don't.
How's your day going future truck eighty-one Lieutenant?
Oh look at that. The alarms gone off!
We WILL talk about this when you get home!
Grinning Kelly put his phone to the side, and seeing that there was nothing interesting on TV. He began flicking through the revision book, and seeing Matt's comments down the margins he came up with a brilliant idea. One that would help Matt and one that would relieve the boredom he was suffering.
When Matt returned home the next day he was thoroughly shocked. Kelly sat on the sofa, bits of paper strewn across the coffee table and the revision book balanced on his knee.
"What's all this?" Matt asked in confusion.
Kelly grinned up at him, "It's revision notes I've made for you and…" He pulled up a big sheet of paper. "A revision timetable!"
"What?" asked Matt in a quiet voice and eyes wide.
Kelly carried on talking as if Matt hadn't said a thing. "See, with your next two days off we can get a lot of this done!"
"Kelly! My exam is a month and a half away!" protested Matt.
"So? It'll just mean you won't be learning this stuff for long, you'll be revising it and so will get much better marks!" grinned Kelly.
Matt's bag slipped off his slack shoulder, hitting the floor with a thump, as Matt just stood there in horror. "Oh God…"
The next morning Matt did not have his usual thing of sleeping the morning away. Oh no. Kelly Severide saw to that. At eight o'clock on the dote, Kelly barged into Matt's room.
"I really need a lock," mumbled Matt, pushing his face into his pillow.
"Come on Matt! Up and at 'em! We've got some learning to do!" called Kelly.
"Please no," whined Matt, "Kelly I need sleep! Last shift was really busy!"
"Nope! You need to get up and do some learning! I want to see my little brother become a Lieutenant and pass his exam first time!" Kelly began shaking Matt until the younger man had to admit defeat, and slowly pulled himself out of bed.
"Getting up earlier isn't going to help!" he complained.
"Early bird catches the worm!" responded Kelly as he hobbled out of the room.
Matt flopped backwards so he was lying across his bed, and rubbed a hand across his face. "Oh this next month and a half is going to be hell…"
A month and a half later, a letter from the CFD arrived in their apartment. Matt held it in his hands, hesitating to open it. He had to hand it to Kelly, while his assistance in revising had been unwanted and mostly frustrating, Matt had gone into the exam feeling confident and had even walked out confident. Now though, now his stomach twisted with nerves. After all the hard work Kelly had put into helping him, Matt dreaded seeing the confirmation that he had failed.
Kelly came and stood in front of him, and smiled encouragingly. "Hey its okay, whatever the result is, it'll be okay. But you have to open it at some point."
Taking a deep breath, Matt opened the letter, and looked down in shock.
"Matt?" asked Kelly in hesitation.
Matt looked up, "I did it! Will full marks!"
"Yes!" Yelled Kelly in excitement, "I knew you could do it!"
"Thank you Kelly," smiled Matt,
"Nah, I don't need thanks, you sat the exam. I just gave you a little help is all." He smiled.
"More than a 'little'," commented Matt as he hugged Kelly.
Kelly wondered if this is what Matt had been like when he passed High School, but then realized that Matt wouldn't have had anyone to celebrate with. Just his friends, ones he had never mentioned to Kelly or Andy, and ones he evidentially never spoke to anymore. Kelly shook those thoughts away and dragged Matt out of the apartment to celebrate.
The next shift Boden gathered everyone together in the briefing room. Matt sat beside Herrmann and looked behind him to smile at Kelly who was grinning at him, that morning Kelly had stood beside Matt when he informed Boden that he had passed the Lieutenants exam.
"Now everyone, I have a couple of announcements." Everyone was silent as Boden grinned widely. "Now, first off, Lieutenant Grayson has passed the Captains exam and so will have two more shifts here before he moves on."
Everyone shouted out their congratulations and Johnson slapped Grayson on the back, almost sending the new Captain flying into a table. Boden then held up his hands for silence once again.
"So this leads me onto my second point. It is with more great joy that I inform you that in three shifts time the Lieutenant of truck eighty-one will be our own Matthew Casey."
Silence. Everyone but Kelly, Grayson and Boden stared at Matt in utter shock, as they had had no idea Matt had taken the exam. The silence was broken by Andy who got up and charged at his friend, sending the chair, Matt and himself flying to the floor. Soon everyone else joined in, congratulating Matt and laughing as Andy and Kelly kept Matt pinned to the floor and the three of them messed around.
"Alright!" called Boden, still grinning his wide grin, "We've got some work to do, and lets leave the new Lieutenant in one piece shall we?"
As everyone dispersed Andy ruffled Matt's hair, "Can't believe you didn't say anything to me! But I will forgive you, only because you are staying here at fifty-one."
"You're forgiveness means everything," replied Matt dryly.
The three of them then made their way to the communal area, and Matt reflected that things would certainly be different for him, he was going to have to give orders to his friends and to people, such as Mouch and Herrmann, who had given orders to him. However, he knew everything would work out, how could it not? He was working with people who were not only his friends, but also his family.
Much to Matt's joy, eighteen months later Kelly was sitting the Lieutenants exam, and his roommate seemed to have forgotten all that he had put Matt through when revising for the exam.
So one bright, sunny morning of their day off. Matt barged into Kelly's room startling his friend into consciousness, waving the old revision timetable with one hand, and with his free hand, he held a glass of cold water. Which he threw on Kelly's face.
"What the hell Matt?!" he shouted in shock.
Matt just stood there grinning. "Revenge is a dish best served cold Kelly."
Slowly it dawned on Kelly what Matt was taking about. "Now lets be reasonable Matt…"
"Nope! Up and at 'em Kelly! You've got some learning and revising to do! The early bird catches the worm and all!" he called over his shoulder as he left the room.
"What have I done…" muttered Kelly in horror.
The End. (I will leave what happens next to your imaginations :P)
A/N Also For this series I'm thinking of writing a story based WAY in the future when Matt (and Kelly) retires from the CFD. Anyone interested? Or shall I just forget this whole idea?