A/N: Hey guys! I'm officially back with a multi-chapter story, and it's completely AU so I hope you like it. I'm not very happy with the first chapter, but it's kind of like a test run to make sure you all like it. I'll get better, I promise, and the chapters will also get longer. I just want to point out a couple of little things that are different in this story to make it easier for you all to follow along:

- Dawson grew up in Chicago, but Casey did not. He grew up in Albany, NY and his mom is currently still in prison.

- Shay is still dead (still not over it) but she was killed serving alongside Casey and Dawson in the army. The only other person she knew in Chicago was Severide (more on that later).

Okay, I think that's it for now, but as I develop the story more I'm sure that list will grow. I hope you all like it, but PLEASE do not be afraid to give me some constructive criticism. I want to make sure you all enjoy the story as much as possible and I'm a journalism major in college so my life kinda depends on my writing skills. Okay, that's it, enjoy!


"Jesus Christ Dawson, how did you even have the space for this in your apartment?," Casey grunted, walking backwards out the small door whilst carrying the front half of the king-size mattress. He heard Dawson chuckle a little bit as they angled the mattress through the door frame.

"A girl needs her beauty sleep," he heard her answer, the two of them finally managing to get it out the door. Casey put it down then, sighing heavily. "Hey hey! We're not done yet," Gabby exclaimed, her half of the mattress falling from her hands, unable to support it herself. He just shook his head though, surveying the hallway while his hands went to his hips.

"There's no way we're getting it down the stairs," he muttered, igniting an eyeroll from Gabby.

"Well I got it up here, so there's a way," she argued, picking up her half again. "Come on Sarg, I don't have all day." With another grunt and a few more shakes of the head, he reluctantly picked up his half and they both began maneuvering it down the narrow hallway. His antics made her roll her eyes again, but there was also a smile placed on her lips. His stubbornness was the first thing she ever noticed about him, and it annoyed her to no end. But she figured she might as well soak it up now, because she didn't know when she'd see him again and it was no secret that she was going to miss him more than anyone else.

After twenty minutes of Casey muttering to himself while they navigated themselves down the stairs and hallway, they began lifting it into the moving truck that was parked on the street. "Why the hell did we wait to make this the last thing we packed?," Casey groaned, climbing into the back of the crowded truck to better place the mattress.

"If I had a nickel for every time you complained today," Gabby remarked, pushing the mattress in its place. They both released a sigh of relief when it was over and the mattress was (sort of ) secure, and Casey hopped down from the truck.

"You know," he started, pulling down the door of the truck. "I could've just not helped you, you don't seem very appreciative." She saw a smirk on his lips, letting her know that he was joking.

"I still don't know why you won't let me pay you for all of this," she sighed, genuinely feeling bad that he had practically suffered the whole day and did it all for free. He just shook his head though, smiling at her.

"I don't want your money, Gabby," he assured her with a chuckle. "Despite my brief moments of grumpiness, I was happy to help, really. I'll take all the time with you I can get and besides, it wasn't all bad." That much was true. In reality, they should've been done moving everything out of her apartment hours ago. But they ended up going through some pictures as she packed them, each of them having their own story and he was happy to listen to all of them. He actually learned a lot about her today. The big things he had already known - her hometown, what her parents are like, what her brother is like and her nephew and niece and all of their names. But today while helping her move, he learned that her niece, Eva, was an incredible baker for her age. A picture of the two of them behind a large mixing bowl let Gabby tell him the story of how they stayed up until three in the morning one night to perfect a recipe.

He also learned that a vacation to Myrtle Beach when Gabby was seventeen was how she lost her virginity. A picture of her and Antonio at dinner one night on the beach led her to tell him all about their week there - including how she met a guy on the beach their first day. Their fifth night, she had snuck out of her hotel room to see him on the beach and they ended up drinking too much. She laughed with embarrassment as she told the story, and she made sure that Casey knew how much she regretted it. She wasn't sure why she needed him to know that, but for some reason, his judgement of her had always been important. And while Casey did his best to assure her that he didn't care about what she did at such a young age, he couldn't figure out why the image of her with someone else bothered him so much.

They also went through pictures that she had from her time in the army, and it allowed them to reminisce on the experiences they shared. They laughed together as they remembered the good times, like the soccer games they held whenever they had downtime in the scorching heat of the desert in Afghanistan. As Sergeant, he was always the team captain and she was always the first one he picked to be on his team. The guys always gave him shit for it, but hey, she was one hell of a soccer player. One day, they had a few hours of free time, a rarity in the midst of war. But they all decided to make the most of it and had a soccer tournament. Matt and Gabby's team had won, and as she had held a picture of them and the two other guys on their team, they smiled sadly on the mattress that was later going to give them hell. In the picture, they all had huge smiles on their faces as they held the makeshift trophy. All of the guys had their shirts off and Gabby was in her sports bra, all of their bodies glistening with sweat. Matt had his arm around Gabby's shoulder, and looking at the picture, she remembered just how nice that felt. She had two copies of the photo, and when he asked for the other one, she happily gave it to him. But before she handed it off, she quickly scribbled on the back: don't forget about me! He had chuckled at that, knowing there was no way in hell that was going to happen.

Then they had come across a picture of Gabby and Shay. Their mood shifted instantly, and as they both stared at the picture of the two of them, Gabby couldn't help the tears as they escaped her eyes. Matt had just pulled her close, comforting her as they both replayed that day in their heads. The whole team had been called out on a mission, so they piled into three humvees and took off at four in the morning. As the two medics at camp, Gabby and Shay split up into different vehicles in case something happened. Shay took the first humvee, and Gabby took the third. As Casey and Gabby and a couple of other guys joked while they followed the other two vehicles, they heard a big explosion up ahead. Instantly, their adrenaline kicked in but it couldn't help the sinking feeling in the pit of their stomachs. It was a roadside bomb. They knew it immediately, and as the rest of the team climbed out of their now parked humvees, they seemed to forget that there could be more. The first humvee was fully engulfed in flames, lighting up the dark desert sky. Casey began barking orders as soon as he laid eyes on the sight in front of them, yelling for fire extinguishers and for someone to call backup. There was nothing they could do until the fire was out, but it was driving them all crazy, knowing that Shay and the men inside were trapped with nothing to do but burn.

By the time the fire was out, three more humvees and two helicopters full of soldiers had come to their aid. But it was too late. Shay and the three men inside were gone. There was nothing left of them. The bomb had done its job, and the fire had proven to be relentless and unforgiving. Dawson had collapsed to her knees, her medical supplies falling into the sand along with her that she hoped she'd be able to use. Casey had walked over to her, kneeled alongside her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they both let the tears fall. They had both lost friends and brothers and a sister, and they needed each other. But still, Casey knew that Gabby needed him more. She had known Shay since high school, they had become best friends instantly and that bond only strengthened over time. After five years as a paramedic in Chicago, Shay had even enlisted, wanting to get a taste of the action Gabby constantly bragged about.

And for that, Gabby would never forgive herself. She was the reason Shay enlisted. She was the reason that Shay's life had come to an end. She believed that wholeheartedly, and no amount of trying to convince her otherwise by Casey and her other friends was going to change that. So when her and Matt came across the picture of the two of them at a fundraiser gala for the army, that guilt and sorrow came flooding back to her. She fell weak into Matt's arms, just as she had several times in the months after Shay's death. But he was there to comfort her, as always, and when she was finally back in Chicago, she was going to miss that more than anything.

So as they stood across from each other behind the moving truck, they didn't know what to do. Neither wanted to be the first to say goodbye, because then the goodbye would have to begin. They knew this day was coming, and while the both of them have been trying to prepare for it, they did not prepare for it well. It was dawning on them that this was going to be the last time they saw each other for months, and neither was okay with it.

"Make sure you call me when you get there, okay?," Casey began, his voice low and mournful. "It should only take you twelve hours and forty minutes but with traffic and rest stops...fifteen hours tops."

"You calculated it?," She asked sheepishly, a blush coloring her cheeks as she shook her head. "You are something, Matthew Casey." When he just raised his eyebrows at her, she nodded, laughing softly. "I'll call you, don't worry." There was no need to remind each other to keep in touch after that, they were already planning on texting every day.

"I'll miss you, Gabs," Casey sighed, opening his arms for a hug. Gabby walked into them sadly but contently, both of them holding onto each other with all the love they had.

"I'll miss you too," she told him. "But hey, if you ever get sick of ordering people around in the desert, there's a home for you in Chicago. I mean that." With that, he just held her a little tighter, thanking her softly. Truthfully, he had already thought about the possibility of not renewing his contract in six months. He knew he didn't want to be in the army forever, but the one thing that had held him back from not leaving sooner was that he didn't know where he'd call home. For years now, Fort Bragg has been his home. He had grown up in Albany, but he has nothing there for him anymore. His mom is in jail. His dad is dead. His sister doesn't speak to him. All of his friends are with him on base. And while he thought about moving to Chicago with Gabby, he didn't want to seem clingy or annoying. But now, maybe he just got the reassurance he needed.

Casey made sure the back of the truck was secure before following her to the driver's door. "Antonio is helping you unload everything, right?," He asked.

"Yes," she replied. "And if he complains as much as you do, I swear to God," she joked, resulting in a playful nudge from Matt. "Thank you again, though. There's no way I could've done this without you."

"My pleasure," he assured her. "Now get going, you don't want to hit rush hour in Indianapolis." He definitely didn't want her to leave, but he also wanted to make sure she was safely in Chicago as soon as possible. She nodded, taking him in one more time. His sandy blonde hair that somehow remained neat all day, his green t-shirt that his muscles peaked out of, his dark jeans that fit him just right, and those blue eyes that pulled her in immediately. She was going to miss all of it, but she knew she'd see him again. So she climbed in the truck, then starting it up and rolling the window down.

"See you soon?," she asked, her brown eyes big and hopeful.

"See you soon," he assured her, softly touching her arm that rested on the window. They swapped another pair of sad smiles before she put the truck in drive and started her road trip home.


"Okay, tell me all about your first day. I want to know everything." Matt put her on speakerphone so he could change out of his combat uniform he had been in all day. He heard her chuckle a little on the other end, making him smile.

"I'm still here," she told him. She was in the kitchen, talking in a somewhat hushed voice so she didn't disturb Mouch's programming on the TV. When she had been introduced to him earlier in the day, she repeated the name out loud, confused. The man named Otis (whose name wasn't actually Otis), explained to her that it meant half man/half couch, and she knew she was going to be fine here. "I don't get off until seven in the morning tomorrow. Twenty-four hour shifts, remember?"

"Yup," he answered, sighing as it came back to him. "I'm sorry, I can let you go."

"No need," she assured, looking through the cupboards for snacks. "We're not really doing anything at the moment. Just looking for food."

"Well," he chuckled. "They better get out of your way then, they don't want to mess with Gabriela Dawson when it comes to food."

"Hey!," she exclaimed, feigning offense. "I'll remember that."

"I don't doubt it," he laughed. "So c'mon, stop dilly dallying and tell me how your day has been so far." She grabbed a small bag of cheetos before walking out of the kitchen, not wanting to annoy any of the guys who were reading or watching TV in the common room. She headed to the bunk room, her phone still at her ear as she nodded a greeting to Brett as they walked by each other. She sat on her bunk and sighed happily, opening the bag.

"I love it here Casey," she gushed, and he could practically hear the smile on her face. "I felt at home the minute I walked through the doors. My partner on the ambo is the nicest and all of the guys seem like sweethearts. There's a guy here who they call Mouch, which literally means half man and half couch." She chuckled as she told him, leaning back in her bunk. "I haven't met the squad Lieutenant yet though, he took the day off."

"He knew what was coming," Matt teased.

"Oh whatever," Gabby answered, rolling her eyes. "How was your day?"

"Not bad. Finally got our new medic though, good thing none of the guys accidentally shot themselves this week because we would've only had one medic to deal with it." She chuckled at that. She loved them, but most of their IQs weren't the highest. Before she could answer to that though, he continued. "Hey, listen…"

"Ooo, that's intriguing," she quipped, wondering what he was getting so serious about.

"My contract is over in about six months-"

"I'm aware."

"Let me finish," Matt laughed. "I just - I don't know what to do. I met with Captain Dawkins yesterday and he said that they want me to extend my contract by three years. They think I can start racking up the merits and promotions."

"Well, that's a good thing isn't it?," Gabby questioned.

"I mean, I don't know. That's a long time."

"Your last contract was six years, Casey. That was a long time. And besides, you can negotiate that. Do it for one year if you really want to. You have time to sort it out."

"Well, there's more," Matt sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Keep going then," she rushed, her attention piquing. Why the hell was he so hesitant on all of this?

"They're harping me on the contract now because they want to send us to the middle east for another tour."

"Oh," she said simply. At his words, her heart sank. It was a weird feeling, she couldn't describe it exactly. The thought of Casey and the rest of the team doing a tour had her heart twisted. She suddenly lost her appetite and pushed her cheetos to the side, thinking about how long they would be gone for. Tours were at least six months long but could be up to four years, and it was weird how they were already warning Casey about his contract. It made her feel like it'd be a long time, definitely not on the six months side. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple with her free hand, trying to sort out her emotions. She was definitely solemn and her heart felt like it was suddenly missing something. And she was scared. God, she was so scared. She hated how scared she was. Every time she went overseas, she begged her family and friends not to worry and she couldn't understand why she couldn't convince them that she'd be fine. Well, she understood now. Casey had been on tours before, but ever since she'd known him, she'd been with him. Now she wasn't, and now she wouldn't have any idea about where they'd be and what they'd be doing. She wouldn't know if they'd be safe. If he'd be safe. God, she hated this feeling. "Gabs?," he wondered after a stretch of silence.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the bells beat her to it. "Ambulance sixty-one, man down from unknown causes. Forty-three Wabash"

"I gotta go," Gabby told him hastily, hanging up before he had a chance to say goodbye. She rushed to the ambulance, trying her hardest to push her fears out of her mind. She was still on her first shift, she had a job to do and people to impress. She couldn't be thinking about her old job or her new concerns thanks to that old job. She decided that from now until seven tomorrow morning, her only focus would be on 61.

Meanwhile, Casey sighed heavily as he looked at his phone, which now displayed his home screen instead of the call he had just been on. It ended a bit before he would've liked, but he had heard the bells and understood. As he grabbed a beer from his fridge, he opened up his messages and decided to just send Gabby a text.

Hey, sorry, I know that was kind of a big bomb to drop. Call me when you can, I have more meetings tomorrow morning and a couple of hours of training after that. But I'll be home by three.

He sent it, but immediately starting crafting another message, ignoring the thought of her teasing him for the double texts.

Also, I'm really happy you're happy there. That firehouse is damn lucky to have a medic like you.

"Oh my God, what does he want?," Gabby exclaimed, pulling out her phone after the second buzz. Brett looked over at her with eyebrows raised, honking the horn simultaneously. They were stuck on Wabash, which is where they needed to be, but still miles from the exact address. Traffic was at its peak of the day, and no amount of honking or sirens were going to change that. "Oh, he's sweet," Gabby said then, her voice softer than what it was a few seconds before. She put her phone back away as she sighed, leaning her head against the back of the seat. Brett looked over at her again, this time chuckling. She honked one more time, but her attempt was futile and she grabbed the radio and called main to tell them to send another ambo.

"Copy that 61," a voice says back, and Brett turned off the sirens.

"Boyfriend troubles?," She asks then, turning her head towards Dawson.

"Oh, no," Gabby replies, laughing a little at the thought. Matthew Casey, her boyfriend? Right, like that would ever happen. "Friend troubles, I guess. But he didn't even do anything wrong. He just...I don't know, it's complicated and kind of a long story."

Brett gestures towards the traffic, laughing. "I got time, girl, and I am dying for some gossip. Those guys give me nothing!" Dawson laughed then too, nodding.

"Okay okay," she surrendered. "Where the hell do I start with Matthew Casey…"