A/N: This chapter gets a bit jumpy because I wanted to tie up some loose ends and work in some major points from the first episode. The next chapter should flow better. Enjoy!

"I can't wait for her anymore." Jake said, annoyed as he stood in the kitchen. "She's made us late the last two days. If we're late again we get detention which means I miss practise."

Casey sighed. "Just go, I'll drive her."

Jake nodded and headed for the door with Casey following him. "Grace you're going to be late, again." He yelled up the stairs but she didn't respond. "Grace?" Jake hesitated in the doorway, waiting for her answer but it never came. Instead, they heard a loud bang and they exchanged a look. "Grace, are you okay?" Casey called again before running up the stairs with Jake right behind him.

Casey rounded the corner of the hallway, he went to her room but it was empty. He turned and noticed the bathroom light was flooding into the hallway. He opened the door the rest of the way to find Grace sitting on the floor against the bath tub, clutching her stomach. Casey noticed that she had knocked over the shampoo and conditioner bottles; it was a smart thing to do considering she was in so much pain she couldn't call for help.

"Grace, what's wrong?" Casey said as he dropped to the floor beside her.

"Uncle Matt," She mumbled through the pain and the tears. "Something's wrong."

"Can you get up?" He said as he tried to help her up but it only made it worse. He turned to Jake. "Call 911, now." Jake nodded and ran back downstairs to get his phone.

"Don't leave me." Grace said after a moment.

"I'm not going anywhere." Casey confirmed.

Jake stayed on the phone with 911 until the ambulance arrived. He opened the door for Shay and Dawson as she rushed up to the house. He noticed Severide was with them and Jake was glad to see him.

"Where is she?" Dawson yelled as she ran up to the door.

"In the bathroom." Jake stepped back and watched them run up the stairs before turning to Severide.

"I heard the dispatch call. We all heard it." Severide explained. "Sixteen year old female with severe abdominal pain, and then your address," Severide shook his head. "What happened?"

Jake shrugged. "I don't know. She can't get up. She was holding her stomach and she screamed when Matt tried to get her to stand. Whatever it is, it can't be good."

Severide put a comforting hand on his shoulder and pulled him away from the stairs as they were coming down. Severide noticed how pale Grace was and she was still holding her stomach, her face twisted in pain with tears still falling. "Is she okay?" He asked Shay.

"I don't know." She responded quietly as she passed him.

"Meet us at the hospital," Casey said to Severide.

"Uncle Matt," Grace called from the doorway.

"I'm right here sweetheart," He said as he walked out the door behind Dawson.

Casey was talking with the doctor when Severide and Jake showed up at the hospital. They waited a few feet away until their conversation ended before approaching him. "Is she okay?" Jake asked.

"She has appendicitis and they're taking her to surgery now." He said. "She should be fine so maybe you should go to school."

"No way," Jake frowned. "I'm staying."

Casey smirked. "Alright, well in that case I have to call the school."

"I'll call the fire house and give them an update." Severide said as Casey nodded.

The doctor returned about forty-five minutes later and Casey quickly stood up as he approached. "She's fine. The appendix wasn't ruptured so her recovery should be quick. We'll monitor her today and overnight and if there is no sign of infection she'll be released tomorrow morning."

Casey nodded. "Can we see her?"

"The nurse will come get you once they get her settled into her room." He said. "It shouldn't be too long."

"Thanks." Casey nodded again.

OOOOOOO

The next day Grace was released without a problem. Casey took her home and helped her get settled on the couch downstairs. She was given blankets and pillows and her favourite movies laid scattered across the living room table. Her laptop and school work was also on the table as she had to take a week off, much to her annoyance. She was a bit sore but she was more tired than anything else.

"Uncle Matt?" Grace said as he headed for the kitchen. "What happened with you and Dawson?"

Casey turned back around with a smirk on his face. "I was wondering when you were going to ask about that."

"Well two weeks ago you declare that you two are dating and then all of a sudden you're not anymore." She shrugged. "I'm curious."

Casey crossed his arms and leaned on the door frame. "I go back to work tomorrow after being off and we decided it may be best if we just stay friends right now."

"But you like her," She said. "And she likes you."

"We have mutual feelings for each other." Casey nodded. "But we need our friendship more right now. We don't want to jeopardize it."

"Then why aren't you together," She half whined. "I don't understand why you have to complicate things. You like her, she likes you, done, be together.

Casey grinned at her. "Enough input on my love life. You need to rest."

"I'm going to go crazy stuck in this house for a week." She complained. "I'm already bored."

"Watch some TV or a movie." He suggested. "The pain medication is going to kick in soon and you'll probably sleep."

She sighed and looked at the movies on the table. "Watch one with me?"

"Sure," He smiled. "Which one do you want to watch?"

"I don't care, something good." Casey grabbed one and put it on. "Uncle Matt, do you hate Tyler?"

Casey turned and frowned at her as he sat down on the other end of the couch. "Where did that come from?"

"Well you didn't look too happy when he showed up here the other week." She said. "And you wouldn't let me go out with him last weekend."

"I don't hate him," Casey said slowly. "I don't particularly like him right now after hearing that he tried to pressure you."

"Would you be mad if we got back together?"

Casey looked at her and sighed. "No but if he hurts you again, I will hurt him."

Grace smirked. "You sound like Kelly."

Casey grinned. "I've been hearing that a lot lately."

OOOOOOO

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Casey asked Grace the next morning. "I can stay home if you need me."

"I'll be fine." She reassured.

Casey hesitated before dropping a kiss on her head. "Call me if you need something or if anything happens."

"Okay." She smiled.

"I mean it." He said as he rushed out the door.

Grace was beyond bored the entire day. She spent the day watching movies while doing her homework and taking a few naps but the day seemed to drag on forever. She was glad when Jake texted her and said some of their friends wanted to come over to see her.

Grace got up and made her way to the bathroom. She was dressed in black yoga pants and Casey's hoodie from the firehouse. It was big on her but it was comfortable and she didn't feel like changing. Her hair was up in a messy bun and she didn't have the energy to take it out and do something with it. She thought about putting on some makeup but was too lazy to walk up to her room and get it. She hoped she was going to pull off the messy hair and baggy sweats look, especially if Tyler showed up.

She went into the kitchen just as the front door opened. Grace could hear a few people and it didn't take long until Jake showed up in the kitchen. "What are you doing?"

"I'm flying spaceships, what does it look like I'm doing?" Grace said as she held up the glass of water.

"You're supposed to be resting, not up walking around!"

"I had my appendix removed. I'm not a pregnant woman on bed rest." She said.

Nick smirked from the doorway. "Apparently having your appendix removed made you funny."

"No, the morphine did that." She smiled as she made her way back to the living room. She sat down on the couch with Rachel and Claire as Tyler, Nick and Jake sat in the chairs. "Thank God you guys came over. I was dying of boredom."

"That was me in math today," Nick said. "Brutal class."

"The squad misses you," Claire said. "We are lost without our choreographer. How long until you can come back?"

"Well I can come back next week and watch and plan some dances." She explained. "I just can't participate for three or four weeks."

"So you'll be good to go in time for basketball season." Nick said. "Our football team sucks so it's not like you wanted to cheer for them anyway."

Grace laughed. "I guess not."

"Can we make some food?" Rachel said. "I'm starving."

"Yeah we'll make something." Claire said as she pulled Rachel up. "Jake and Nick can help us. In the kitchen."

Grace watched them leave and Tyler shook his head. "That was subtle."

"They don't know what subtle means." Grace smirked as Tyler sat down beside her.

"Why is this so awkward?" He blurted out.

Grace started to laugh. "I don't know."

"What are we doing?" He asked. "Are we starting over or picking up where we left off?" He paused as he looked at her. "Or are we done?"

"Well what do you want?"

"I want you." He said softly. "I know I messed up. I was being a jerk and I'm sorry."

Grace nodded. "I'm sorry I made you feel like I only cared about dancing."

"I don't want to start over." He said. "And I don't want it to be over."

"But we can't just pick up where we left off either." She said.

"Do you still love me?"

"Of course."

"That's all I need to know." He grinned. "We'll figure the rest out."

OOOOOO

Casey arrived home around midnight with the Darden boys. Grace woke up to steps on the porch and the outside door being opened. She could hear voices and the knob being jiggled. She opened her bedroom door to find Jake doing the same and they exchanged a look before he grabbed a baseball bat and headed to the top of the stairs.

Jake headed downstairs and stood beside the door as Grace waited at the top of the stairs. She was standing just off the landing, hidden behind the wall but she could still see Jake from where she was. The door opened and Jake clenched the bat in his hands, low but ready to swing if he had to.

"Whoa, Jake!" Casey said and Grace stepped into view at the sound of his voice. "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" He said. "What the hell are you doing? You're supposed to be at work until eight."

"Why do you have a bat?" Casey said as he reached out and grabbed it.

"Why do you think?" Jake said. "I thought someone was breaking in."

"I got off early," Casey said as the boys stepped into the house. "There was a situation."

"What's going on?" Grace called from the top of the stairs. She could always sense when something was wrong.

"Hey, do you guys want to go back to bed?" Casey said as he looked at the boys. "Come on."

Casey took the boys to the spare room off the kitchen as Jake followed Grace back upstairs. They waited for Casey in his room and wondered what was going on. Casey came upstairs about ten minutes later and sighed when he saw the twins sitting on his bed, waiting for him, waiting for an explanation.

He closed the door, wanting to be extra careful, and sat down on the bed. "Heather was in an accident tonight."

"Oh no," Grace mumbled.

"She's fine." He clarified. "But she was arrested for driving under the influence."

"You've got to be kidding me." Jake said. "Is she stupid?"

"Hey," Casey frowned. "It's the anniversary of her husband's death. She went out with her friends for some drinks to take her mind off of it."

"She got drunk and drove." Jake said as he sat up. "I have no sympathy for people that do that."

"Jake," Casey said.

"No," He shook his head. "So she'll get charged and they'll let her go tomorrow and she'll learn nothing. Just like my Mom and my Dad and all the other stupid people that get away with that. I mean, our Mom almost killed us and they let her go."

"Her friend was in the car, she was hurt pretty bad." Casey explained. "I don't know what is going to happen but she asked me to get Griffin and Ben so I did."

"Do they know?" Grace asked.

"No, not yet." Casey ran a hand over his face. "You two should get some sleep."

Grace struggled off the bed, still a little sore. She was following Jake out of the room when he suddenly stopped in the doorway and turned around. "What happens if her friend isn't okay?"

"I don't know." Casey sighed. "It will be okay, Jake."

Jake shook his head. "Not for them it won't."