Hello everybody! So, I have some great news: my fics will no longer contain any mistakes at all (I hope so) - let me explain; I do have a beta-reader now, who did an amazing job by the way, and she helps me a lot, sometimes even completing some stuffs here and there. So, as I said, there should be no mistakes from now on.

This is the penultimate chapter of this sequel, and I hope you really liked this story. One more chapter after this one, and MAYBE, I'll do an OS collection about the Casey family. I don't know yet. Let me know if you want this, maybe your wishes and pieces of advice can help me to do it?

Anyway, enjoy this last but one chapter, and let me know your thoughts about it in a review ^^

Chapter 25: my dear brother

Couple months later...

Today marked a year since Kelly had sacrificed his life to save Matt. And although it was still very hard for everyone, the crew from firehouse 51 had decided to celebrate this day rather than mourn, an anniversary of sorts: Matt's new life, the one his brother _not of blood but of heart_ had given to him. And it was even harder for Brett. She was happy to see Matt enjoying life, but she lost her beloved. She was taking it day by day, telling herself that Kelly did the right thing, what his heart had told him to do. He had desired so much to repair what he was calling his mistake, meaning letting Matt take this bullet instead of him when the shooting began, and it was comforting to her to know that Kelly wasn't going to live with regrets, feeling guilty to not be able to save Matt's life while he could. He did the right thing, the only thing he could do: save his brother. All the members of Firehouse 51 and their families had gathered at Molly's, preparing to raise a glass in honour of their fallen brother and to celebrate life. Gabby tried to calm her nerves by tending behind the bar, hoping that by ensuring that, everyone had a drink in their hands, her churning stomach would eventually settle. She knew that nothing would be the same once she handed the crisp white envelope that she had been entrusted with to the love of her life. For months now, she'd had the letter sent to her by Kelly, remembering the time that Boden had made the entire house write a letter to their loved ones in case the worst thing happened and they didn't make it home, such was the risk of a first responder, Matt's name written in Kelly's signature scrawl. Gabby had held onto the letter wanting Matt to recover fully before giving it to him, not wanting for anything to set his recovery back. Gabby walked around the bar and over to where Matt was standing with Herrmann, Mouch and Boden, drinks in hand and quietly talking. Gabby held the letter in her right hand as she gently rubbed Matt's shoulder. Matt turned and faced his wife with a gentle smile, the smile that she loved. Gabby raised her hand holding the letter.

"Baby, this is for you", she gently said, although it was loud enough to stop all the chatter in the bar.

Puzzled, he took the envelope and opened it. He knew the scrawl right away and the breath he was holding came out in an audible gasp. He looked straight to the bottom of the page and saw Kelly's signature. He looked up at his wife and friend's tears glistening in his eyes.

"What is it, Casey?" Herrmann asked, looking at the man he considered his surrogate son.

Matt looked down at the letter again. He couldn't believe it.

"It's… It's a… Letter from Kelly", Matt replied, his voice rough with emotion.

The entire bar was silent, the silence was deafening while all eyes were on Matt. If anyone had walked through the door at that moment, they would have thought that someone had hit pause, people were standing motionless, some with glasses raised halfway to their mouths, some people slack jawed, all with eyes on one man holding an envelope and a letter. With a trembling voice Matt looked to his wife.

"When… Where… What…", he asked, confused

Gabby took a deep breath.

"When you had your transplant surgery. Kelly sent this letter to me to give to you, but I held onto it until it was the right time, when you were ready, really ready to see what Kelly had written."

Matt looked at his wife, the love of his life, the woman who knew him better than himself most of the time. He felt the love she had for both him and the man who had decided that he was not just a co-worker and friend but a true brother. Matt looked down at the letter in his slightly trembling hand.

"Son, Kelly could have written to anyone but he decided to write to you, and he knew that he was not only your brother in arms but your brother of heart. We can't choose who comes into our lives and who leaves but we can choose what we do for them and how we love them, Kelly loved you as a friend, a co-worker and more importantly as a brother", Boden quietly spoke to Matt encouraging him in a way that no-one else could.

Matt knew that he would have to face the words that Kelly had written him, and he felt that everyone else deserved to know as well. Kelly was loved and respected by everyone in the room and all missed him, and the presence that he'd had in their lives. With a strength he didn't know, he started to read aloud the words that his dearest friend and brother had written him.

Dear Matt,

If you are reading this, then I did my job properly. I know you will have the hardest time dealing with what had happened to me.

Matt, I know you; you are probably blaming yourself for what happened, but brother, it is not your fault. Shit happens and you can't out run fate for forever. We have worked side by side, through disaster, fire and flame. And you have become my brother, maybe not of blood but of friendship and heart, and don't roll your eyes at that.

Matt, I know you remember the promise that you, Andy and I made back in the early days: always protect each other, and no matter what we had each other's backs through thick and thin. Matt, remember the day of the shooting. I know you do, it is not something that you could forget but then again, you were kind of injured and unconscious. That day, you saved my life, but you were hurt so much and there was so much blood I wanted to do anything I could to help save you. Sylvie had to explain to me what would have to happen to save you, a heart transplant was the only option. That is when I had an idea: I got tested to see if I was a match.

Matt paused when the realisation dawned on him; Kelly was willing to sacrifice his own life so that he could have lived, and that was when he knew he would have done the same thing if Kelly was injured and he could have helped in any way. He swallowed deeply and wiped his eyes with the hand not holding the letter. He continued to read aloud.

I got tested just to see if I could help in any way, the results came in and I was an 87% match to you. I knew what I had to do, I needed you to have my heart.

The day of the shooting, you saved me by sacrificing yourself and you had kept your promise, the pact we made together so long ago. Now, it is my time to do the same. Matt, you have to live life to the fullest, love to the fullest and laugh when you can. You deserve to live my brother and make sure that it is full, you belong to your wife and your children, give them the love and life that we never had growing up. Please, take this gift and never look back. And remember: I will ALWAYS have your back brother.

Kelly

Matt looked down at the last words Kelly had written. He remembered the pact that he, Andy and Kelly had made when they had started working together at 51. Kelly had transferred over

from Firehouse 36 for squad experience and the day he walked into 51 he saw Andy sitting at the table, Andy and Kelly had been friends since school, and he remembered Matt from the Academy, and they bonded and over time had become closer than friends, they had become brothers. And he knew he couldn't get away from this. When Andy died, Kelly and Matt's relationship had become strained but after awhile they became close again.

Gabby was the first to react to her husband, Matt had tears rolling down his face, she was touched by Kelly's words and knew that now more than ever that her husband knew of the love that Kelly had for him and what he had done to ensure that Matt would return home to her and the children. Gently she enveloped her husband in a hug; he put his head on her shoulder as quiet sobs wracked his frame.

Seeing her parents embracing and crying, Eliza jumped off her aunt's lap. Sylvie let the little girl go, knowing that the words that Matt had just read out mirrored the words that Kelly had left for her. Eliza weaved her way through her crowd of aunts and uncles to her parents and wrapped her little arms around their legs. Slowly, more people came over to the family and soon, everyone was hugging in one giant hug, all remembering the man who laid his life down, so his friend and brother could live.

Matt raised his head off Gabby's shoulder and slowly everyone moved back, Matt bent down and picked his daughter up tenderly kissing her forehead and handing her to Gabby. Donna Boden saw that Matt needed both of his children and so she made her way over to the little family and handed him the sleeping girl she was cuddling. Kellie opened her eyes when she felt herself being moved but when she saw her father's blue eyes her chubby hands reached out for him and he took her willingly into his arms. He breathed deeply the smell of fresh clean baby and closed his eyes sending a silent prayer up to the heavens to his brother, he made a promise to live and love each day as if it's the last and that his sacrifice was not in vain.

Matt would forever be grateful to his friend and brother for the sacrifice he had made and he knew within himself that if Kelly had been in his situation he would have done anything to save him anything at all because he was his brother. Matt vowed to make sure that his heart would always beat, beat for Gabby, Eliza and Kellie and most of all beat for the brother who sacrificed himself so that his brother could live, the one he would never be able to forget.