It was seven days ago since the video call they had had. Matt just came home from a shift and was about to put his laundry in the machine when Gabby called him.

''Why didn't you pick up the phone yesterday?''

''I was working. Can't really pick up the phone during a five car pileup.'' He said as he pressed his shoulder up, pressing the phone between his ear and shoulder as he threw the laundry in the machine.

''Oh shit – sorry Matt, I forgot you were working.''

''It's fine, just happy to talk to you now.''

''I really gotta get to work now – just send you an e-mail, can you take a look at it and let me know what you think?''

''Will do, have a good day at work Gabs-''

''Love you!'' She told him, hanging up the phone straight after. Putting the phone in his pocket, he was annoyed by how out of sync they had seemed these last few days. Every time they called one of them had to go and they hadn't been able to pick a time to videocall. He just hoped that it would improve over the next few days.

At least she would finally be here in two weeks.

Sitting down by his laptop, he opened outlook and indeed saw an email that Gabby send him. Opening the email, he saw a few links she had send him about surrogacy.

Closing the email he took a deep breath. As much as he wanted to think about a family, the last few days, with how hard it had been to even been in contact with Gabby, he was worried about what was going to happen. He couldn't shake the thought that she had left him, and she might do it again. Not having been able to talk to her much the last few days, the few doubts he had in his mind were back in full force.

The following night, he laid on the couch, tired from having worked all day at his construction job. Grabbing his phone, he wasn't sure why Gabby wasn't calling him. They had agreed to call tonight over text this morning.

Picking up the phone, he tried to call her himself, not wanting to waste any more time. He missed her so much and all he wanted was to speak her now.

''Hey Gabs, hoped we could call now.''

''I am sorry Matt, something came up, I will call you tomorrow, alright?''

He could hear a rush in her voice and didn't want to impede, knowing that she probably felt just as bad that she couldn't call.

''Yeah sure, love you-''

Before he could finish, he noticed she had hung up the phone. Sighing deep, he switched on the TV. For some reason, their communication had been completely out of sync the last few days.

The next morning, as she called, he was on shift. Walking to his office as she called, he sat down in his chair.

''Hey, how are you?'' Gabby asked excited.

''I am good, on shift, but so happy to hear from you! How are you?''

''I am good, so sorry, something came up with the charity project.''

''All good, it happens, I am proud of you for doing that work,'' Matt smiled, as he really was.

''I really missed talking to you, we have been so out of sync.''

''Yeah, I feel the same,'' Matt told her, that he was not the only one who felt this way.

''Did you see the email?''

''Gabby, you know how I am, I am not going to decide it over reading it from an email and discussing it over the phone…I got a nice dinner planned for when you are in here in Chicago. At home, it is going to be really nice, I promise. We can talk about it then.''

He knew that she wanted an answer that he couldn't give her now. He wanted nothing more than to have a family with her, but he knew that there was a lot they still had to talk about.

As much as he wanted to believe that it was all going to be okay and they were going to have a family. But deep inside his mind he was stills cared that one day, Gabby would leave him again. That he couldn't make her happy.

In the end, he had no way to know that she was not going to leave him again if things took a turn for the worse one day.

''Sure, I just thought you, you know, wanted this.''

''I want to, but….we really need to talk about things first Gabby….''

''I am only in Chicago for a few days, maybe you can come to Puerto Rico with me so we can spend more time together?''

''Maybe Gabby, I really got to talk about that with Boden.''

''Just – whatever, Matt.''

''I am going to try Gabby, but I can't just get up and leave my job every few weeks,'' Matt told her. As much as he wished that he could spend more time with her by flying to Puerto Rico with her, he didn't want to put his job on the line, having fought so hard to even join the fire department and then working hard to become a captain.

''If you don't want to-''

''I want to, but I can't drop everything at a moment's notice.''

''It's not a moment's notice Matt, it's three more weeks.''

''And you are going to be here in two weeks. We can talk about it then, okay?''

He heard the annoyance in Gabby's voice as he knew that she wanted him to give an answer that he couldn't give her. It hurt him that they were still in this rough patch, especially with the large distance between them.

''What is on your mind.''

''I am afraid we are rushing into this Gabby. There is so much more we got to work out before we can think about having a family,'' he spoke his mind.

''…I know, sorry.''

''You left me for a reason and a baby is not going to magically fix that. We are going to need to work out how to make it work between us.''

Pacing through his office, his stomach was sinking, feeling like he was saying all the wrong words and he would push her away again.

''I didn't leave you – I left Chicago.''

''You did leave me,'' Matt said hurt, blurting it out before he even realized he said it. Not being around her and not constantly told by her how much she loved and cared about him, had put all of these doubts back in his mind. He hated feeling so insecure, only because he missed her so much.

The silence filling his office, Gabby not saying anything. Whatever he was going to say now, was going to dig himself deeper into the hole.

''Gabby, I gotta go, talk to you later, okay? I will talk to Boden about the furlough.''

''Fine.''

Hanging up the phone, he put it on his desk, groaning loudly as he laid his head in his hands, hating himself for ruining the call like this. There was a short knock on his door.

''Can I come in?''

''You are already in my office, so spit it out.'' Matt said as he had his head in his hands on his desk.

''Are you okay? Are you and Gabby okay?''

Annoyed Matt looked at his friend.

''Eavesdropping again?''

''You left the door open,'' Kelly pointed out.

''As much as I want us to work, it is hard to know where me and Gabby stand. I mean, we are not even together for most of the time and we can't do this long distance forever. I know she left because she was hurting over not being able to have a family together. She diving in again and I want to be happy about it, but I am not sure if we need to slow down and work out how we are even going to make it work when we live so far apart.''

As much as he didn't want to share too much with the others, keeping everything between him and Gabby to himself, he blurted it out, feeling relief as he was finally able to say what had been weighing on his mind for days.

''Only you and Gabby can work that out. It's good you open up about it though. Maybe tell her just this you just told me.''

''Thanks, I am going to call her - at least to apologize.''

Kelly nodded. Before Matt could grab his phone to call her, the alarm went off as they were called to a housefire. Putting his phone on his desk and running out, grabbing the bunker gear on the way he got into the truck.

Pulling up by the burning house, he jumped out, closely followed by Herrmann and Cruz, Kelly still grabbing his crowbar from the truck.

''Neighbors called in, there is a family still inside. Dad, mom, baby.'' Boden said as they walked his way.

''Alright, we are going to get them out.'' Casey said as he pulled the mask over his face.

Moving into the house, he felt nervous.

''Stairs to the basement!'' Cruz said as the smoke kept on rising over the stairs, into the hallway.

The dad came running out, Cruz quickly grabbing into him to help him out.

''Fire department, call out!''

Herrmann moved to the left, into the kitchen, whereas Casey tried to see through the smoke. Herrmann was holding a woman then as he emerged from the smoke.

''Please, my baby is still inside!'', she begged them.

Letting Herrmann escort her out, he moved further into the burning house. Casey took another deep breath, trying to stay calm as he tried to listen for the baby. With the mask over his face and the heat beaming onto him it was hard to even keep his mind at the job.

Listening closely to listen for the baby, he moved forward.

Making his way into the burning house, it was hard to see in front of him. The wooden floor creaked, the small bungalow having been through years of abuse.

''Fire department, call out!'' He yelled once more. Although besides the baby, nobody seemed to be in the house anymore. Following the wall closely, he felt the floor tremble under him.

''Casey, smoke is turning black, you have another 30 seconds before you need to move out.''

Grabbing the radio, he wanted to say he copied, only for a shrill cry to sound out. He dropped the radio back against his chest, moving forward as he followed the sound towards the baby. Picking the small infant up in his arms, he started to make his way back to the entry of the house.

A beam fell down in front of him, flames erupting.

''Casey?'', sounded from his radio.

He didn't even get another second to think before the floor collapsed right under him.

Thank you so much for reading again! I hope you don't hate me for the cliffhanger at the end! Please let me know what you thought and hopefully till next chapter!