Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you enjoy it! I know after the last one most of you were concerned about Casey and him working, so we'll see what all happens there. As well as what's going on with Gabby and the girls.

Before we get into it, I wanna say I hope you all have a great week ahead. Thank you so much for reading, and continuing to support me and this story. It means a lot to me!

Happy reading!

Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Six

A heavy yawn escaped Casey's lips as he sat on the ground out in the living room, a similar feeling of exhaustion coming from his youngest as she laid on the floor in front of him, her little body too tired to put up much of a fight as he worked on changing her diaper. It was still pretty early in the morning, early enough to where Sofia hadn't completely woken up yet as she held onto tightly to her favorite stuffed animal, her head turned towards the TV that was playing one of her favorite cartoons while a tired Matt finished up his job.

It had been a long night for the father of two, so his daughter's compliance with this task she didn't necessarily love was of great help to him, Matt's lack of sleep catching up with him as he hadn't been able to get nearly as much rest as he would've liked the day before his first shift back at 81. But there was nothing he could do about that now, as he was going back to work whether he wanted to or not.

"Yeah, I'm sure you feel better now, don't you Sof." He murmured as he put the last tab in place, the sound of his voice gaining her attention as Sofia looked towards him, before that bright smile began to peek out from behind the pacifier in her mouth. The look on her face was enough to get him to grin as well, the father matching her look as he reached out to rub his thumb gently over her cheek. "Thank you for being such a good girl this morning, baby, Daddy really appreciates it."

His free hand came up to rub over her stomach as a few different noises of excitement left her mouth, Sofia still a little too tired to be her usual chatty self, even though some of what she said at times was unintelligible. But Matt still loved to hear it regardless, as it felt like every day she was learning and growing more than he or Gabby could keep up with, their youngest daughter becoming more and more vocal with every passing day.

"And do you think you can be good the rest of the day, too?" Casey continued on as he tapped her stomach, Sofia kicking her legs around as she gripped onto his arm as tightly as she could. Though it was more her pinching his skin than anything else, as her hand was too small to truly hold onto him. "Daddy's not gonna be here, so you think you can be good for your Momma?"

"Mama." She repeated happily, Matt releasing a soft chuckle before he nodded.

"Yeah, your Momma. It's just gonna be you, Mommy, and Caity today-"

"Kay-Kay." She cut him off, the word muffled by the pacifier in her mouth as another laugh left his lips.

"Yeah, your Kay-Kay." Matt told her with a smile. "I know you love your big sister."

A few happy giggles left her lips at the mention of the older Casey daughter, Sofia squirming around easily while she continued to laugh, the movements causing her pacifier to slip out of her mouth. And when it did, Matt saw this as his opportunity to get it from her without causing any issues, the father immediately reaching for her stuffed animal and distracting her with that before she could even think to reach for the comfort item, Casey waiting until she was completely focused on the bear before expertly grabbed the pacifier and hiding it from sight.

It was something they were working on for a while, getting her off the pacifier, but hardly any of the tricks they tried had seemed to work, as that was one thing she had yet to grow out of. They didn't want to take it from her completely, as it was clear she wasn't quite ready for that step, so they had come to the decision to only let her have it during bedtime and naps, the parents figuring that was the best place to start. And for a while, it had been working well, Sofia not putting up much of a fight as she knew every time she went to sleep she'd be able to have it. But since Gabby's accident, they'd kind of fallen out of that routine.

During the worst of Gabby's recovery, Matt hadn't bothered to take it from her at all, as he knew how much comfort the pacifier brought Sofia. And with the uncertainty of everything going on, the last thing on his mind was to continue weaning her off of it, so she'd certainly gotten used to having it again. But now that things were slowly returning to normal, Matt knew they needed to get back into that routine sooner rather than later, or it would only cause more issues down the line.

"Oh no, she's gonna get you Sof." Matt said playfully as he continued moving the teddy bear around, the sound of her laughter filling the living room as he lightly pressed the stuffed animal down against her chest before pulling it back. "She's gonna get you." He continued on, her giggles only getting louder as Sofia and Matt both enjoyed this one on one time before he had to get going, the noise like music to his ears as he was never get tired of hearing his baby's laughter.

Their little game continued on, Matt soon placing the teddy bear down and carefully pulling Sofia towards him, the father beginning to pepper her face with kisses while lightly tickling her, her laughs only getting louder as Sofia squirmed around underneath him.

"I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you!" He spoke brightly, Sofia's continuous giggles a tell tale sign of how much fun she was having, before Matt easily picked her up off the floor and pulled her little body close to his. "I got you!" He said with a light laugh, Sofia content in his arms as their playful demeanor soon calmed down when Sof took to just snuggling into her dad. "Yeah, I got you Sof." He murmured as he slid his hand around to rub her back, the baby bouncing in his arms as she held onto the collar of his white shirt.

"Doesn't look like she wants you to go."

Matt looked up when he heard the familiar sound of his wife's voice, Gabby coming into view almost instantly as she stood in the doorway to their bedroom, her presence enough to bring a small smile to his face. But before he could respond to her, he was distracted by a much smaller person darting out of the bedroom and hurrying over towards him, Matt chuckling softly as he took in the disheveled state of his oldest daughter, her unruly hair enough to tell him just how well she'd slept since coming down to join them in their bedroom earlier this morning.

"Well, who could blame her… My baby never wants me to leave." Casey replied with a soft smirk, Gabby narrowing her eyes playfully just as Caitlyn got to him, the five year old immediately sitting herself down on his lap while Sofia still clung onto his side. And the sight alone was enough to make Dawson's face soften, as she never got tired of being reminded just how much the girls loved their dad.

"You know, she's not really a baby anymore. And hasn't been for awhile." Gabby countered, her words immediately causing Matt to shake his head while she began to make her way across the room towards them. "She's a toddler."

"Nope." Matt corrected almost instantly, his tone causing Gabby to laugh while he held onto both of his girls. "She's still my baby, she'll always be my baby." He told her, Gabby biting down gently on her bottom lip while she simply nodded. "Just like Caity will always be my baby, too." He added, his words causing the blonde girl to grin up at him, before curling her body into his chest.

"Good morning, Daddy." She spoke just as she let out a yawn, Matt smiling as he watched her rub her tired eyes, before he pressed a kiss down against the top of her head, no one in the room missing whe Sofia let out an excited 'Kay-Kay' when she saw her older sister had finally joined them, Caitlyn grinning back at her before reaching out to rub Sofia's back.

"Good morning princess." He replied softly as he ran his hand along the back of her head. "Did you sleep good?" He asked her, Caitlyn nodding before tucking her head down against him, it becoming clear that both of his babies were still a little sleepy, Matt rubbing her head once more before looking back up towards his wife. "What about you, you sleep okay?"

Gabby gave him a nod as she sat down in the chair less than a foot away from him, Matt keeping his focus on her while continuing to hold both his girls. "I did." She answered softly, her hands coming to rest in her lap. "...What about you?" Gabby questioned back, something in her tone catching his attention as his eyebrows raised slightly. "I could tell you were a bit restless."

He paused for a split second, Matt clearing his throat as he averted his eyes away from her watchful gaze. "Yeah, uh… I guess I was."

"Because of going back to work." She guessed, though it wasn't much of a leap as Gabby knew first hand how hesitant he still was to go back, despite their many talks about it.

"...Yeah." He told her, knowing there was no point in trying to lie to her. Though based on the look that covered her face, a part of him wished he had. "Just some first-day-back nerves, but I'm fine." Matt played it off, Gabby's eyes tracing over him before she slowly nodded, unsure of just how much she believed him, as he'd been acting strange about this ever since he decided to go back.

They had talked about it, more than once, but she couldn't help but feel like there was something he was holding back from her. Something he wasn't telling her about why he was hesitant to go back to work. She knew that he didn't necessarily want to be away from her, or the girls, that there was almost a sense of clinginess when it came to Matt not wanting to be away from her. She had noticed it quite frequently since coming home from the hospital, like he was hesitant to leave her side, she just hadn't quite gotten to the bottom of why he was acting that way. And every time she asked him, he said he was fine, or that it was nothing. That he was just feeling a bit anxious about leaving her, but she didn't buy it; at least she didn't buy that being the full story.

But if he wouldn't tell her what was going on, she wasn't sure what else she could do, Gabby knowing her husband well enough to know that, like her, sometimes he just had to deal with things in his own time, before he could come to her.

"Okay." She replied softly, Matt giving her another soft nod as Sofia began to pull herself away from him, the baby clearly done with this time with her dad as she climbed down off of him before waddling her way over to her toys. "But I'm gonna be fine, you know." She reminded him, Matt running his tongue along the top of his mouth in an effort to stay quiet while Gabby emphasized her words with a strong nod. "These past few days I've felt good, and between Becca and my dad, they'll be people here with me… You don't need to worry about us, we'll be okay."

"I know you will." He replied without missing a beat, as he didn't doubt that for a second. He had his own issues to work through with what happened to her, issues that were a bit paralyzing at times, but one thing he knew for sure was that she was getting better. And he didn't want her believing otherwise. "You all will be fine, especially because I know Caity and Sof will help out a lot, huh?" He asked, the tone in his voice changing as he diverted the subject while speaking to his daughters. Though only the oldest was listening as Caitlyn lifted her head up to look at him. "What do you say, Caity, you think you can help out Mommy for me while I'm at work?"

"I can!" She replied enthusiastically, Gabby not hiding the soft smile that formed over her lips as her daughter spoke.

"Are you sure? Because you know your Momma sometimes needs some extra help, and you and Sof would need to be on your best behavior." He continued on lightly, Gabby shaking her head in amusement while Caitlyn nodded enthusiastically.

"I can! I can help Mommy, I'll help." She spoke quickly, the tone in her voice alerting both parents to her eagerness. "I'm a good helper." Caitlyn reminded them, her innocence causing warmth to rush through Matt's chest as he gave her a firm nod.

"I know you, you're the best helper baby." Casey agreed, Caity smiling proudly in response. "And thank you, for being so good for Momma… That's gonna help me a lot while I'm at work." He added on, Caitlyn giving him another nod as he ran his hand along her back. "And it'll help your Mom too, which is what's important." He spoke lightly, earning a dry laugh from Gabby before he looked down towards his watch. And when he did, his demeanor instantly began to shift as Matt realized his time with his family was coming to an end, the man drawing in a deep breath before looking back to his daughter. "Alright, well it's almost time for me to get going, can I have a hug Caity?"

Complying instantly to his request, Caitlyn stood up before nearly tackling him, the force of her movements almost sending them back toppling backwards. But luckily Matt was able to balance both of them, the father chuckling softly as Caity tightened her arms around his neck.

"Have a good day, Daddy. I'll miss you." She told him, Matt giving her body a gentle squeeze before she pulled back slightly.

"Thank you sweetheart, I'll miss you too." He replied as she gave him a quick goodbye kiss, Caitlyn hugging him one last time before stepping away from her dad and heading towards the couch. And without a child on his lap, it gave Matt the chance to finally get up, the dad immediately heading for his youngest while she was preoccupied with her toys. "And I'll miss you, my Sof." He continued on as he carefully picked up his daughter, the action taking her by surprise before she erupted into a fit of laughter, Sofia squirming around in his arms as he gave her a few goodbye kisses. This continued on for a couple moments before he finally put her back down, Matt stealing one last kiss from his youngest before letting her go back to her toys.

"What about me?" Gabby asked teasingly, her voice prompting him to turn around with a soft grin on his face. "You gonna miss me?" She pushed, Matt cocking his head to the side before he began walking towards her chair.

"Ehh, maybe." He joked just as he sat down on the end of the coffee table in front of her, Gabby narrowing her eyes before reaching out to lightly hit his arm. "Of course I am." He replied after a moment, the two locking eyes on each other as he rested his hands over her legs. And when they did, Gabby couldn't help but notice that lingering uncertain look in his gaze, the one that had left her a bit worried every time the topic of work came up. The same one that all but confirmed to her that he was holding something back. "But I'll be calling so much to check in on you, it'll be like I never left."

A soft laugh escaped her lips before she nodded, Gabby rubbing her hand over his arm as she angled her body forward. "Yeah, I don't doubt that." She responded, her eyes tracing over his face for a lingering moment before she spoke up again. "...You sure you're okay?"

His head tilted to the side slightly, but he said nothing, Gabby breathing in deeply as words continued flowing from her mouth.

"I mean, I know this was my idea and everything- you going back to work, but you feel okay doing this?" She added on, not missing the way his jaw clenched for a moment. "I wasn't trying to push you into it, I just wanted you to know you didn't need to stay away from work because of me."

"I know you weren't." He murmured.

"Okay… but you're sure you're alright?" She asked him for a third time, Matt's hesitation evident as he wasn't sure what to say.

He didn't want to lie to her about this, like he so often had as of late whenever this came up, and for a split second he thought about whether or not he should finally just clear the air between them. If now was the time to finally be completely honest about what had been going on in his head. But that moment of honesty didn't last long, as he knew he couldn't do that right now. Not when he was about to leave her for twenty four hours. Now was not the time for this conversation, or at least that's what he kept telling himself.

So instead, he plastered a smile onto his face, Matt giving her a strong nod as he ran his hand along her leg. "I'm fine, babe." He assured her, Gabby breathing in deeply while keeping her eyes on him. "It's just some nerves about being away from you, like I said, and I'm gonna miss you and the girls, but I'm good."

She stayed quiet for a moment, like she was deciding whether or not to push the subject, until she eventually nodded, a small smile forming over her face as she stroked his arm. "We'll miss you, too… But everything's gonna be fine around here." She spoke, almost like she was trying to remind him that he had nothing to worry about, though she wasn't sure if it would do any good. "And plus I know everyone at the firehouse is gonna love having you back… And it's Jemma's first day, too. Though I hate that I'm missing it."

"I know, I do, too. But she'll be there when you're ready to get back." He responded, Gabby nodding in agreement as he checked the time once more. "Well, I guess I better get going." He breathed out, his words earning a small, somewhat unsure smile from his wife.

"Yeah, we can't have you be late on your first day." She replied, Matt matching her small grin before he leaned forward to give her a quick kiss, one that Gabby reciprocated. "I hope you have a good day, baby."

"You too." He responded, Matt kissing her again quickly before he pushed himself up, his eyes moving around between his family before landing back on Gabby. "...You want me to wait until Becca gets here? I'm sure Boden wouldn't mind."

"She should be here any minute, you go. We're fine." She assured him, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded.

"Alright, I'll head out then. Just… please call me, if you need me." He requested, his soft voice causing her eyebrows to raise slightly before she nodded.

"I will." She told him, not missing the way his body visibly relaxed when she spoke. "And you be careful out there, alright?"

"I will." He repeated, the two sharing soft smiles before he picked up his shift bag and headed for the front door. "I love you… All of you." He spoke as he opened the door, the movement causing Caitlyn to look his way as well, while Sofia was too preoccupied with her toys to even notice he was leaving.

"Love you Daddy." Caitlyn called from her spot on the couch.

"We love you too, Matt." Gabby echoed, Casey giving his family one last smile before he headed out the door, the man only faintly hearing his wife's last words as she called out to him just before he left, Gabby reminding him of the promise they made to one another each and every time they went to shift. The promise that had almost been broken, the one Matt fought like hell to keep every single day.

"...Keep your badge off the wall."

Casey pulled up into his usual parking spot outside the familiar building, the Captain doing his best to ignore the heavy feeling in his gut that had been present ever since he pulled away from his home this morning. But it was like the closer he got to the firehouse, the worse it was; especially when he'd driven past the street where it all happened. And that sinking feeling only continued to worsen now that he was sitting outside the station, Matt forcing down the thought of how he wasn't sure he was ready for this, as he knew he didn't have much of a choice at this point. He was here, he'd promised Boden he would be here, and he couldn't go back on that now.

Though on some level, Matt knew Boden wouldn't want him here if he wasn't ready. That the Chief would be the first person to tell him to go back home if he knew the extent of what was going on in Casey's head right now.

But, just like everything else, Matt pushed those thoughts down, the man shaking his head before killing the engine and ripping the keys from the ignition, Casey hastily grabbing his bag from the passenger seat and getting out of his truck. There was a slight chill in the air as he locked up, the mid-March air still not warmed up yet as the city was trying to completely break out of winter, Matt finishing up his task before shoving his keys into his jacket pocket and heading towards the house.

He passed a few familiar faces on the way, most of which were guys heading out from first shift, Matt being friendly enough as they passed by, though that consisted of nothing more than a small, weak smile. But they all returned the gesture, Matt not missing the looks of surprise he saw from a few of them as he headed up the driveway, like they were shocked to see him here. And after everything that happened, he couldn't say he blamed them, as he would have loved to not be here just yet, either.

Sighing softly, Matt continued his path, his hand gripping the strap of his shift bag tightly as he approached the open doors to the garage. But when he got closer, his steps slowed as the bright white ambulance came into view, the rig sitting where it normally did, just like it had before the last call he'd worked here over a month ago.

It looked the same. From top to bottom, it looked like the same rig Gabby got in and out of every shift, the same rig she used to help save the citizens of Chicago every time the bells went off. Aside from a few less dents and scratches, 61 looked exactly the same. But he knew it was the farthest thing from it, as the rig in front of him was a completely new ambulance.

With the damage sustained from the crash alone, it was too much to try and repair, but then including how he and other members of 51 had to basically rip the rig apart to get their medics out, Matt knew there had been nothing left to salvage. They had left the original 61 lying in a heap of metal in the middle of the street, with no chance of ever being in service again.

Which Casey couldn't help but think was a good thing.

That day had been traumatic. For himself, and for Gabby, even though she still didn't remember the accident, and Matt was almost sure those memories would never come back, but for them, as well as the entire house, it was one of the worst days they'd had on this job. So Matt felt a sense of peace, knowing that ambulance would never roll into this house again. That they wouldn't have to get back into the rig where Brett had been severely injured, and where Foster had lost her life.

They wouldn't have to get back into the rig that nearly took his wife from him.

Because of the accident, they wouldn't have to have that ambulance around here anymore, and more importantly, Gabby would never have to get back into that vehicle again, and Matt found himself feeling grateful for that.

Shaking his head to himself, he continued on into the garage, Casey not wanting to dwell on all the thoughts and feelings the ambulance evoked from him as he knew this was going to be a long day already, and the last thing he needed was to make that worse for himself. So instead, he pushed it all aside, Matt putting on a stoic face as he navigated his way around all the rigs towards the double doors.

The path was familiar, though it felt odd doing it on his own, Matt a little surprised to find the garage completely empty as typically at least a few members of squad would be out here at their table. And while Matt was sure that decade-long habit hadn't been broken in just one month, it was clear that for whatever reason they weren't spending their time before shift outside, Casey continuing past the empty table and making his way inside.

"There he is!"

Matt looked up when he stepped through the door, finding almost everyone from second shift sitting around in the common room, a few whistles and cheers being heard before he could even make his way into the room.

"The Captain's back!"

"You finally decided to come back from vacation, huh?"

"I thought we'd never see the day."

Those greetings, and more like it, were heard around the room as Casey came to a stop in the doorway, his eyes widened slightly as he took in the sight of all his friends, most of which he hadn't seen since the accident. But it was a welcome sight nonetheless, as Matt had missed his firehouse family.

"Hey guys." Matt replied with a soft smile, his gaze moving around the room before landing on the newest addition to Firehouse 51, the grin on his face widening a bit when he saw Jemma standing back by Severide and Kidd. "It's great to be here again."

"Oh, you don't have to lie to us, Captain." Herrmann waved him off as he got up from his seat and walked towards Casey. "We all know you'd rather still be at home with the wife and the girls." He teased before bringing him in for a hug, Matt not even bothering to argue as Herrmann's words were more than the truth. "Which, speaking of, how are they doing? How's Dawson?" He added on as he pulled back, Matt well aware of how he had the entire room's attention.

"She's hanging in there." He answered honestly, Herrmann wincing for a moment before he nodded. "It's been hard, but she's doing well, all things considered. She's healing."

"That's great, Casey." Christopher replied as he clasped his hand over Matt's shoulder, while a few other members of the house came up to greet him. "You'll make sure she knows we're thinking about her, yeah?"

"She knows, but I'll tell her." He replied before he greeted a few more of his friends, Severide and Jemma both hanging back to come over last as they'd seen Casey the most since he'd last been at work. But soon enough he'd made his way through the group, giving room for his best friends to come over, the smile on his face growing even more when Jemma approached him. "Well well, look at you." He spoke with a laugh, Norris grinning wide before bringing him in for a quick hug.

"I know, I know." She responded, Matt giving her a tight squeeze before they separated. "51's new paramedic is here."

"And thank God for that." Cruz rejoiced from the table, a few laughs being heard around the room as the feeling around them stayed light.

"Yeah, it is the big day, huh? I guess maybe I should've waited to come back, I don't mean to overshadow your first shift here." He joked, Severide scoffing while Jemma shot them both a look.

"Sorry to break it to you Captain, but I'm pretty sure we're all more excited for Norris." Herrmann chimed in as he moved back to the couch, Matt waving him off before returning his attention to his closest friends. "No offense."

"None taken, I'm excited too… It's great to have you here, Jemma." He told her, the sentiment being one he'd expressed many times ever since they first heard the news of her joining the house.

"It's great to be here." She replied just as another person walked into the room, Matt looking over towards the far door just as Boden came in.

"Ah Chief, look who finally graced us with his presence." Herrmann called with a chuckle, Boden raising his eyebrows slightly before his gaze found its way to Casey, the older man shooting him a welcoming grin before heading over.

"Captain." He greeted, shaking Matt's hand.

"Hey Chief."

"It's great to see you here… Things haven't been the same around here without you, and Dawson." He told him, Casey giving him a slight nod in response.

"Yeah, it's been different, with everything going on… But I'm back, and hopefully in good time, Gabby will be too."

"Good, that's good." Boden replied, eyeing him for a moment before speaking up. "Well, with today being a big day for personnel changes, I was planning on doing this during our briefing, but it looks like we're all already aware of what's going on."

"Ah, you mean how we've now got one of the best paramedics in all of Chicago." Severide started, all the attention falling to Jemma as she shot him a look. "The same one who is the second favorite godparent to Casey's kids." He added jokingly, his words earning a couple laughs from the group, while Jemma didn't find it nearly as amusing.

"Oh, now that's just a lie." She fought back, Boden shaking his head as he watched the two bicker like siblings.

"This certainly will be interesting, won't it." The Chief breathed out, Casey chuckling lightly before he nodded.

"Yeah, they're like this most of the time." Matt replied, Boden clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Well, we'll see how this goes. But yes, our new paramedic… We've got Jemma Norris now a permanent member of ambulance 61." He spoke, cheers and whistles being heard from around the room as the medic ducked her head slightly. "Which we're all more than thrilled about, and not only that, we've got our truck Captain back-"

Boden's words were cut off by the sounds of the bells going off, all companies being called out to a car accident downtown, the Chief blowing out a breath between his teeth as he took a slight step backwards, knowing his speech would now have to wait.

"Well, I hope you both are ready… 51, let's go." He ordered as all the first responders flooded out into the garage, all of them more than eager to get back out there knowing that not only did they have a new member of the house who was so deeply loved around here, but they also had their beloved Captain back, things beginning to feel a little more like normal as they prepared to go out into the city to help.

Gabby laid comfortably on the couch, fighting to keep her eyes open as a mid-morning showing of Tangled played in the background, the movie more for the five year old laying in front of her than herself. Though it had been so long since Caitlyn moved, Gabby wasn't entirely sure her daughter hadn't fallen asleep, the back of Caity's head pressed up against her chest while they both faced the TV, her steady breathing evident as Gabby could feel her movement. But whether she was awake or not, Dawson was just thankful for this quiet time with her girl, especially after the first hour or so since Matt had left hadn't exactly gone as smoothly as she'd hoped.

Everyone was fine, but it was certainly more of an adjustment than Gabby realized, for all of them. One that didn't take long after her husband left to rear its ugly head, as all three of the Casey girls were feeling some mixed emotions about Matt going back to work.

It had started with Sofia, and as soon as she realized her dad had left, she wasn't happy. They'd made it out unscathed when he left, Gabby knowing she hadn't even realized when he left the house, but when she noticed he wasn't anywhere in sight, it didn't take long for the tears to come, as Sofia wasn't thrilled about his absence. Which, given the clingy stage their nineteen month old was going through, that wasn't entirely surprising. Sofia wanted everyone to be together all the time, she didn't like when she couldn't be with both her parents, so given how they all had been home as of late, she'd been fine. But today was a different story, and Sofia wasn't having a good time. And with her daughter's struggles, came Gabby having a rough time as well, as she felt like she wasn't able to help Sofia the way she used to.

Becca had done what she could to help distract her and calm her down, but it wasn't until Ramon arrived maybe half an hour later than she truly began to settle, Gabby's father immediately swooping in and taking over with the child who was clearly not having the best morning. And once her abuelo was here, she seemed to do better, Ramon a better distraction for Sof as she loved her grandpa more than almost anymore else. And, sensing his daughter's own anxiety towards the situation, Ramon had also soon decided to take Sofia upstairs to play, to try and give Gabby a little break. One she was very thankful for as the first morning without Matt had certainly become more overwhelming than she anticipated.

Ramon occupying Sofia had certainly helped, and Becca had left to go run some errands as well, giving Gabby some space as she was left with her oldest while they decompressed after this morning, Caitlyn refusing to leave her side. Ramon had offered for her to come upstairs with them, but the five year old declined every time, Caitlyn not budging as she didn't want to be away from her mom. Which, admittedly, was a common theme ever since she came home from the hospital.

While Sofia was going through a stage of a bit of separation anxiety with both her parents, Caitlyn seemed to be fixated on just one; Gabby. She loved her dad, and Gabby had noticed she was a little sad after he left this morning, but it was nothing compared to how Sofia had reacted. Caitlyn handled his absence a lot better than expected, and the second Gabby came over to snuggle on the couch with her, she was fine. But it was whenever Gabby tried to do anything that required her being out of the five year old's sight, Caitlyn didn't like it. She could be away from her when she had to, like when she had to go to school, but when it could be helped, she wanted to be with her mom. So much so that she'd taken to following Gabby around, the blonde girl almost always attached to her hip no matter what she was doing. And it had been no different today, as Caitlyn wanted to be as close to her as possible, their oldest daughter okay as long as Gabby was with her.

And then there was Dawson herself. While her girls were handling the first day with Matt back at work the best they could, Gabby also found herself struggling a bit more than she thought she would. The difficulty of this morning hadn't helped matters, but aside from that, there was a bit of anxiousness that was creeping in at the idea of Matt being at work right now, one she couldn't quite shake.

She was fine, and she knew he was fine, at least physically, but what she hadn't accounted for was how she'd feel with him being back on the job.

The same job that almost killed her.

Before he went back, it hadn't really crossed her mind. She was more focused on healing, and letting Matt know she was okay, that she hadn't really thought about how it would feel for him to actually go back to work. But once he did, that slight bit of doubt started to creep in, Gabby feeling like she was constantly one edge, worrying that what happened to her could happen to him. And the more she sat with that feeling, the more she couldn't help but wonder if maybe it was too soon. That maybe, for the both of them, she should've waited before encouraging him to go back to work, as along with her own uncertainty she knew he too was still holding something back from her. Something was off with him, this morning only further confirmed that, and it worried her, because she didn't know what was going on with her husband.

"Mommy."

The sound of Caitlyn's voice pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby slowly opening her eyes that had fallen closed before glancing down towards the top of her daughter's head before resting her palm over her temple, her focus shifting to the little girl in front of her. "Yeah baby?"

"Are you awake?" She asked, Gabby smiling softly before she nodded.

"I am." She answered, though their conversation was enough to give her the answer she was looking for, Gabby stroking her thumb along the top of her head lovingly.

"Okay." She replied, Gabby not missing the yawn that left her lips as she spoke.

"Are you tired, honey?" Gabby asked back, her eyes moving across the room to the clock on the wall, seeing it was only a little late in the morning. And while it was pretty early for her to take a nap, if she even took one at all, Gabby wanted her to get some sleep if she needed it. "You wanna go take a nap?"

"No." Caitlyn answered rather quickly. "I want to stay with you."

Gabby nodded slowly despite the fact Caitlyn couldn't see her, the woman drawing in a deep breath before she spoke up. "Alright, well I'm not going anywhere sweetheart, I'll be right here, you can still go and take a nap… Do you wanna sleep in mine and Daddy's room?"

"I wanna be with you." She repeated, her words a little more unsteady as Gabby felt her small body tense, a heavy sigh leaving the mother's mouth before she nodded once more.

"Okay, you can stay right here, baby, you don't have to go anywhere." She promised her, Caitlyn nodding thankfully before pushing herself back against Gabby, like she was trying to get even closer to her than she was already. Like that anxious feeling of being away from her mom hadn't completely gone away yet, Gabby sliding her hand down towards her arm before she spoke up again. "Hey Caity… can you look at me for a second?"

At her mother's request, the little girl slowly turned her body around to face her, Gabby giving her a soft smile as Caitlyn rested her weight on her elbows.

"You know I'm okay, right?" She asked her, as Gabby hated to see how fearful Caitlyn was that something bad was going to happen, the mother knowing that's part of what had made her so clingy. "That even if you're not with me, I'm okay… Mommy's okay." She did her best to assure her, though the five year old looked less than convinced. "You don't need to worry, baby, I'm alright."

Nodding slowly, a deep, thoughtful look covered Caitlyn's face, Gabby rubbing her back as she gave her time to say whatever was going on inside her head. "That's what Daddy says, too." She finally replied, Gabby's chest tightening at her words before she slowly nodded. "He says you're okay, and you say you're okay, but I was scared." She admitted, her timid voice nearly breaking Gabby's heart, though she said nothing as she didn't want to keep Caity from sharing her feelings. "I was scared, and I missed you when you were sleeping. It made me sad." She finished, the mother drawing in a steadying breath before she nodded slowly, doing what she could to blink back the tears in her eyes.

Gabby knew Caitlyn had been having a rough time, that she'd been feeling this way since the accident happened. And while Dawson didn't remember much from the day she woke up, she knew Caitlyn had told her then how scary all of this was, and from that moment on Gabby was well aware of how much all of this had affected her oldest daughter. But what Gabby didn't realize was just how deep it went, that while she was feeling a little better about all of it, clearly that fear hadn't completely gone away even though Gabby was doing well. And that it likely wouldn't for awhile. But Gabby could only hope that, with time, things would get better. That these emotional scars would eventually heal… For all of them.

"I don't want you to go away again."

A deep frown set in over Gabby's face before she shook her head, Caitlyn watching her every move as the mother spoke up. "I'm not, honey. I'm not going anywhere. I promise you, I'm here."

Caitlyn's eyes traced over her face before she slowly nodded, Gabby not missing how she began to lose that battle against her emotions, tears filling the girl's eyes as her bottom lip became to tremble, the mom immediately reaching out to wipe away the first tear that fell before pulling her into her arms.

"Come here, baby." She murmured, Caitlyn cuddling into her chest while wrapping her arms around her mom as tight as she possibly could, Gabby able to sense how badly her little girl needed the comfort. And she was more than willing to give it to her, Dawson cradling her head gently as she heard a soft sniffle come from the young girl.

"It's okay, sweetheart, everything's okay… Mommy's here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Severide rolled out his neck as he sat at the table in the common room, his muscles already tight from just the first call of the day as it had been a long one, 51 away from the house for what ended up being nearly three hours. They had been called away to a car accident, a pretty brutal one from the looks of it when they pulled up, but they had no idea just how awful it truly was until they got in the thick of it. There were four cars involved, all of which were crushed to some degree or another, holding multiple people. And, despite their best efforts, they weren't able to save everyone.

Some were gone before they got there, others died while they tried to save them, then there were the few they'd managed to get out alive and to the hospital. What happened to them after, Severide wasn't sure, but they got them there, and that's all they could do.

But while they were there, doing all they could for the victims, Kelly couldn't help but wish that any other house had been brought in to help, as a call like that was the last thing he wanted Casey to have to work through. Especially for it being his first call back. It was on Severide's mind the second they got the call, as well as the entire drive there, and that worry only continued when they got there and saw the extent of the damage.

He knew Matt was a professional, that he could compartmentalize and handle these types of situations better than most. But after what he went through with Dawson, Severide couldn't help but wish they hadn't gotten this call. That Casey didn't have to work through something like this.

And that feeling only got worse when Casey froze the second they got there.

It was quick, quick enough to where Kelly wasn't even sure if anyone else noticed it. But he did.

As soon as they arrived and recognized what had happened, Matt froze, and it took a few seconds for him to really snap out of it. In fact if not for Kelly calling his name, he wasn't sure how long Casey would've been standing there, almost debilitatingly frozen, like he couldn't move even if he wanted to.

It lasted all of a few seconds, but to Severide it felt like an eternity, Kelly unsure of the last time he'd seen Casey that unsure. And even once he snapped out of it, and put up that facade for everyone around him, that didn't stop Severide from keeping an eye on him throughout the entire call, just in case it happened again.

Though from what he could tell, it hadn't, at least not during the chaos. Matt was able to slide back into his role, seamlessly, and help the victims as much as he could. In some ways, it felt like he hadn't missed any time at all, the Captain able to communicate orders and do what needed to be done while out there. But when it was all said and done, when they had finally gotten the last victim out and into an ambulance, Severide noticed it again. There was a look in Matt's eye, an almost lifeless one, like he wasn't even there.

And it had been on Kelly's mind ever since they got back to the firehouse, the Lieutenant feeling nothing but worry for his friend as he wasn't entirely sure what had happened out there. But whatever it was, it wasn't good, as Severide was beginning to think Casey wasn't as ready for this as he led on.

"There they are."

Severide looked up when he heard the door open, just as Jemma, the floater covering for Dawson, and Kidd walked back into the firehouse, the first responders having just come back from med after dropping off the last victim, who had admittedly been the worse off of the bunch. And because of the severity of their injuries, Kelly knew Casey had sent Stella along to help, as Severide wasn't sure how much the Captain trusted the skill level of the paramedic working alongside Norris.

"Hey guys." Kidd greeted, Kelly seeing Matt glance up from his newspaper once he realized they were back.

"How'd the drop off go?"

"It went well… Hopefully the guy makes it, but he was stable when we got him there." Norris replied, her words earning a few nods from around the room before Herrmann spoke up.

"Well, that sure as hell was some first call." He breathed out, Jemma's eyes flashing towards Casey before she nodded, Severide not missing the uncertainty in her gaze. And if he had to guess, he'd say Jemma was thinking about the same thing Matt was, as the scene of Gabby's accident had been a hard thing for all of them. And this call being so eerily similar didn't help matters.

"Yeah, it was." She agreed, shoving her hands into her pockets. "It was pretty crazy."

"But you handled it like a champ." He encouraged, his words bringing a small smile to her face. "You really are a great paramedic, kid." The older man added, Jemma shrugging slightly before she looked Casey's way again. But this time he was watching her too, her friend giving a supportive, agreeing nod before she dropped her head slightly.

"I don't know about all that."

"Oh, don't give me that, you are. And hell, we all knew that already, but seeing it firsthand is something else. You're really good… Like a mini-Dawson."

Jemma raised her eyebrows slightly, everyone in the room watching their interaction as her head tilted to the side. "Yeah, I don't think I'd go that far." She replied with a laugh, but Herrmann immediately shook his head.

"I would, because you are."

"He's right, Jemma." Casey added, the two sharing a soft smile as others in the room nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you remind me a lot of Dawson, just not nearly as much attitude." Kidd joked as she passed her, the firefighter bumping her hip gently as her words earned a few laughs.

"Ain't that the truth." Herrmann breathed out, Severide noticing Matt shake his head slightly before he went back to his newspaper.

"So things at med went okay?" Cruz asked, breaking Kelly from his thoughts just as Norris spoke up.

"Yeah, they were fine." Jemma answered, Kidd nodding in agreement.

"Everything went well, and I actually stopped by and saw Brett while they were restocking the rig." She added, her words regaining the attention of the room. Though Kelly's focus was more so on Casey, the Lieutenant not missing how Matt tensed at the mention of their former paramedic.

"Yeah? How is she?"

"She's alright, she said she was having a pretty good day, today… I guess she's been talking with her doctors about getting transferred to another hospital, or facility, I'm not sure."

"Why?" Otis questioned before anyone else could as Stella came to a stop by the counter, the woman turning to face the room before she answered him.

"To be closer to her parents." She replied, looks of realization covering a few of their faces. "Since she's got a long road ahead, and they don't know what her outcome looks like, I guess her and the doctors had a pretty serious conversation about her best case scenarios, and she decided to go home… At least for now."

A heavy feeling settled in the air around them, it never getting easier to be reminded of just how much damage had been done to their paramedics. But that feeling was worse for some than others, as Matt started to fidget more and more in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with what was being talked about.

And the more they spoke of her, the more Matt couldn't help but think of his wife, and how hard this all had been, his leg shaking almost violently up and down as he tried to stay seated.

"But yeah, she's doing alright, considering… Seemed ready for a change of scenery, at least."

"Can't blame her, she's been stuck in that hospital for a month."

"Yeah, it hasn't been easy, but-"

Kidd's words were cut off by Casey abruptly standing up from his seat, the sound of the chair moving across the title gaining the attention of the entire room as Matt pushed his chair back and headed towards the closest exit, leaving a stunned group of firefighters behind in the common room.

No one said anything for a moment or two, a few of the first responders sharing uncertain looks, while Kelly kept his focus on the door Casey had just gone through, the room now eerily quiet, until Herrmann finally decided to speak up.

"Do we, uh… do we know that's about?" He questioned, though his words were more directed towards a few individuals as opposed to the entire room, Herrmann's eyes moving between Jemma and Severide as he knew they would know more than anyone else. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine." Severide answered before he could really think about a true response, Jemma breathing in deeply before she nodded. "I, um- think it's just the accident stuff…" He continued carefully after a moment, his words trailing off as he glanced back to the exit, Severide missing the concerned looks he was getting from their friends. "...He doesn't like talking about it, because of what happened to Gabby."

"Ah." Herrmann breathed out, shaking his head sadly. "I didn't realize."

"Yeah, it's been a lot… But he's okay."

"You sure?" Herrmann pressed, all eyes in the room on Severide while his face stayed stoic.

"I'm sure." He replied, even though he was the farthest thing from it.

But his words were enough for Herrmann as the older firefighter gave him a nod before turning away from him, everyone else slowly looking away from Severide as well as they went back to what they were doing. But there was one person who was still watching him, Kelly feeling her eyes on him immediately as he glanced over to find Jemma watching him, the worried look in her gaze surely mimicked by him as they were both concerned for their friend.

Though they said nothing about it, the two coming to a silent agreement in that moment to keep an eye on Casey for the rest of shift, and hope that him freezing out of the call, and him needing a few moments to himself was the worst it got throughout the rest of the day.

But they both had a feeling it wouldn't be.