Hi! It took me longer than I wanted. Sorry, I was struggling to write something, sometimes I lack inspiration, that happens, and we don't know what is the next step. I want to be able writing more than 10 chapters, but I don't know if I can do it. Anyway, I have mapped out how this story is gonna end, yet it's not easy writing down, mainly because English is not my first language: / I appreciate who reads and writes your thoughts to me, it gives gas to keep writing.

Sorry for any mistakes, I hope to hear from you after you reading. Bye!

"Do you have a minute?" Casey was standing in the doorway of Severide's office. Squad 3 had had a busy morning, differently from Truck 81 which had just one call.

"Yes..." Severide put down his pen, he was filling out some reports. "Come in". Severide arranged some papers on the table before turned around on his chair to give attention to Casey.

Casey already had walked in and sat on the edge of the bunk bed.

"How long have you known Gabby is back?" Casey crossed his arms over his chest.

"Longer than you, for sure. Are you mad?" Severide narrowed his eyebrows at Casey, "You look ready to put a fight with me".

"You think? I mean... we are friends and as friends, you could have told me she was in town, she is my wi- ex-wife", Matt shrugged his shoulders as he ran his tongue over his lower lip.

"Interesting...", Severide shook his head slowly up and down, "... like you said she is your ex-wife, her life is not your business anymore, you made that pretty clear when you decided to date her best friend".

"Kelly, you don't have a say whom I should or not date", Casey stood up abruptly, "... you're going too far trying to act as Gabby's best friend", his voice sounded harsher than he wanted.

"Really, Matt? Why do I feel a little jealousy in your words?", Severide stood up as well and stepped forward. " Are you afraid that I fall in love with her? How would you feel if that happened?"

Matt's face went hard as he clenched his hands a few times and he stayed quiet, looking around trying to calm himself down.

"Gabby is a good friend of mine and Stella, we are just looking out for her. Shay is not here, so I stepped in, she would like her friend had someone by her side", Severide uttered without missing a beat.

Matt's eyes softened as he was listening to Severide.

"You had a chance to talk to Gabby what was happening and you didn't, so life had its way to let her know..." he pointed out.

"I- I think I screwed up our relationship when I decided to be a Chicago guy", Matt scrubbed his hands down his face. "Who says it to the love of your life?!" He said, speaking more to himself than to Severide. He chuckled leaving Severide a little confused. "For the second time I watched her go through that door..." his voice aggravated, "...just like that I've let her leave my life. I understand that she needed some time from Chicago... We weren't in the best terms of expanding our family... Yet, I wasn't the husband she needed... I failed her... Many times I repeated to her: I am on your side, I'm not leaving you, it's us against the world and in the end she slipped through my fingers", he made a gesture with his fingers, "... Now I have another woman in my life and I'm second-guessing myself-" Sev cut in.

"You have a lot in your plate", Severide put his hands in his pockets.

"Since I talked to Gabby I might have mixed feelings about getting involved with Brett, I feel I jumped in too soon". Severide's eyes widened for a second.

"You'll have to figure out what you want, whom you want in your life because you can't have both, Casey". Casey nodded as looking at the ground. "It's your second relationship with someone in the house if you two break up. Casey raised his head. "... How is it gonna be? Brett and Cruz continued to be friends... you see you two having the same kind of relationship? Brett seems clearly in love with you. Your heart is committed to her at the same level?"

"I-" the bells cut them off. They looked at each other, then both run out of the office.

One week later

"So Chief Hatcher called me this morning, so that's the reason I asked you to come here." Severide, Herrmann, and Stella were sat down listening to Boden. They didn't have any idea that what could be the matter as looking at Boden.

"They are having a ceremony to honor some firefighters and paramedics and Gabby is one of them", a large smile covering his face.

"Wow that is great, Chief!" Stella was the first to speak. "I want to be there!" she anticipated as she squeezed Severide's hand.

"She deserves it, more than anyone", Severide commented staring at Stella, who gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm proud of her, she went through a hard time,... but that didn't stop her, she chose to invest in people in need than in herself, not everyone is capable of that", Herrmann affirmed proudly.

"I agree and I think we should be there, I mean, I will because I'll be there to give her a medal, that was the request of Chief Hatcher".

"Stella and I have to make some adjustment for both of us being present", Herrman gazed at her to make his point, and she shook her head.

"Yeahhhh, we'll talk to Mouch and Platt, together we can come to some ideas".

"We could have dinner after the ceremony. What do you think?" Severide proposed.

"Yeah, it'd be great, but before I say yes I have to check a baby sitter for Terrance"..., he continued, "... because Donna is going with me", his hands locked together over the table.

"I'm all for food", Herrmann voiced with a grin on his face. "... and my Firehouse 51 family", he added.

"We all know that", Severide laughed at him.

"Cindy is going too, she loves Gabby, we'll be there for her, Chief. Count on us".

"The question is she'll want us there?" Stella wondered. "You know Gabby, she is all for others being the center of attention, but when it comes to her..." Stella trailed off.

"Maybe, she doesn't need to know we're gonna be there, let's wait if she will say anything..." Severide considered.

"Okay".

They all agreed to that.

"Two weeks from today, so be ready", Boden finished. Then they started to talk about other things.

Outside of Boden's office...

"Lindsey, Boden is having a meeting?" Casey asked Boden's secretary. He went there to get some copies of a book and noticed his door was closed and blinds shut. "Someone from headquarters?" He didn't want to pry, but it was something they were used to see lately, people from headquarters watching over Firehouse 51 closely.

"Oh, no" she replied as looking at her computer. "Herrmann, Severide, and Stella, but Chief asked not to let anyone get in". This time she looked at him.

"Oh, I get it", he gave her a tight smile. Normally he would be present with them. What could be the reason he wasn't. He asked himself. He restarted getting his copies, then a thought hit him: Gabby. She could be the subject of their meeting.

Two weeks later

"Hey, are you going to Molly's later?" they had finished the shift almost everyone had left.

"Oh, no, I have a compromise going tonight..." Severide was tightening the tie of his shoes, because of that, he wasn't looking directly at Casey, who was standing next to his locker, his bag hanging on his right shoulder.

"Something related to the Chicago Fire Department?" he asked observing Severide's movements.

Severide hesitated for a few seconds stopping what he was doing. He went back to tighten his shoes.

"Yeah, the academy will honor some firefighters... I'll support a friend of mine..."

"I get it...", Matt pressed his lips together, "... I heard Hermann talking to Mouch he was going to something like that last week... Then I saw an invitation to Boden on his table... He's probably going too..." Matt lifted his eyebrow waiting any kind of response from Severide.

Severide got up from the bench and went to his locker.

"Tell me, Sev. Gabby is the reason you all are going?" he crossed his arms.

Severide gazed at him briefly, then starting to close his locker.

"Yeah, we'll be there for her".

"... Stella told me to give her space and I've done that..." he said frustrated.

"Good, it's what she needs...", Severide turned to look at Casey. "... She is restarting her life again in Chicago, she struggled at the beginning but things look good now, she is happy and we want to keep her that way..."

"Not seeing me is the way of keeping her happy?"

Severide shrugged his shoulders. "Only her can say that". He wished he could take his words back.

Matt bit his lower lip as moving his eyes around, then he left. He was ready for a challenge.

Hours later

Gabby had received her medal, and Boden was a few feet behind her while she was saying some words to people gathered in that room.

"... my time in Puerto Rico has taught me so many things, mainly that there are people suffering, beyond words can describe, even then they are ready to restart again, just give them a chance and be there for them. Perhaps in the future, we can reunite more firefighters and paramedics to fight the good fight and built something extraordinary in the years to co-" she stopped suddenly, her eyes saw something familiar ahead of her. Her chest tightened. "-in the years to come and-" she choked out.

Stella and Severide stared at each other. The room was silent, waiting for Gabby to continue.

Herrmann turned his head to follow her gaze. "Oh, man..." he whispered.

"What is it?" Stella questioned him.

He turned his head back, "Casey is here". Severide and Kelly couldn't help themselves and took a look at Casey. Stella slightly rolled her eyes at him, Casey was oblivious to her.

From where Casey was he had a good view of the stage, of her. His hands were clasped together in from of him, like the other his was wearing his blue uniform, white ball hat on his head.

Gabby felt sweating and wiped her brow with the back of her hand, she needed to keep her focus on the people that, not him. Then she looked at her friends: Herrmann, Stella and Severide, they all smiled warmly at her, and she mustered a smile at them.

"Dawson?" Chief Boden whispered. The sound of her last name brought her back. She took a deep breath, "As-as I was saying..." she stuttered nervously, though she recovered quickly as shifting her weight on her feet.

After she finished her speech, everyone clapped their hands to her, a couple of seconds later she and Boden left the stage and slid back into their seats on the front row.

Gabby wondered why her friends hadn't mentioned that he was coming. She shifted uncomfortably.

"You'll be fine", Chief Boden murmured. She intended to say something but held back.

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