Hello there everyone! I've got the next chapter here for you all, and in this one we're gonna see Matt and Gabby's first day back at work and how that goes for everyone. I hope you enjoy it, and I'll see you next time.


ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT


Dawson drew in a deep breath as she stood in their bathroom, the sound of the shower running behind her really the only other noise to be heard while she looked at herself in the mirror. The glass was a little foggy from the steam of Matt's shower, but not enough to hinder her view.

So far she was only dressed in her bra and a pair of jeans, Gabby opting to change at the station as her eyes continued moving over the woman in front of her, like she was trying to remind herself what days like this felt like. The routine she and her husband had each morning before their shift at 51, and the ease they'd have with one another while getting ready for work, it was all coming back to her.

And there was no better time for it, as today marked her and Matt's first day back at the firehouse since the shooting.

Which, admittedly, felt a little weird.

She was excited, there was no denying that. Gabby truly was looking forward to getting back to the firehouse and being with all her friends, as it had been a long six weeks since stepping foot into the station. But there was also a hint of nervousness in her belly, one that had been there for a couple days now, and probably would be lingering there for a while. Because this wasn't just her returning back to work after taking some time off.

This was her going back after getting shot, on the job. It was going back after her and Matt both were shot, where her husband could've died trying to save her. And those weren't the easiest feelings to navigate through, certainly not when they'd be returning to the place that almost took them from each other.

But she was trying not to let herself think about it for too long, Gabby instead doing her best to put all her doubts aside and focus on the positives, like she had been throughout her entire recovery. Even if that unsure feeling in the pit of her stomach got a little deeper every time her eyes found that scar on her shoulder.

The sound of the shower door opening abruptly pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby's body jumping slightly as she hadn't expected the noise before she looked back through the mirror, where her husband just stepped out onto their bathmat. He hadn't noticed her stares quite yet while he toweled himself off, Matt making sure he was as dry as possible before tying the towel around his waist and continuing towards the counter. Though his steps slowed when he saw her watching him, a gentle smile appearing over his lips while he kept on in his path.

"Hey beautiful." He greeted, letting his hand run along her bare side as he passed her, before coming to a stop in front of the sink.

"Hi." She replied with a similar smile, noticing his eyes stay on her for a few more seconds before he started going through the next steps of his morning routine.

"Did you get some breakfast?" He asked while wetting his toothbrush, both of them recalling their earlier conversation back in the bedroom before they started getting ready.

"I did, yeah… I didn't finish all my oatmeal, though. I left it out in case you want it." She offered, his smile widening before he started brushing his teeth.

"Ah yes," He spoke, his words muffled by the toothbrush in his mouth. Though Gabby still understood him. "Cold oatmeal is exactly what I wanted for breakfast."

She rolled her eyes at his teasing words, Gabby reaching out to shove his arm lightly before she moved on with her own tasks, the process being slowed down by her wandering thoughts earlier.

The couple continued to get ready in a comfortable quiet, the sense of familiarity helping to ease more of her nerves as she thought back to the countless mornings spent like this, Gabby just finishing up her light makeup as Matt washed off his face and took a step back.

"...You ready for today?" He posed, Matt asking the question that had no doubt been on his mind since they woke up this morning, Gabby glancing back his way before giving him a small, assuring nod. "Good." He replied, smiling back at her before leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to the back of her head. "I'm gonna get dressed, then we can head out."

"Alright." She murmured, Matt giving her one last kiss before walking out into their bedroom, leaving Gabby alone with her thoughts once more.


Heavy snow beat down on the windshield while Matt and Gabby sat in his truck outside the station, the latter's eyes plastered on the building that was like a second home to them while clasping her hands together in her lap.

They had been here for a couple minutes- though they hadn't made any moves to get out yet, Casey waiting patiently for Gabby to let him know when she was ready as he knew how big of a step today was for her. And he really didn't want to rush her if he could help it, Matt opting to just keep a close eye on her and let her have a bit more time.

But when five minutes passed of them doing nothing but sitting in silence, he decided to give her a little prompting, Matt letting out a soft breath before he reached out for her conjoined hands that were resting over her legs, the man tapping gently against her wedding ring to gain her attention.

"Hmm?" She hummed while turning to face him, finding a soft, yet somewhat hesitant smile waiting for her.

"I, uh.. just wasn't sure if we were gonna spend our entire shift sitting in here." He spoke lightly, figuring that the best place to start as Gabby responded with a soft chuckle, before slowly shaking her head. "Although I'm not opposed to the idea."

"Very funny." She deadpanned, while focusing on the feeling of his finger rubbing along the outside of her wedding band. "But no, we're not gonna stay here. We can head in… I was just thinking, I lost track of time." Gabby spoke vaguely, though Matt nodded regardless.

"About?" He pressed, watching as she began to gnaw on her bottom lip before shrugging.

"Being back here." She started with a quiet sigh, his silent nod helping her to continue. "And everything that happened before, with the shooting and being in the hospital… Or what I remember from. I'm just thinking about all of it, I guess." Gabby told him, her honest words causing him to frown before his eyes flickered back over towards the snow covered building. "It feels strange to be here after all this time, is all. But I'm fine."

She could see the uncertainty in his gaze while he looked between her and the firehouse, before he slowly started to shake his head.

"We can go home." He offered, her eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly in response. "I can call Boden and tell him we're not ready, and we can try again another time."

"Matt…"

"I'm serious, we can leave right now if you need to. I know this isn't easy for you, and it sure as hell isn't easy for me, either." He reminded her, seeing her eyes fall closed before she took in a steadying breath. "We haven't really talked about this since the hospital, not as much as we should've. We were just so focused on recovering, but being mentally and emotionally ready to be back here is just as important as being physically ready… And if you're not, we should go home."

She stayed quiet for a few long seconds while snow continued to fall around them, her chest rising and falling with each breath she took as Matt's truthful words washed over her.

He was right, Gabby wouldn't even try to deny that. Because what happened to the both of them was horrible. It was traumatic, and awful, and something she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. And he was also right in saying they hadn't really talked about it as much as they could've, as once the initial shock wore off they both just wanted to move on from it.

But all of that didn't mean she wasn't ready to be here now. No matter how difficult it might be to take those first steps back into the building, or get into the rig for the first time, that didn't change how she felt okay to be back at work.

She just had to get past her nerves first.

"This is completely up to you, baby." He told her one last time, Gabby's lips pursing together before she slowly looked back towards him, seeing his genuine love and concern shining through everything else.

"I'm okay, Matt." She promised after a prolonged second, his eyes studying her for a few moments before he nodded. "I really am… You're right, this isn't easy. For either of us, but even if it's hard I still feel ready to be here. As long as you are."

It was Casey's turn to take in a deep breath, the firefighter holding onto her hand a little tighter while starting to slowly nod.

"If you're okay, I'm okay." He repeated what had become their mantra of sorts throughout this entire nightmare, prompting Gabby to nod back at him as a small smile filled her features, before she leaned across the bench seat to give him a quick, yet loving kiss.

"We should probably head in." She spoke against his lips, Matt agreeing with another kiss before they let themselves pull apart.

Without needing to say another word, Matt killed the engine and grabbed his keys while Gabby started getting out of the truck, the snowfall pushing them to move a bit quicker than usual as they were desperate to get out of the weather. Once they knew his truck was locked and had both bags hanging off Matt's shoulder, they clasped their hands together and began to make their way up the slippery driveway.

Casey kept his head to the ground in an effort to keep them clear of any ice patches, Gabby content to follow his lead while he directed them in the safest path towards the firehouse. And soon enough, they were securely in the garage, the couple kicking the excess snow and ice off their boots while also brushing it off each other.

"Yeah, I definitely didn't miss that." He huffed out, Gabby fighting back her smile as he adjusted the beanie sitting on top of his head. "The snow is much nicer when we're at home."

"You're not wrong there." She murmured, pushing the last bit of snow off his shoulder before he returned their bags up over his arm, Matt making sure to keep them on the side opposite her so she could be closer to him.

"Alright, I think we've got as much off as we can." He said with a sigh, regaining the hold on her hand before they slowly continued further into the garage.

"And that's why I waited to change until we got here." She replied with a grin, Matt shooting her a knowing smirk before a deep chuckle left the back of his throat.

"Well, you've always been smarter than me." He played along, the two sharing another laugh while they kept on in the familiar path.

But as they walked past the ambulance, he noticed her steps starting to slow down just a bit, Matt glancing over to see her gaze focused intensely on her rig until she came to a stop completely.

He wasn't entirely sure of what was going through her mind, but he had a pretty good idea that it might've had something to do with the fact that the last time she was in an ambulance, she nearly died. The only saving grace of that situation being that not only was she not awake to remember it, but thankfully it hadn't been their rig she was in.

Though at this moment, that probably didn't make her feel any better.

Stroking his thumb along her knuckles he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, the pressure pulling her from her thoughts and getting her to look back at him, where the look in his eyes were saying more than his words ever could, Matt needing that last bit of assurance that she truly was ready for this.

And he soon got it in the form of a nod before she took another step closer to the door. "Let's go." She replied, Matt mimicking her nod and following in step beside her while they made their way to the double doors leading into the firehouse.

There were no one else out in the garage right now, and given the low temperatures outside that wasn't unusual. But what they hadn't expected is when they finally got into the warmth of the firehouse, they were met by nothing but an empty common room.

The television was on and a few of the chairs were pulled out, while plates from breakfast sat unoccupied on the table, but no one was here. And that in and of itself would've been odd on any normal day. But for their first shift back in over six weeks, it certainly felt strange.

"Where is everyone?" Gabby murmured, glancing around as her and Matt stepped into the common room for the first time in a long time.

"I have no idea." He said while he took in the half eaten food around them, with some leftovers on the counter. "But it looks like everyone had breakfast early… All the rigs are here, so they've gotta be around somewhere."

Gabby nodded before the pair walked towards the conference room, thinking maybe they'd all just gone for their morning briefings a little early as they approached the door, Matt pulling it open and letting her go through first.

"Welcome back!"

The chorus of loud greetings took them both by surprise, Gabby's hand coming up slightly while Matt smiled brightly at the sight in front of them, as all of their friends stood around in a big circle inside the room.

"Welcome Caseys!" Cruz shouted over everyone, Dawson shaking her head a bit while her and Matt took a few more steps inside.

"We've missed you!"

"Yeah, you guys have enough time off?"

"Try not to miss so much next time."

The teasing welcomes caused them both to laugh, the light feeling in the air easing to them both as Shay was the first one to come greet them personally.

"My partner is finally back." She spoke dramatically, Gabby letting out a soft chuckle before wrapping her up in a hug.

"Yes, I'm finally back." She playfully mocked her, holding onto Shay tightly until the two separated. Though the blonde never went far as she kept her arm around Gabby's shoulders.

"I'm back too, Shay." Matt prompted, Shay huffing out a breath before bringing her other arm up around Gabby.

"I don't care so much about that." She replied, earning laughs from around the room. "I feel like I've seen you plenty."

"You've seen us the same amount." Gabby countered as Severide came up to them and gave Matt a quick hug.

"Doesn't feel like it." Shay answered, holding onto her a little tighter before Herrmann made his way over.

"Alright, alright Shay. You've got to let everyone else have a turn." Herrmann chastised, waiting for Shay to take a few steps back before he brought Dawson into his arms. "Welcome back, kid." He greeted, the warmth of his embrace causing Gabby to smile as she held on a little tighter. "We've missed you around here."

"I've missed you, too." She spoke softly, feeling him rub over her back before they pulled apart.

"How's the shoulder?" He asked, looking between her and her arm.

"It's doing better." She promised, Herrmann offering her a grateful smile before he nodded.

"Good, that's good to hear." He told her, the older man then moving towards Casey while the rest of the house came up to welcome them back.

It took a while to get through everyone as they all wanted individual time with their friends, that some of them hadn't seen in a very long time, but soon enough everyone had come to welcome Casey and Dawson back to the firehouse, Boden being the last to go up to them.

"Welcome back, you two." He spoke easily, bringing them both in for a hug while the rest of the house formed a circle around them. "It sure is nice to see you here."

"It definitely is." Otis echoed.

"We're glad to be back, too." Gabby replied, as their boss stepped away.

"Boden said you two were gonna need to take it easy for a bit?" Herrmann spoke while the Chief came to stand beside him.

"Just until we get our feet back under us." Casey explained, earning a few knowing nods from their friends. "Hopefully it won't take too long."

"But you are healed up and everything?" Mouch pushed, Gabby not missing Herrmann's watchful eyes fall over to her. Like he needed to know she had told him the truth moments earlier. "You're not back too soon?"

Casey and Dawson shared a quick look, their conversation out in the truck coming to the forefront of their minds for a split second before Gabby started to shake her head.

"We're good." She assured them, seeing the entire room relax at her words. And, if she had to guess, she figured Matt took a little bit of comfort in them as well. "We've gotten the all clear, we're ready to be back at work."

"Good." Mouch replied, the two sharing a small smile before Boden cleared his throat.

"Alright, well. What do you all say about getting to our morning briefings? Then you can go back to your breakfast." Their Chief suggested, a few around the room nodding as Boden headed up to the whiteboard. "Okay, let's get started… Obviously, our first order of business this morning was welcoming back Dawson and Casey-"

Boden's words were cut off by a couple more cheers from around the room, Casey biting back his chuckle while instinctively reaching down for Gabby's hand, which she gave willingly.

"Yes, yes it's all very exciting. But now that the fun is over, there is one thing I want to mention. As I'm sure you all have seen on the schedule, we're set to work on Christmas this year." He reminded them, earning a few lighthearted groans from around the room.

Everyone knew it was coming, and understood it was a part of the job. But they still didn't love to give up their holiday, especially those with families.

"I know," Boden started again, holding his hand up in the air. "But it's our year, so plan accordingly." He finished, prompting a few more sounds of dismay from the first responders.

"Understood, Chief." Casey cut in, his tone causing the rest of the room to quiet down as the two men nodded at one another.

But before Boden could get another word in, the bells rang out above them, the entire room growing quiet while they listened to Truck, Squad, and Engine being called out to a structure fire. A few more displeased sounds came from the firefighters, this time for a different reason as they began to file out of the room.

"Guess it's gonna be one of those days, man." Severide spoke, clasping Casey on the shoulder before walking out passed him.

"Well it definitely will be now that he just jinxed it." Shay added on, Matt rolling his eyes before turning his full attention to Gabby, who was already holding out her hand to take their shift bags from him.

"I'll put yours in your locker." She said, earning a nod from him as he slid their belongings down off his shoulder.

"Guess it's a good thing that I already changed, huh?" He teased, repeating her earlier shot at him while Gabby merely huffed out an amused breath.

"Uh huh… How about you get to work, Lieutenant." She prompted, knowing that almost the entire room had already cleared out.

"I am." He told her, Matt flashing her that signature grin before leaning forward to press a kiss to her head.

"And be safe out there." She requested as he pulled back, the light tone to her voice entirely gone as their eyes locked on one another, Matt knowing now wasn't the time for jokes anymore as they both knew how big of a step this was.

"I will, I promise." He replied, Gabby giving him a small smile before he hurried out the door with the rest of his coworkers, leaving Dawson alone with just Shay and Boden.

"Well, I suppose that cuts our morning briefing short." The Chief said, Shay glancing back at him with an easy grin while Gabby nodded. "You two are free to go… And again, welcome back, Dawson." He told her, coming over to give her one more quick hug before he headed for the exit.

"Thanks Chief…" She replied, before looking towards Shay who had an eager look over her face. "It's great to be back."


Shay had her hands in her pockets while she walked through the quiet hallways of 51, the paramedic moving aimlessly through the firehouse as she went in search of her partner. It had been a few minutes since they all dispersed from the conference room, and after Shay decided she didn't necessarily want to eat cold breakfast food she started walking around looking for Dawson. And after a few minutes, she found her, Shay coming around the corner into the locker room to see Gabby standing in front of her locker.

Dawson hadn't noticed her presence, Gabby in the process of changing for shift as she stood there in her shift pants and her bra, with her long-sleeve PIC shirt in her hands.

"Not even back for half an hour, and you're already trying to get a free show." Gabby spoke while continuing to face her locker, Shay smirking before she stepped further into the room.

"Yeah, well can you blame me? Figured I had to take my chance while Casey was gone." She joked, the two sharing a laugh while Shay walked towards her, leaning her weight against a few of the closed lockers. "So… Now that we're away from the prying ears of- well, everyone." Shay started, Gabby giving her a knowing look while she pulled apart the shirt in her hands. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright." She responded with a shrug, earning a pointed look from Shay. "What? I wasn't lying out there."

Shay drew in a slow breath while she nodded, fully intent on pressing her for more. But that impulse went away when the paramedic caught sight of the noticeable scar covering her shoulder, a deep wince appearing over her features before she spoke up.

"...Does it still hurt?"

Gabby looked up at the question, only to find Shay staring at her shoulder, the PIC feeling a sudden wave of vulnerability before she pulled her shirt over her head and let it fall to place on her body.

"Not that much." Dawson replied with a sigh, prompting Shay to meet her eyes again. "There's some phantom pains here and there. Like when I think about what happened, it'll start to hurt. But as for the day to day, it doesn't hurt me so much anymore." She explained to her, seeing a gentle smile coming from her friend in response.

"That's good, Dawson… I'm glad." She told her, Gabby getting the sense that Shay decided to back off of the conversation. At least for now.

And Dawson was grateful for that.

"Yeah, me too." She agreed while beginning to tuck in her shirt. "So, what all happened when I was gone? How were things here without me?" She shifted the subject, Shay immediately joining in as she brought her hand up to her chest.

"Terrible." She replied dryly, Gabby unable to stop her smile from widening as she adjusted her belt.

"Terrible, huh?"

"Just the worst." Shay continued on dramatically, seeing Dawson roll her eyes before she kept on. "No, but really, it wasn't too bad… The house felt weird, especially when I first got back. It was rough to be back here after what happened," She confided, Gabby looking towards her with a soft frown as she knew of Shay's struggles ever since the shooting. "It took some time for me to really get going again, and feeling up for work. But once they assigned Willis to 61, that helped. It settled things down a bit.. I told you about her, right?"

"Natalie, yeah. She did well?"

"She did, she was really sweet." Shay replied with a soft grin. "She's no Dawson, but she was good." She elaborated, Gabby shaking her head a bit before closing up her locker. "But now you, and lover boy, are back, and all is right with the world." She finished, Gabby letting out a small laugh as she stepped away from her locker.

"Yeah, yeah… Lover boy and I feel the same way." Dawson agreed, Shay chuckling in amusement before she followed Gabby out of the locker room and back towards the kitchen.


"Why is there nothing on TV right now?" Tony groaned while he sat on the couch in the common room, Capp then ripping the remote from his hands before changing the channel.

"Just put the news on." He snapped back.

"Would you two quit bickering?" Severide called from the circular table behind them, both men gesturing back his way while Kelly remained unbothered, reading his newspaper.

"Yeah, this weather really needs to calm down… I can't handle the Squad guys being in here for too long." Shay spoke to herself, and Dawson, as the paramedics sat at the head of the long table against the wall, Gabby biting back a smile while she continued reading her book. "Plus when Truck gets back and Mouch sees them in his seat, he's gonna go ballistic."

"Oh, definitely." Gabby agreed, marking her page before looking up. "But it'll be entertaining."

"Fair enough." Shay replied before picking up her water and taking a sip. "Maybe we'll finally get called out again, just to save us from this misery." She huffed, Gabby shaking her head side to side before looking out towards the men around the room.

Shay did have a point, that Ambulance 61 hadn't gone out on many calls today. Only a couple here and there. And the calls they had been on were rather simple, just your standard transports to the hospital that didn't take very long. And while it was clearly boring Shay to no end, Gabby found it rather comforting, as it had helped her get reacclimated here at the station, the PIC feeling more and more confident in herself with each call.

These frequent minor calls weren't necessarily what they were used to, but right now they were a godsend. Even if it meant they were in the house more than normal.

"Do we really have to watch the news? Don't we see enough of this stuff everyday?" Tony complained from the couch, Gabby focusing on him and Capp while they continued to fight over the remote.

"It's better than whatever infomercial you're gonna put on." Capp huffed, Shay scoffing in amusement while Gabby let out another laugh, before looking back down towards her book.

But she only got a few paragraphs in before a few words on the television caught her attention, Gabby's entire body tightening while the reporter spoke.

"Unfortunately, we all remember the tragic shooting at our recreational center a few weeks ago, as it has left a permanent mark on our community." The woman on the news said, Gabby's head slowly lifting up and looking over towards the TV, just like everyone else in the room as her coworkers all went silent.

Because right there on the screen was a photo of who she assumed to be the gunman, her heart rate slowly starting to pick up in her chest while she stared at him.

She didn't remember him looking like that. For some reason, her mind pictured him differently, even though she never got the best look while he was firing at them. But seeing him now up on that screen, it was like being right back in that hallway, Gabby swallowing thickly when she felt a few pairs of eyes in the room fall on her.

"And with the final victim count coming to sixteen, this is a day we will never forget."

Her throat felt like it was closing up as all of this new information hit her at once, the first responders watching not helping anything as Gabby's leg began to shake frantically underneath the table.

Sixteen.

There were sixteen people that died that day.

And she didn't.

"Gabby." Shay whispered, but Dawson barely heard her. Or registered when Shay reached out to place a hand over her arm.

"But despite all the tragedy that has happened in the past weeks, I am glad to announce that the recreational center will be reopening at the end of this week. With all its classes and programs coming back, along with their scheduled activities for Christmas… As well as a new memorial outside the center, to commemorate the lives lost that day. And they're encouraging everyone to come."

Gabby felt her blood pumping through her ears, her eyes unable to look away from the television as they showed the photos of the sixteen innocent victims who were killed inside that building, the pressure against her chest building as she knew that so easily could've been her. And Matt.

"Capp, turn the TV off." Shay spoke quickly, the man glancing back towards them before a look of regret covered his features. But Gabby wasn't even watching him.

"Oh, shit- Dawson, I'm sorry." He said before reaching for the remote, though he fumbled it.

"Capp! Turn it off." Severide shouted from behind him, the man quickly grabbing the remote and hitting the power button, prompting the blank screen.

A heavy silence fell over the room, all of Squad looking at Dawson while Shay continued to rub over her arm, Gabby not sensing any of it as she continued looking at the now empty screen.

"Gabby…" Shay tried again, her voice combined with the gentle squeeze she gave her arm pulling Dawson from her deep thoughts.

Her breathing was a bit heavy, and that only got worse when she noticed everyone staring at her, heat rushing through her entire body as it became clear everyone was waiting for her to say or do anything.

"Honey." Shay spoke, Gabby blinking a bit before finally glancing towards her, Leslie not missing the almost lifeless look in her eyes. "...Are you okay?"

Ignoring the tightness in her chest, Gabby nodded before she really even had a chance to think over the question. "Yeah, yeah.." She replied, clearing her throat as she pushed her chair back. "I'm fine."

"Dawson-" Shay stopped herself when Gabby got up, the group's eyes on her only making her more nervous as she suddenly felt the strong desire to be anywhere else aside from this room right now.

"I'm okay, I'm just.. I'm gonna go lay down for a bit." She rushed out before heading towards the door without another word, leaving behind everyone in the room who were so clearly worried about her.

"What the hell were you thinking, Capp?"

Gabby heard Severide's angry voice when she left, but she tuned out the rest after that as she walked down the hallway and to the bunkroom, going to the one place she knew she'd find solace in right now. And that was Matt's office.

If she couldn't go to him, this was the next best thing, Gabby quietly stepping into his office and closing the door behind her. She wasted no time in pulling all the blinds, on both the interior and exterior windows, before going to his bunk and sitting down.

Her breaths were still heavy while she stared at the wall, Gabby shaking her head roughly back and forth, like she was trying to will the bad thoughts from her mind before she reached down to untie her boots and slide them off, Dawson then grabbing one of his Lieutenant's jackets off the end of the bedframe and lying down.

She curled herself up on the edge of the mattress, throwing the jacket over her while her eyes stayed focused on the wall, Gabby doing all she could to push every single thought of that awful day from her mind.


Casey followed his men through the garage as they headed for the double doors, all of them looking forward to getting out of this cold and into the warmth of the firehouse now that they were done with their latest call.

It hadn't been anything too bad, just a standard car accident that luckily had no fatalities. It was just the clean up that had taken them awhile, especially in this weather. But now that they were done and back at the house, Casey wasn't focusing so much on the call itself, but instead on how he felt afterwards.

And, from what he could tell, he felt great.

He'd been out on a few different calls today, all of them demanding different things from him as a firefighter. But one commonality between them was that each time, he'd felt good by the time they got back to the firehouse.

There was some lingering fatigue, which was normal after all his time off, but his leg felt good. It felt sturdy, with no residual pains even with all the movement and pressure he was putting on his limbs. His leg was holding up well to anything he needed to do, proving that he could trust it and himself. And that was a great feeling. One he hoped would continue throughout the rest of shift.

"I was wondering when you guys were gonna get back." Tony called as Truck filtered in.

"And I'm wondering when you're gonna get the hell out of my seat." Mouch replied back, both Squad men chuckling before they pushed themselves up and headed for the table, the other members of truck walking in around them as Casey stood back by the entrance.

"How was the call?" Cruz questioned from his seat beside Shay, while Matt looked around the room in search of his wife. But he couldn't find her anywhere.

"Nothing too bad, just a lot of snow to work through." Otis explained, earning nods from the other men as Casey took a slight step inside.

"Hey, you guys know where Dawson is?" Matt asked while he rubbed his hand along the back of his neck, looking between a few of the first responders that had been here before they got back. But when he saw the way Capp's eyes moved to the ground, and the unsure look Shay gave Severide, Matt could tell something was going on. He just didn't know what. "...What is it?" He pushed, impatience evident in his tone.

Which, considering this was about Gabby, no one was surprised.

No one said a word but Severide nodded him over towards the table, Matt drawing in a slow breath before he walked that way.

"What happened?" Casey asked, his nerves rising by the second as he got to his friend.

"It's nothing, maybe- I don't know… But a while ago Capp was watching the news, and the recreational center came up." He began to explain, seeing the way Casey's jaw tightened in response. "They talked about the victims, and the gunman… It seemed to shake her a little bit, and she left pretty quickly after that."

"Where is she?" Matt asked roughly, shooting daggers in Capp's direction as he sat next to Kelly.

"I think in your office."

Severide barely finished his sentence before Matt headed that way, Casey cutting through the conference room knowing it would get him there quicker.

Seconds later he found himself in the bunk room, his eyes immediately going towards his office where he saw all his blinds drawn and the door shut, that alone telling him that Severide was right. After steadying himself for a quick moment Matt took long strides in that direction, not even pausing when he got to the door before slowly pushing it open and finding Gabby fast asleep in his bunk.

His face softened as he took her in, Matt forcing himself to draw in another slow breath before he stepped into his office and quietly closed the door behind him, not wanting to risk any outside noise disturbing her sleep while he continued to look over her.

Her boots were sitting on the ground next to his bunk, her jacket thrown over the back of his desk chair while his own Lieutenant's coat was resting over her body in an effort to keep her warm. And despite what caused her to come here, she looked comfortable enough while she slept huddled on the edge of the mattress.

Casey wasn't sure what to do, if he should continue to let her sleep or try to talk to her about what happened. If she'd even want to talk about it right now, Matt knowing he'd never make her. But while he stood here watching her rest, regardless of how much would be said he didn't want her thinking she was still here alone, Matt letting out a soft sigh before he made the decision to join her in his bed.

Matt reached down to take off his boots, leaving them at the foot of the bed while he walked around to the wall, Casey then shedding off his own jacket and placing it on the end of the bunk before he climbed into bed behind her.

Gabby didn't wake up to him at first, not until he slid his hand underneath the jacket covering her and moved his hand around to her stomach, gently pulling her back to him. That movement was enough for her to register, Gabby startling a bit as she hadn't been expecting him.

"It's just me." He whispered, Gabby relaxing instantly underneath his touch before pushing back into him, wanting to be as close to him as possible while she felt his hand rubbing up and down over her stomach. The action was already calming to her as she moved her hand to rest over the top of his, his warmth helping to ease some of the overwhelming ache in her gut.

Stroking his thumb along her waist, Matt lifted himself up enough to place a kiss to the back of her shoulder before resting his head up next to hers.

"...Severide told me." He quietly said after a second, hearing her release a heavy sigh before she grabbed ahold of the back of his hand and lifted it up to cradle her upper chest, Gabby clearly needing him to hold her close. And that was something he'd never deny her.

"I'm okay." She eventually replied, Matt nodding as he began to rub over her sternum. "I am, I just wasn't expecting it. Seeing all those victims," Gabby told him, the pain in her voice hurting him to his core as he pulled her even closer. "I didn't know that many people had died."

Casey's eyes closed as he listened to her, needing a moment to steady himself before he murmured back at her. "I know."

He felt her nod, the rise of her chest underneath his hand shaky with every breath she took before he placed another kiss against her, hoping to help keep her calm in any way that he could.

"It was sixteen." She spoke after a long pause, Matt's eyes opening before his brows furrowed.

"What?" He questioned back, speaking as quietly as she was.

"He killed sixteen people."

That caused him to swallow hard, as the last he'd heard the death count was at thirteen. But that evidently wasn't true anymore, which meant the few people that had made it out alive, the ones that were in critical condition, had all died in the hospital. And that thought made him sick to his stomach.

"Were we the only ones who were shot and survived?"

Her question threw him at first, Matt not expecting it at all as he could hear her searching for an answer from him.

"I think we were." He told her, his elevated position behind her giving him the chance to see her jaw start to tremble just slightly after he spoke, the sight enough to break his heart. "Baby… Come here." He whispered before letting go of her just long enough to help her turn around to face him, Matt not even surprised by the few tears he saw hiding in her eyes.

He just hated that they were there.

Without needing any more prompting she wrapped her arms around him, her head digging into his chest while she clung to him, this new position helping ease all the painful thoughts in her mind as she focused on his rhythmic heartbeat beneath her ear. And his arms holding onto her for dear life helped too, as this right now with her husband was the only thing that could make her feel better. Even just a little bit.

"We're okay." He reminded her, feeling her body shake slightly beneath his touch while she blew out a slow breath. "We're okay, baby."

He kept murmuring those comforting words into her ear while they laid there together, everything else outside these walls beginning to fade away as Matt held onto her, both of them desperate to think about anything other than what happened to them six weeks ago. But it was nearly impossible.

There was no easy fix here, this wasn't something that would just disappear from their lives. What they saw, what happened to them was a terrible thing, and just because their physical scars had healed, that didn't mean they all had.

And if today reminded them of anything, it's that it might take some time before they do.