Hello everyone! Before we get started, I just want to take a moment to thank you all for the kind words you left me on the last chapter. Seriously, I feel so lucky to have such amazing people still invested in this story, and who take the time to leave me a review. Anyone who's reading this right now, it truly means a lot to me that you're still coming back to this story. You guys are the only reason we've gotten this far, and it makes me so happy to know you all are still enjoying it. Just thank you, for all the support you constantly give me. It makes it easier to keep this going.

I hope you all enjoy this one as well!

Chapter Sixty Nine

Gabby finished up cleaning the last of Sofia's bottles before placing them on the drying rack, the soapy water running down the drain as she wiped her hands off, listening to the sounds of her husband playing with their daughter in the living room.

"Oh, my girl, you're getting so strong." He spoke excitedly, a smile forming over her face as she moved towards the fridge, pulling out a bag of her breast milk, grabbing a new bottle for baby Sofia. Although she couldn't see what had Matt so excited, she knew their daughter was currently doing her tummy time, so she could only assume Sofia had been able to hold her head up for longer than normal. "Wow, look at you! You're gonna be rolling over in no time." His voice continued to flow into the kitchen as she warmed up the milk, Gabby unable to wipe the smile from her face.

When Sofia's bottle was at the correct temperature, Gabby began walking towards the living room, her steps picking up when she heard Sofia's sharp cry.

"Oh baby, baby, it's okay." Matt murmured, Gabby turning to the corner just in time to see Matt pick up their daughter as he sat on the ground, the firefighter cradling her to his chest. "It's okay."

"What happened?" Gabby asked, Matt glancing back to see her walking towards them, his eyes following her as she came to sit on the edge of the coffee table.

"Oh, she's fine… I think she just scared herself." He replied, biting back a chuckle as he bounced Sofia in his arms, Gabby raising her eyebrows in amusement. "She was doing tummy time, and she was doing great, by the way," He spoke proudly, Gabby shaking her head as she waited for the rest of the story. "She was holding her head up, but then I think she got tired, and her head smacked into mat… I don't think she hurt herself, just got spooked." He explained, Gabby giving him a nod as she glanced to Sofia, seeing her curled into her dad's chest, tears staining down her cheeks, but she'd already calmed down considerably. "Isn't that right, baby girl? You're fine, you just got a little scared, huh?" He asked softly, rubbing his finger over her stomach, Sofia smiling as she listened to her dad. "But you're okay, yeah you're okay, there's my happy girl." He continued rubbing her stomach, Sofia waving her arms excitedly.

Before Matt or Gabby said anything else, they both froze when they heard a giggle come from their daughter's lips, their eyes widening as they glanced at one another. A huge smile broke out on Gabby's face, Matt quickly following suit.

"Did she just laugh?" He asked in near disbelief, the sound like music to his ears as Gabby nodded, her eyes shining back at her husband.

"She did." She responded, her smile widening.

Although they had been hearing Sofia make unintelligible noises for awhile, that's all they'd been. Matt and Gabby had begun to understand what her different noises meant, whether she was tired, hungry, excited, etc., but they hadn't been anything more than babbling. This was the first time either of them had heard an actual laugh, and it was one of the best things they'd ever heard.

"Did you just laugh, Sof?" He asked, his voice an octave higher as he tickled her stomach again, the girl emitting yet another laugh. "Oh my God, you're getting so big… I can't believe it…" He breathed out, giving his daughter a kiss, Sofia smacking her hands against his face before he pulled back, looking up to see Gabby watching him with a soft smile on her face. "Our girl is perfect, isn't she?" He asked, earning a quick nod from his wife.

"She absolutely is… Even with everyone she had working against her." Gabby teased, Matt huffing out a breath before he looked back down, watching Sofia's eyes move around quickly, clearly searching for her mother.

"Oh, did you hear Momma?" He asked, patting her chest. "Yeah, I know Momma's your favorite… although she can't make you laugh like I can." Matt spoke, chuckling when he felt a smack on the back of his head. "What? Don't be jealous." He replied with a smug grin, Gabby rolling her eyes before she spoke up.

"Give me my baby." She spoke, Matt chuckling as he looked back down to their little girl, seeing her still in search of her mom.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you want your mom." He replied defeatedly, Gabby smirking as she took Sofia from Matt, the little girl perking up when she saw her mother.

"Yeah, you missed Momma, didn't you?" She murmured, cradling Sofia in her arms as she carefully stood up, expertly holding her baby and the bottle while she moved towards the couch. "I know you probably missed me because you were hungry, but that's okay, I still win." She spoke softly, flashing her husband a proud smirk as she settled into the couch, bringing the bottle to Sofia's lips. The baby's eyes widened, eagerly accepting the bottle before she began eating, gripping onto her mom's chest while she fed.

Over the past week, Sofia had gotten much more accustomed to feeding from the bottle, the young girl not fighting it nearly as much as she used to, and if she was hungry enough, she would even accept it without any hesitation, latching on as easily as she did to Gabby.

They were still breastfeeding, Gabby not ready to give that up completely, and neither was Sofia, but they were split about fifty-fifty these days when it came to eating from her bottle, and eating directly from the source. At night, they didn't bother with the bottles, it being much easier and more practical for Gabby to feed Sofia herself. But during the afternoons was usually when they bottle fed her, the parents wanting their little Sofia to be as comfortable with it as possible, knowing here in a few days when Gabby returned to work, there would be long periods of time when she couldn't nurse from her mom at all.

Matt pushed himself up from the floor, moving towards the couch and sitting down next to Gabby, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, encouraging her to lean into him while Sofia ate her food.

"She's been doing a lot better with the bottle." Matt murmured, voicing her previous thoughts as Gabby smiled softly, giving him a nod.

"She really is, which is good… Becca said she hadn't been giving her much trouble, either." Gabby added as Matt stroked his thumb against her shoulder. "I knew she'd eventually be okay with it, but it makes me feel better knowing she's not putting up much of a fight anymore… I don't want to have to worry about her not getting enough to eat." She mused, Matt nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, I understand. But I think she knows you're gonna be going back to work soon, and she's helping us out… She's always been a pretty good baby." He spoke, Gabby chuckling softly as she relaxed against her husband.

"She really has."

"Speaking of that… you still feeling good about going back?" He asked softly, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

"I am." She replied without hesitation, closing her eyes as she felt his lips lingering over her hair. "I know I'm making the right choice."

After many discussions with Matt, Gabby had come to the decision a couple days ago that she'd be returning to 51. It's what felt right to her, and it felt like the best choice for their entire family. She'd miss Jemma, and she'd miss all her friends at the SAS, but when it came down to it, she didn't feel like she could count on the company when and if she needed some leeway again, whereas she knew there'd be no hesitation on Boden's part. It wasn't that she was going around searching for special treatment, but if the last few years were any indication, things arose that were out of her control, and there were times she needed a little more leniency than normal. And, from what she could tell, the SAS wouldn't be so inclined to give her that. They were a business, first and foremost, which was fine, but that wasn't where Gabby felt she needed to be right now. And quite honestly, it wasn't where she was wanting to be.

She wanted to be at 51, she wanted to be with Matt… She wanted to be home.

So she made her decision, and had told Boden a few days prior. And now in four days, she'd be back at 51 permanently, and she had a rush of different emotions about it.

She was thrilled to be back, she truly was, but she knew leaving Sofia would be a challenge. Spending that one night away from her last week, although it was desperately needed for her and Matt's sake, it had been hard, and in the morning she was more than ready to get back to Sofia. She knew it would only be that much harder when she was nearly doubling her time away from her daughter.

But she had to do it. She had to go back to work, she wanted to go back to work. She just wished there was a way she could go back, and not leave Sofia for an extended period of time.

"Well, you know how glad I am to have you back at 51." Matt responded, Gabby smiling softly as she glanced towards her husband. "It hasn't been the same since you left, and even when you were back for a bit, I knew it wasn't permanent… but now, knowing you're back for good, it makes me really happy." He spoke softly, reaching up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. "I never would've pressured you into coming back, but I'm so glad you chose 51."

"I know you wouldn't." She murmured, a soft smile pulling on her lips. She knew he'd never try and force her into a decision one way or the other, and he hadn't. He'd left this completely up to her, all while being a sounding board while she worked through the pros and cons of each job. He had given her the time to come to this decision on her own, but when she first decided she'd be going back to 51, he wasn't able to mask his excitement, and seeing his face in that moment only solidified what she already knew in her mind; she had made the right choice.

And she'd be lying if she said Matt hadn't played a huge part in her decision. He had told her, multiple times, that he didn't want her factoring him into her choice, that all he cared about was her being happy and loving where she worked, and how he didn't want her choosing 51 because of him. Despite her promises to not factor him in, she had anyway; of course she had. There was no way she could make this decision and not take him into consideration. He had been her biggest consideration, and her head and her heart had told her that being at 51, with Matt, was where she needed to be.

"Plus, now that you're back at 51, that means we can have some more… alone time, in my office." He added with a smug grin, Gabby scoffing lightly as he leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers. Their movements were slow and gentle, Matt stroking his thumb over her cheek as she pulled back slightly.

"Some alone time, huh?" She questioned, nuzzling her nose against his as they rested their foreheads against one another. "That doesn't seem very Captain-like." Her voice was light, Gabby smiling softly as she teased him, Matt brushing his nose against hers again.

"It's not… but I think for my gorgeous wife, I can make some exceptions." He murmured, before pressing another soft kiss against her lips.

In the two years that had passed since Matt became Captain, not including those five months she was in Puerto Rico, then the few before she'd begun working at 51 again, they hadn't really fooled around at the firehouse in any of that time. When he first got promoted, they had come to an agreement that drawing the blinds in his office wasn't really appropriate anymore. Though an argument could be made for it never really being appropriate in the first place, it hadn't stopped them in the past. But once he became Captain, it had never happened again, though there were times she had definitely wanted it to.

But now it seemed like that rule might be subjected to being broken, something she couldn't say she minded.

"Your gorgeous wife better be the only person you're making exceptions for." She joked, Matt chuckling as he pressed another quick kiss to her lips. "Although, first this wife of yours would have to agree to whatever your plans are…"

"I think she will." He replied without missing a beat. "I mean, I have some pretty… convincing methods of persuasion." Matt added, Gabby laughing as she felt his lips against hers.

"Oh believe me, I know." She responded, Matt grinning before kissing her again, reluctantly pulling back after a few seconds.

"And plus, at the firehouse, we definitely wouldn't get interrupted by the baby." Matt added, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she glanced down to the little girl in her arms, Sofia still working on her bottle.

"You do have a point there."

In the week that had passed since their romantic night together at the hotel, the married couple had definitely been making up for lost time whenever they got the chance. Despite Gabby's initial reservations about having sex again, once they had, she definitely hadn't shied away from the opportunity to be with him whenever she could. Their first time in months had a bit of a learning curve, Gabby having to push through some of the pain and discomfort at first, but eventually it had passed, and the couple had very much enjoyed their evening, and morning. And that desire hadn't seemed to go away at all in the last week, something Matt surely wasn't complaining about. But it had been a little hard to navigate with Sofia. With her needing one or both of them at all hours, finding time for just the two of them had been another challenge they had to overcome, but they both thought they were doing a pretty good job. And it helped that they soon discovered that Sofia's mid-afternoon naps were the perfect time for them to spend time just for themselves, something both of them thoroughly enjoyed. But with navigating around a three and a half month-old's sleep schedule, they had gotten interrupted more than once, their little girl's needs outweighing their own.

But, regardless of the challenges, the past week they'd had of reconnecting with one another had been amazing, and Gabby surely wasn't opposed to taking that to the firehouse, as long as they were careful.

"Of course I do." He responded with a grin, leaning his head down against hers. "I mean, I'm not saying we should be fooling around in the showers every shift, but every once in a while… It couldn't hurt." He spoke, Gabby smiling softly as she kept her eyes on the baby.

"How romantic." She teased, Matt chuckling as he gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Just letting you know it's on the table, babe." He whispered, pressing a kiss behind her ear. "But you know, I wouldn't be opposed to a little fun right now either… She should be falling asleep here soon." He whispered, his lips tickling her ear as Gabby felt a shiver run through her spine.

"I'm sure you wouldn't." She replied, feeling him press another kiss against her skin, her eyes falling close as she focused on the feelings he was eliciting within her, Gabby doing what she could to not let herself get too lost in him, knowing her baby was still wide awake.

"And I don't think you're opposed, either." He murmured, sliding his hand along her thigh, moving up close to her waist.

"Matt…" She warned, feeling him smile against her as he pressed another kiss to her head.

"Yes?"

"Watch yourself." She spoke, opening her eyes and glancing up towards him, Matt pulling back slightly to get a better look at her. "I bet she'll be asleep in the next twenty minutes or so… then I'm all yours." Gabby promised, Matt giving her a strong nod as he smiled warmly.

"I can't wait."

Casey sat in his office, tapping his pencil repeatedly against his desk as he tried to get through some of the paperwork he'd been putting off for a few shifts now, Matt blowing out a sharp breath as he ran his hand across his forehead. It was pretty late in the afternoon, and shift had been rather uneventful so far, something Matt saw as a double-edged sword. On one hand, he was glad to not be out on multiple calls, that being something that would only add to the paperwork he had to catch up on, but that also meant he had no excuse to not finish the work in front of him, which meant he had to keep himself from getting distracted. And that task was easier said than done.

With one glance up from his paperwork, he was automatically met with multiple photos of his family, and each and every time he had to stop and admire them whenever he caught a glimpse. Some were of just Sofia, others were of Sofia and Gabby, and then there was one of all three of them, as well as the usual ones of Gabby that had been there before the baby was born. But no matter which picture caught his eye first, it would always bring a smile to his face, Matt instantly being reminded of how incredibly lucky he was to have the family he did, and an instant wave of gratitude would flow through him, knowing that he wouldn't be able to do any of this if he didn't have Gabby by his side.

The sound of his phone ringing in his pocket pulled him from his thoughts, Matt dropping the pencil in his hand before he dug out the buzzing object, Matt immediately smiling when he saw a photo of Gabby and Sofia staring back at him.

It was a newer one, Matt having taken it a few days ago after Sofia's bath, Gabby cradling their baby in her arms as she was wrapped in her hooded penguin towel, Sofia reaching her arms up towards her mom while she had a bright smile on her face. It was one of his favorite photos that he'd taken of them, and when he went through the pictures later that night, he knew he had to change it to Gabby's contact picture, Matt's entire body filling with warmth every time he saw it.

Swiping across his screen, Matt smiled when the image of Gabby popped up, his wife grinning widely as he answered the Facetime.

"I was beginning to think you were on call." She spoke softly, Matt shaking his head.

"Nah, just got distracted by the picture of you on my phone… took me a few extra seconds to answer." He responded with a wink, Gabby ducking her head as her teeth grazed over her bottom lip.

"Oh yeah?... Well, it better be one where I'm clothed." She responded with a laugh, Casey's smile widening as he glanced behind him, thankful to see his office door was shut.

"Don't worry, it definitely is… Like I'd risk anyone else seeing something that was meant for my eyes only." He replied quickly, Gabby chuckling as he ran his tongue along his teeth. "So, this call was unexpected… What are my girls up to?" He asked, watching as she rested back against their headboard in their bedroom.

"Oh, not much… Nothing but poop and spit up over here." She replied with a grin, Matt chuckling as he leaned back in his chair.

"I'm so jealous right now." He breathed out, Gabby tilting her head to the side.

"Everything okay?" She questioned, Matt nodding immediately, not meaning to have worried her.

"I'm fine, baby, just trying to avoid all this paperwork." He replied, Gabby smirking before she flipped the view of the camera, Matt's smile widening when he saw Sofia. His little girl was lying in the middle of their bed, resting on the mattress in between Gabby's legs as she waved her arms and legs around. "Oh, there's my girl." He murmured, Sofia looking around as she heard her dad's voice, but couldn't see him. "Hi baby, I miss you."

Gabby had turned the phone around so Sofia could see her dad, but she still didn't really understand, the baby giggling nonetheless when she heard her dad's voice, shoving her small fist into her mouth.

"Have you been a good girl for Momma?"

"She has… She took a really long nap this morning, she did great with her tummy time, and we just finished nursing."

"Oh yeah?" Matt asked with a smile on his face, loving to hear about his baby's day.

"Yeah, although for some reason she's wide awake now…" Gabby spoke, Matt seeing her hand come into frame as she rubbed against Sofia's chest. "Someone doesn't wanna take their nap."

"She doesn't know how good she has it, I'd love a nap right now." Matt joked, hearing her laugh.

"I can let you go, if you'd like to rest."

"Nope." He replied quickly, shaking his head.

"Alright, well I don't wanna hear about how tired you are when you get home in the morning." She teased, Matt chuckling softly. "And uh, not to change the subject, but did you get a chance to talk to Boden?" Gabby asked, flipping the camera back around to face her.

"Yup, I spoke with him earlier. We're all good to go here. Starting next shift, Ambulance 61 will officially have three paramedics." He told her, his heart filling with warmth when he saw the bright smile form across her face.

"I'm so excited." She murmured, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Me too, baby."

The bells rang throughout the house before either could get another word in, Casey smiling regretfully when he heard truck and squad being called out to a house fire.

"That's my cue." He breathed out, pushing himself up from his chair, Gabby nodding as she turned the camera back around on Sofia.

"Say goodbye to Daddy, Sof." She spoke, rubbing her stomach as the girl babbled away.

"Bye baby, Daddy loves you." He replied, opening his office door. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, alright? Be good for Momma." Gabby grabbed Sofia's arm, giving him a slight wave before Gabby came into view again. "I love you, babe." He spoke, Gabby smiling softly.

"I love you, too. Be safe."

81 and Squad 3 pulled up to the burning house, seeing flames shooting out from the upper floor windows, the dilapidated house looking quite close to falling down. 51 had responded to calls to this house before, the building being well-known for its drug activity, amongst other things.

Hopping down from his seat, Matt immediately found Severide's gaze across the road, both men knowing the possible dangers waiting for them when they entered that house. With Boden not here, it was up to Casey to make the calls, meaning his main priority was thinking of his firefighter's safety first and foremost. And with how bad the blaze already was, he wasn't sure if entering the house was even a good idea.

"What's the plan, Casey?" Severide asked, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he glanced back to the building.

"In and out." He quickly decided. "Squad, take the top floor but be careful. Truck, in and out on the bottom. This is a quick sweep, everyone. Don't take any unnecessary risks." He ordered, watching as his men masked up, Matt knowing he needed to stay out here. That was one of the downsides to his promotion he didn't like so much, being kept outside when people needed help. He knew it was out of necessity, that there had to be a pair of eyes outside, and someone had to be in charge, but he much preferred running into the fires instead of managing the men and women inside them.

"Severide, how is it looking?" Casey asked after a few minutes, his eyes peeled to the building.

"Not too bad, haven't found anyone yet."

"Alright, keep me updated." He spoke, barely getting the words out before he heard a sharp cry cut through the cold December air, Casey's eyebrows furrowing as he tried to locate the sound. It had definitely come from outside, but he didn't see anything unusual, his body tightening when he heard another cry.

Following the noise, Matt picked up his radio, adjusting the dial before speaking.

"Main? This is Captain Casey from Truck 81, can you send police backup to our house fire?"

"Sending them out now, Captain." They responded, Matt dropping his radio as he got to the sidewalk, moving towards the sound of the noise. He couldn't be sure, but it sounded like the screaming had come from this direction, and he couldn't shake the bad feeling in his gut that something was going on; something more than someone just reacting to the fire.

As he turned the corner, he stopped in his tracks momentarily, his eyes widening at the sight in front of him, seeing a woman and her son being held at gunpoint at the bottom of the steps leading to the side door, the man with the gun aiming it right at the little boy's head.

"Please, please just stop! I'll do whatever you want, just please don't hurt my son." She pleaded, tears streaming down her face, Matt seeing her entire body trembling. But he knew that wasn't just from fear; this woman was strung out, and bad.

She had brought her son when she was here to buy drugs. And, whatever had transpired inside, now had ended with that innocent little boy being held at gunpoint.

"Hey!" Casey yelled, his voice firm and deep, stunning all three of them as the man holding the gun snapped his head towards the firefighter. When he saw him, the man immediately grabbed the little boy, the kid crying as he was held tightly with a gun pressed into his head. "Let him go." Matt spoke, taking a slight step forward.

"Get back!" The man yelled, pressing the gun harder into the boy's head.

"You don't need to do this… Just let the kid go." Matt spoke calmly, doing what he could to diffuse the situation. But he had a feeling this wasn't going to end well.

"Just get out of here, this doesn't concern you!" He yelled, gripping the boy tighter as he took a step back.

Casey's eyes flashed the boy, then to the mom, seeing her hands shaking as she glanced around, and he couldn't figure out what was going through her head, but he figured it wasn't anything good.

"Casey, we're headed out." Severide's voice came through his radio, but he didn't even bother trying to answer it, Matt taking another step forward.

"Get back!" He yelled, Matt putting his hands up.

Before he could say anything, the woman took off, running down the alley as she tried to get away, Matt's eyes widening as she ran, leaving her son behind. But she barely got ten feet away before the man turned around, pointing his gun and firing a shot.

And one was all it took, Matt's eyes widening as he watched her body crumble to the ground, blood staining the pavement as shock filled Casey's system, the boys loud cries filling the air. Matt did what he could to stay calm, the man returning the gun to this little boy's head like nothing had happened, like he hadn't just killed this woman in cold blood.

His gaze involuntarily flashed behind him, looking at the lifeless woman, the back of her head stained with her own blood as she lay still on the ground.

"Mommy!" The boy cried, his pleas getting cut off as the man tightened his grip, nearly choking him.

"You can walk away right now." Matt spoke, clearing his throat as he tried to find his voice, forcing himself to not focus on what had just happened. "Just let the boy go, and you can leave. I won't follow you, no one will… Just let him go." Casey tried, seeing the man staring at him closely.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he took another step closer, his eyes focused on the young boy, Casey only now maybe a few yards away from them. "Hey buddy." He spoke softly, watching as endless tears cascaded down this child's face. He couldn't have been older than five or six, and Matt knew this child never should've been here. He never should've been brought this house, he never should've been here to witness his mother be murdered. He never should've been here at all.

But he was. And all Casey could do was try and get him out of here alive.

"My name is Matt, what's your name?"

"Shut up!" The man screamed, but Matt ignored him, keeping his eyes locked on the whimpering boy.

"It's okay, it's okay." He assured, taking another step closer. "What's your name, buddy?"

"Micah." He spoke through his tears, Casey smiling softly.

"It's okay, Micah… It's gonna be okay."

"I swear to God, back up! Or I'll kill him!"

"Everything will be okay, Micah, just look at me. Keep your eyes on me." Matt spoke before looking back up at the unnamed man. "Just go. Get out of here. Let him go, and run." Casey tried, but his words only seemed to anger him, Matt straightening his spine.

He had no idea what to expect, Matt taking slow breaths as this man stared straight at him, his eyes dark and angry. But when he let up his grip on the boy, Matt's eyes widened slightly, the man pushing Micah forward. Casey reached out for him, eager to get him out of here, but the boy barely got a step before the man raised his gun, aiming it directly at Micah.

He fired the shot, Matt's eyes widening in shock and horror as he heard the loud scream come from the boy before he fell to the ground, lying face down as blood stained the back of his shirt. He'd been shot in the spine, but from what Casey could tell he was still alive. He didn't notice the man step closer to him, or notice him lift the barrel of his gun, aiming it directly at his head. He didn't notice any of that, and he didn't care, Casey immediately dropping to his knees, knowing he needed to help Micah.

"Micah, buddy, can you hear me? Micah!"

"Matt…" The boy was wheezing, but he was alive.

Picking up his radio, Matt turned it to all channels, keeping it live as he tried to get through to anyone he could.

"Severide! Anyone, I need a medic now!"

"Casey? Where are you? We heard gunshots, where-"

"Get away from him, back up!" The man screamed, his voice echoing through the radio as he pushed against Casey, using his arms and his leg to get him away from Micah, but Matt was fighting him. It wasn't until he heard a gunshot, and felt a tremendous pain radiating from his arm that he backed off, Matt groaning in pain as his hand flew up to his arm, knowing this man had just shot him. "Get back!" He yelled again, kicking Casey in the side, Matt reluctantly scooting away, putting pressure on his arm as this man held him at gunpoint.

"You don't need to do this." He spoke through heavy breaths, the man pressing the gun into the middle of his forehead as Casey grimaced, his arm on fire.

"Casey!"

"Please, don't do this… Just let me help Micah…" He pleaded, ignoring Severide's voice, taking deep breaths as he tried to keep himself calm.

He knew this man would have no problem killing him. He'd just murdered a woman without a thought, he'd just shot a kid in the spine like it was nothing. Killing him, he wouldn't think twice about it, considering he'd shot him already. And that terrified him, Matt doing what he could to keep his face blank as the man stared him down.

All he could think about was his family, as he stared into this man's dead eyes. Gabby and Sofia were the only thing in his head, and he could feel his heart breaking at the thought of never seeing them again.

He hadn't had enough time. He hadn't had enough time with Gabby, he hadn't had nearly enough time with Sofia. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to go home to them tomorrow morning, and spend the day with the two most important people in his life. This wasn't supposed to happen, but now all he could think about was how there was a good chance these were the last few moments of his life.

And that thought angered him just as much as it paralyzed him. He didn't want to leave, he didn't want to leave his family behind. He didn't want to do that to Gabby and Sofia, not like this, but it didn't seem like he had any choice in the matter.

But he had to try.

"Please, man." He spoke softly, swallowing the lump in his throat, feeling pain shoot down to his fingertips. "Please, just go… You've done enough, please…" He coughed out, shaking his head, the man's look never faltering. "...I've got a little girl at home, she's just a baby… And my wife, please don't do this to them." He pleaded, hearing the man scoff.

"You think I give a shit about your family?" He spat, pressing the gun harder against his forehead, Matt sucking in a deep breath. "I don't give a fuck about them… Although, Matt Casey, maybe I'll go pay your wife and daughter a visit, apologize for leaving your little girl without a father." He spoke viciously, Matt's entire body hardening as his eyes narrowed. "And then I'll have some fun with that little wife of yours, let her know how you pleaded for your life right before I shot you. I'll explain exactly what I did to her husband, right before I throw her down and show her what a real man is… I'm sure I could make her forget all about you, at least for a few hours, whether she wants to or not… Then I'll do to her what I did to you, her and your little baby girl."

Anger flood Matt's body, Casey clenching his jaw as his protective instincts took over, Matt not even thinking about the situation he was in. "I'll kill you." He spoke lowly, his voice dripping in anger. "I swear to God, you go near my family, and I'll kill you." He threatened, the man smirking wickedly as Matt heard sirens in the distance.

"I'm not the one dying today, Matt… But I'll make sure your family knows just how much they meant to you." He spoke before putting his finger on the trigger, Matt closing his eyes, his mind flooding with thoughts of Gabby and Sofia.

He heard the trigger click, Matt flinching as he waited for his world to go dark, as he waited for something to happen. But it never did, Casey hearing the man muttering sharp words under his breath as he pressed the trigger again.

"God dammit." He muttered, Matt reluctantly opening his eyes, seeing the man staring at his gun, messing with it as he tried to unjam it.

"Casey!"

Matt heard Severide's voice, but this time it wasn't through the radio, Casey seeing the man's eyes snap up, Matt following his gaze to see Severide standing maybe twenty feet away from them, police hurrying up behind him.

"Shit." The man muttered, glancing back down to Casey. "You're a dead man, Matt Casey." He threatened, whipping his gun across the side of Casey's face with as much force as he could, Matt groaning in pain as his head fell down, hearing the man take off down the alley.

There was all kinds of shuffling around him, Matt barely able to register it as he heard multiple pairs of boots running. He assumed they were chasing that man, but he didn't really care, the pain in his head blinding from the hit he'd taken to the temple.

"Casey! Casey, man are you okay?" Severide called, his voice getting closer.

"Micah." He muttered, shaking his head.

"What?"

"I'm fine, check on Micah, the boy." He groaned, Kelly placing a hand on his shoulder.

"They've got him, paramedics are working on him. He's still alive, are you okay… were you shot?" Just from Severide's voice, Matt could tell the Lieutenant had seen his arm, Casey slowly opening his eyes as he lifted his head. He could feel the blood trickling down his skin, Matt blinking quickly, wincing when some of his blood got into his eye.

"It just grazed my arm, I'm fine." He replied, clenching his eyes together tightly before opening them again, finding a concerned Severide, along with most of his firefighters, standing over him. "I'm alright, guys. I'm fine." He assured them, beginning to stand up as he cradled his left arm against his body.

"Whoa, just sit there for a second, Casey. There's no rush, just take a minute."

"I'm fine." He said again, using the side of the building and his free arm to get up from the ground, Severide helping him as much as he could.

"We need to get you to the hospital." Severide spoke, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he nodded, his mind feeling hazy as he began taking a step forward, his body unsteady. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Kelly breathed out, grabbing ahold of Casey to keep him upright. "Let's get you on a gurney-"

"No, I'm fine." He tried, Severide shaking his head.

"You were shot, and you have a hell of a cut on your face, you're not fine." Kelly tried, Matt sighing.

"I'm okay, I'm going to the hospital, just… make sure Micah leaves before I do." He spoke softly, images of the boy getting shot flashing in his mind, Matt pressing against his eyes.

"He's already in an ambulance," Kelly spoke, Matt grimacing as he shook his head. He hadn't even noticed the boy being taken away, the pain in his head and arm making it hard to focus. "There's not anything we can do for him… We've just gotta focus on you. Now, you're sure you're okay to walk?" Kelly asked, keeping his grip around Casey's waist.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good." He spoke, leaning into Kelly as they slowly began walking towards the second ambulance, Matt grimacing as he moved. Within minutes, they managed to get him up and into the back of the second ambulance, Severide's foot resting on the ledge as Matt held his head in his hands.

"We'll meet you at the hospital, I'm gonna call Boden, let the house know what happened, but I'll call Dawson first-"

"Don't call her." Casey cut in, hissing when they removed his turnout coat, the movement aggravating his bullet wound.

"Casey…" Severide spoke slowly, Matt shaking his head.

"Make sure no one calls her, I mean it, Sev." He spoke firmly, Kelly releasing a heavy sigh.

"You got shot, man. She needs to know."

"And I'm gonna tell her." Matt countered. "But I don't want her to worry. If you call her and tell her I got shot, she's gonna freak out." He said through gritted teeth as they began assessing his wound, Casey sparing a glance at it. He had been right, the bullet only grazed him, but it took a pretty significant chunk of flesh out of his arm. "She has no one to help with Sofia, please just don't call her… I'll talk to her when I get home." He finished, Severide giving a reluctant nod.

"Alright man, I won't call her."

It wasn't that he didn't understand Casey's reasoning, because he did. The last thing he wanted to do was called Gabby and tell her Matt had been shot, because he knew no matter how many times he told her Casey was fine, it wouldn't matter. He knew Matt had a point, but regardless, Gabby needed to know. And when she finds out, he knew she'd be beyond angry that no one contacted her, and that soon enough her anger would be directed towards him. But he'd do what Casey asked, because ultimately, this was his family, and he didn't want to cause any issues.

"Thank you." Matt responded.

"We're gonna get him to the hospital, you can see him there." One of the paramedics spoke, Severide nodding as he removed his foot from the step, closing one side of the door.

"I'll see you soon, man. Don't do anything stupid." Severide told him, Matt giving a slight nod before he shut the other door, Kelly tapping against the outside of the ambulance, blowing out a heavy sigh as he watched them drive away, taking Casey to the hospital.

Matt released a heavy breath as he climbed down from the rig, his head still pounding even after spending the better part of two hours at Chicago Med. Even though he found it unnecessary, both truck and squad has stayed at the hospital while he was there. And while he appreciated it, he didn't think they all needed to be there when he was fine.

His bullet wound had been cleaned and stitched up, Matt's arm in a sling to keep his movement reduced, even though that was another thing he found completely unnecessary. He had some steri strips over the gash on his temple, and what was the beginning of what he knew would turn into a pretty ugly bruise on the side of his face. But none of that mattered, he knew he'd be fine.

He was more concerned with convincing Gabby of that fact. But, thankfully, he had until tomorrow morning to figure out how he was going to tell her what happened, and how much he was going to tell her.

He didn't want to lie to her, he refused to, but he also didn't think sharing every detail would help anything. He didn't want to scare her, and if he told her about everything that man said, he would. Sure, the guy knew he his name, but logically he knew he was probably all talk. And just because he had his name, that didn't mean he could find him. Even though the guy had gotten away, that being something Matt heard from Severide while he was in the ER, he wasn't too worried. And he didn't want to give Gabby anything to worry about, either.

"Hey Casey, how are you feeling?" Foster asked the second he walked inside, Matt giving both her and Brett a nod.

"I'm fine, really."

"Casey."

Boden's voice filled the room, Matt glancing over to see him standing at the back entrance, the Chief nodding him over. Blowing out a heavy breath, Casey walked through the common room, following Boden out into the hallway.

"What did the doctor's say?" Boden asked, skipping all the questions they both knew he already had the answers to.

"That I'm fine. I had to get stitches on my arm, they said it would probably leave a pretty nasty scar, because of how big the gash was, but it'll heal fine… And no concussion or anything. I'm good."

"And have you spoken to Dawson yet?" Boden asked with a pointed stare, Matt releasing a soft sigh.

"Not yet… I don't want to tell her over the phone, I'm waiting till after shift."

"Well, that'll be much sooner than you think." Boden spoke, Casey raising his eyebrows. "You're done this shift, Casey. Go home, see your family… Tell Gabby what happened."

"Chief, I'm okay-"

"You were shot." He replied bluntly, Matt's eyes falling closed. "Now get out of here. I want you home."

"It was just a graze, Chief-"

"That's not the only reason I'm sending you home, and we both know it." He replied quietly, Matt pinching the bridge of his nose. "What you saw today… you don't need to be here. Go home, see your baby, see Gabby… That's where you need to be right now."

Nodding slowly, Matt ran his tongue over his bottom lip, Boden placing his hand on his right shoulder. "We'll talk in a few days, and go from there. But right now, all you need to do is go be with your family."

"Understood, Chief." He replied, giving him another nod before walking down the hallway, heading for the locker room.

Within ten minutes, Casey had gathered all of his things, Matt walking down the driveway as he headed for his truck, his keys held tightly in his grasp as he walked down the concrete. When he got to his truck, he tossed his belongings in the passenger side, grimacing at the movement before he climbed inside, having to reach across his body to get the door shut.

Putting the keys into the ignition, Matt blew out a heavy breath, shaking his head as he tried to get the memories of that little boy out of his head. In his few hours at the hospital, he had tried, multiple times, to get an update on Micah, but he hadn't been able to. No one could tell him anything, or no one would tell him anything, and he couldn't help but feel like that didn't mean anything good.

He had no idea what was going on with that young boy, and it made him sick. It was bad enough seeing him get shot; that man had made him believe he was letting him go, that he wasn't going to hurt Micah, and then he shot him. Just because he could. And now Matt had no idea how he was.

And he couldn't help but feel like it was his fault.

Maybe had he done something different, had he not pushed so hard, had he just stayed back and let things play out, maybe that young boy would've never gotten shot. Maybe Micah would've never had to witness his mother die.

There was no way to know if things might've gone differently, but all Matt knew was that he stepped in, and people got hurt. A woman was murdered, and a young boy had been shot. And it felt like that was on him.

He didn't even realize there were tears streaming down his cheeks until a sob escaped from deep within his throat, Casey feeling an intense pressure in his chest as tears continuously fell down his face, Matt using his one good hand to grip the steering wheel tightly, his body shaking as the weight of today hit him all at once.

Micah got shot. And could be dead, for all he knew.

His mother was dead.

And Matt almost died.

It was the last one made another sob escape his lips, Matt unable to see anything in front of him as his tears blurred his vision.

He almost lost everything today. His entire world was almost over, in an instant. Had that man chosen not to shoot him the first time, he'd be dead right now.

And he couldn't bear the thought of that.

He was so close to never seeing his daughter again, to never seeing his wife. He was moments away from leaving them, leaving Sofia to grow up without her dad, leaving Gabby to raise their daughter alone. He had almost left behind his entire world, and he couldn't handle that.

His cries got louder as he sat in his truck outside the firehouse, Matt's knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel, Casey struggling to breathe as air got caught in his throat, the firefighter unable to come to terms with this.

He couldn't understand what had happened today, or why it had happened. And he really couldn't understand how he was alive right now.

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed as she was pulled from her restful sleep, Dawson quickly trying to figure out what had caused her to wake up. While keeping her eyes closed, she listened closely, assuming Sofia had stirred and that's what had woken her, but she didn't hear a single sound come from her daughter, Gabby stretching out her back as she laid in the middle of the bed.

She was about to forget it, Gabby content to just fall back asleep, wanting to get all the rest she could when she figured out what had woken her, Gabby nearly shooting up in bed when she heard banging around coming from the kitchen.

With wide eyes, she quietly reached for her phone, picking it up and dialing Antonio's number, knowing someone was inside her home who was definitely not supposed to be there. She put the phone to her ear, her heart rate picking up as she climbed out of bed, sparing a quick glance to Sofia, seeing her baby still sound asleep in her bed, unaware of the danger just outside the bedroom.

Through the open doorway, she could hear whoever it was clearly, the intruder not bothering to be very quiet as they moved around, Gabby's breaths quickening as her brother finally picked up.

"Gabs? Why are you up at 1AM? What's wrong, is Sofia okay-"

"Tony." She cut him off, keeping her voice to a whisper.

"Why are you whispering? What's wrong?"

"There's someone in the apartment." She spoke quietly into the phone, doing what she could to keep her voice steady as she heard immediate shuffling on the other end of the line.

"What? Where are you? Where's Sof?" He asked frantically, Gabby gripping the edge of Sofia's bassinet.

"We're in the bedroom." She whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat as fear filled her body. "I can hear them in the kitchen, I don't know what they're doing Tonio."

"Okay, Gabs get Sofia and hide. Get in the closet, the bathroom, just get somewhere. I'm leaving now."

"Dammit!"

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed as she heard the voice come from the kitchen, recognizing it instantly, her fear morphing into confusion as she stepped towards the bedroom door.

"Wait…" She spoke into the phone.

"What… Gabs, what are you doing?"

"Hold on."

"Don't go out there, Gabby, wait-"

Gabby hesitantly stepped through the doorway, a heavy sigh escaping her lips as she saw her husband stumbling around the kitchen, clearly unaware of her presence.

"Gabby?"

"I'm here, I'm fine." She responded into the phone, her voice gaining the attention of Matt, seeing her husband whip his head around, his teary eyes and blotchy face immediately filling her with concern.

"Hey baby." He spoke slowly, Gabby pursing her lips together as she took in his clearly buzzed state, Dawson slowly stepping through the doorway, unsure of what was going on.

"It's just Matt." She responded into the phone, shaking her head in confusion.

"Casey's there?" She could hear the same level of curiosity in her brother's voice, both Dawson's knowing Matt should've been on shift right now.

"Yeah, he's here. I'm sorry for calling… I gotta go, Antonio." Gabby told him, unable to mask the concern in her voice, Antonio hearing it instantly.

"No, yeah, I'm just glad you're okay…Call me if you need anything."

"I will." She replied, the two exchanging some goodbyes before they hung up, Gabby walking the rest of the way to her husband.

When she got closer, more worry flooded her entire body when she finally made out the sling holding his arm in place, and when she saw the gash on the side of his head as he turned to face her, the dim light filling the kitchen making his injuries visible.

"Matt…" She breathed out, coming to stand by his side, watching him as he quickly faced forward again, clearly avoiding her gaze as he went back to the sandwich he was trying to prepare, his task made all the more difficult with his one hand. "Baby, what happened? Why are you home in the middle of the night?... What happened to your shoulder?"

"That's a lot of questions." He murmured, putting the top piece of bread on his sandwich, Gabby glancing to the mess he made before looking back at him, her eyebrows furrowed as she smelled the alcohol on him. "I'm sorry for waking you up, I didn't wake the baby did I? I tried to be quiet." His words were drawn together, Gabby placing her hand on his back, her eyes widening as he immediately stood up straight, a look of panic flashing in his gaze. "Wait- Sofia? Where is she? Is she okay?"

"Baby, baby, she's fine, she's okay." Gabby was quick to reassure him, seeing him relax as quickly as he'd worked himself up, her confusion only growing. "She's asleep in our room… Have you been drinking?" Her tone wasn't accusatory, but she was worried, though Matt seemed unfazed by the question. He wasn't drunk, but he had definitely had a few before he came home.

"Maybe just a little…" He breathed out, shaking his head as a slight smile tugged at his lips, but there was no life behind it. "But I'm fine, just hungry." He told her, picking up his sandwich with his one good arm and taking a bite. "Not as good as yours, but it'll do." He spoke with his mouth full, taking another bite before he'd finished the first one.

She gave him a few minutes, rubbing her hand comfortingly over his back as he stood there and ate his food, Gabby trying to figure out what had happened since their conversation earlier in the day. She didn't know why he'd left shift, or what had caused his injuries, Gabby not understanding why she hadn't been called when he clearly had gotten hurt at work. And she especially didn't know why he'd been drinking.

But whatever happened, she knew it couldn't have been good, Gabby unsure if she'd ever seen him like this before. Not knowing the extent of his injuries was bad enough, but the mental state he was in… that concerned her the most.

"Matt…" She spoke softly, watching as his shoulders deflated, Matt shaking his head as he finally looked back at her, Gabby frowning deeply when she saw the tears hiding in his eyes, his broken stare making her stomach drop. The look in his eyes was alarming, Gabby seeing a clear look of pain shining back at her. "What happened?"

Casey remained silent for a few moments, staring down at the kitchen counter as he took slow breaths. "I… I don't- I don't want to talk about it."

"Baby-"

"Please." He nearly pleaded, blinking back the tears sitting in his eyes as he looked at her again, Gabby close to tears as she saw him so distraught. "I just- I don't wanna get into it right now… Can we just go to bed? Please?"

Pursing her lips together, she slowly nodded, seeing her husband visibly relax as he slid his plate away. "Yeah, that's fine… Let's go to bed." She agreed, Matt nodding before glancing back to the counter.

"I should clean this up…"

"You go, I'll get it." She told him, Matt giving her a thankful nod before leaning forward, pressing a lazy kiss against the side of her head, Gabby able to feel his body trembling. "Do you need any help?" She asked, eyeing the sling his arm was in.

"Uh… probably, I don't know." He responded, rubbing his hand over his face, wincing when he accidentally touched his cut.

"Be careful." She warned him, pulling his hand away gently. "Just go in there and sit, I'll be in to help you in a minute." Gabby instructed him, Matt giving her a slight nod before stepping around her and heading for the bedroom.

Gabby stayed rooted in her spot as she watched him walk away, concern flooding her entire body as her husband disappeared into the bedroom.

She had no idea what had happened, she had no idea what had caused him to come home in the middle of the night like this. She didn't know what to think, about his physical state or his mental one, but she could only assume something terrible had happened to make him behave like this. She had every reason to fear the worst, Gabby knowing it took a lot to even get Matt rattled… But this? This was something she wasn't sure she had ever seen from him before. And she had no idea how to help him, especially if he wouldn't talk to her.

Well… that was a rough one. Casey definitely experienced something he won't be able to forget anytime soon, and I'm sure you all can imagine, it's not gonna be easy on him, trying to get past that… easy on him or on Gabby. But we'll see what happens in the next one!

Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you guys enjoyed this one even though it was a little heavy. Thank you so much for the continued love and support on this story. I'm so excited to hear your thoughts!

Also, just so you all know, my updates on Thursday might be a little late, but I'm not sure yet. I'm having some tests done Thursday afternoon, and I don't know how long they're gonna take, so things might be a little delayed that day, but I'll get them up as soon as I can!

Also, again, I got the second chapter to my new story If We Never Say Goodbye posted a little earlier, if you all wanna check that out!

I'll see you next time!