Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. Which, I can't believe that we're on Chapter 75 of this story already, that's absolutely insane to me. But I've loved writing this story for you all, and I loved seeing your reactions to the last chapter. Thanks for sticking with me for this long, I'm sure you all are eager to see what's going to happen next.

Real quick, I do want to address something. I worry I confused some of you guys about the aneurysm thing last chapter, and that was not my intention. Basically, Gabby is fine. There's nothing wrong with her, she doesn't have an aneurysm or anything right now, she's completely okay. What Dr. Tanner was saying was that there is a chance she could get another one at some point in the future, regardless of if she gets pregnant again or not, just because once you do have an aneurysm, you can be predisposed to get another one. But Gabby getting pregnant doesn't automatically mean she'd have one either, she could never have one again. Or she could get another one without even getting pregnant. They two aren't necessarily related, is what I tried to get across but I'm realizing now I did a very poor job of doing. I hope that clears it up a bit maybe. Believe me, it was confusing for me too when I was researching all this. But this is the hole that Derek and the writers put us in when giving Gabby that aneurysm in the first place (which is an entirely different discussion and I hate it but it's what we're working with). But basically, Gabby getting pregnant does not mean she'd have another aneurysm. That's the short and sweet meaning of what I was trying to get across. I'm really sorry for confusing you guys.

Also, just so you all know, I don't have a second update for Whatever Comes Next this week. I've been sick since Monday, and I wasn't able to get it done for today. So just expect that next chapter next week. Thanks for understanding!

I hope you guys enjoy this one, thanks for reading!

Chapter Seventy Five

"God dammit." Casey huffed out, taking a step closer towards his truck, reaching down to place his hand on his front passenger side tire, feeling it give easily underneath his touch. Although he didn't need to feel it to know it was out of air, the obviously deflated tired telling him that already. With one quick glance, it was clear that all of his tires had been slashed. "Did you see anything, Sev?" Matt asked in frustration, turning back around to face his friend, Kelly shaking his head.

"No, just this." He responded, nodding towards his truck that was inches closer to the ground than it should've been, Matt running his hand over his mouth as he sighed. "I mean, it wasn't like this when we got back, surely one of us would've noticed."

Casey nodded, shaking his head as he looked back to his truck, knowing there was no salvaging what was done to his tires. He'd have to replace them all, and that definitely wasn't something they'd been planning on.

"Did it happen to anyone else?" He asked, Severide shaking his head.

"No, I don't think so… You think it was just some stupid kids or something?"

"I don't think kids did this." Gabby spoke up for the first time since they'd seen his truck, Matt looking towards his wife as her voice hit his ears, a slight frown covering his lips when he noticed her shivering body. In how quickly Severide had called them out here, neither of them had grabbed coats before stepping out into the freezing winter air, Matt knowing her thin jacket wasn't doing nearly enough to keep her warm.

"What do you mean, Dawson?" Severide asked, Casey stepping back up on the sidewalk, moving towards Gabby.

"You really think kids would've slashed all four of his tires?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I know we've had some issues with dumb kids in the past, but this?" Gabby gestured towards the truck, Casey coming to a stop beside her, rubbing his hand over her arms. "I don't think stupid kids would've slashed all four of his tires, it looks like someone took a butcher knife to it."

Matt could tell she was upset, with good reason, but he didn't want her getting worked up about this, especially when they had no idea what happened.

"Well who else would do it?" Severide asked, Gabby shrugging defeatedly as she brought her hand up to her face, covering her mouth as she looked back towards the truck.

"I… I don't know." She murmured, Matt gripping her arm, getting her to look at him, his eyebrows furrowing in worry when he saw the uncertainty in her eyes.

"It's okay, babe. I'll call a tow truck, have them come get it, alright? It's fine." He spoke calmly, knowing she was more disturbed by this than she was letting on. "Let's get back inside, there's nothing we can do out here." He tried, Gabby's eyes narrowing as she took a step away from him.

"No, we're not going inside, I'm gonna call my brother." She responded, Matt's eyes falling closed as he took a deep breath.

"Gabby…"

"Someone slashed your tires, Matt." She interjected, narrowing her eyes. "Before you try and tell me it's nothing, it's not nothing. If it were kids, they might've just let the air out of them, or maybe done it to one, but all four of them?"

"I'm not saying I don't agree with you." He replied quickly, stepping back towards her, placing his hands on the sides of her arms, rubbing his palms up and down over her when he saw her still shivering. "I don't know what this is, it could've been dumbass kids, or not, but whatever it was, us being out here isn't gonna do anything." Matt reasoned, Gabby pursing her lips together, her eyes moving back towards his truck. "Let's just get back inside, then we can figure it out, okay?" He tried, gently grabbing Gabby's chin to get her to look away from his vandalized truck, his wife reluctantly nodding.

"Fine." She replied, Casey rubbing over her arm. "But I'm still calling my brother."

Knowing it was pointless to argue, Matt simply nodded, snow beginning to fall down around them. "Okay, you can call him. But let's just get inside, it's too cold out here." He said again, Gabby giving him a nod, sparing one last glance to his truck before turning around to walk inside, Matt hanging back momentarily beside Severide.

"Is something going on?" Kelly asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What do you mean?"

"She's acting like this was done to you guys on purpose." He elaborated, Matt pursing his lips together as he shrugged.

"I don't know… We've both had a lot going on lately, I think she's just on edge. But if calling Antonio will make her feel better, I'm not gonna stop her." Matt replied, looking up the driveway, seeing his wife halfway towards the garage.

Severide gave him a nod, the two firefighters beginning to follow in Dawson's path back towards the firehouse, Kelly patting his back. "Well, whatever the reason, I'm sorry this happened. You guys know if you need anything, everyone here has your back."

"We know… But thanks, Kelly." Casey responded, Severide giving him a nod before they continued up the slippery driveway. Gabby was a pretty good distance ahead of them, Matt keeping his eyes on her as she neared the garage, all three of them navigating the ice and snow underneath their feet, as more snow continued to accumulate around them.

Dawson was almost inside when her boot stepped on a patch of black ice she hadn't seen, Gabby feeling her feet give out from under her as her leg slipped forward, the paramedic colliding with the ground painfully, her wrist breaking her fall as she landed on her back. An immediate grimace covered her face, Gabby feeling the cold snow begin to soak through her clothes, vaguely hearing her name being called, and the sound of snow and ice crunching under boots as Matt and Kelly ran towards her.

"Damn Dawson, you okay?" Severide asked, Gabby feeling hands on her as she looked up, seeing Matt squatting next to her.

"You alright?" He asked, his eyes trailing over her, Gabby nodding as she adjusted her position, sitting up slowly, Matt helping her as he put a firm arm around her back. A light hiss left her lips when she accidentally put pressure on her left hand, a slight pain shooting up the side of her arm. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just hit my wrist when I fell, I'm fine." She responded, Matt nodding before glancing towards Severide, Kelly giving him a nod in understanding before they helped Gabby up off the ground, both of them supporting each side as they got her on her feet. Kelly dropped his hands once she was firmly on the ground, but Casey didn't, Matt keeping an arm around her back as they stood there.

"You sure you didn't hurt anything?" He asked again, Gabby shooting him a slight glare, waving him off as she took a step forward out of his grasp, Matt following closely behind her until she was in the garage.

"I'm fine, Matt. I just slipped on some ice, it's nothing." She responded with a sigh, Matt grimacing when he saw the back of her pants and jacket were completely soaked, the firefighter knowing that wouldn't help with how cold she was.

"Alright, I'm sorry if I'm being overbearing, but you fell pretty hard." He replied after hearing the frustration in her voice, Gabby's gaze softening as she turned around, her eyes flashing to Severide who had stayed a few feet back before she looked to her husband. "I'm never gonna apologize for looking after you, you know that." He added, Gabby pursing her lips together before she nodded. Even though Matt's overprotective nature wasn't always her favorite thing in the world, she knew it came from a good place, and it was never something she'd try to change. She loved him for it, even if it sometimes got on her nerves. "...Let's go get you changed before you freeze." He spoke, Gabby giving him a nod, Matt wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they began walking towards the double doors, Severide staying a few steps behind them.

Casey held the door open, Gabby slipping out of his grasp as she walked in first, Matt following in after her, soon followed by Severide. The curious eyes of the common room were on them, Gabby ignoring it as she turned the corner, heading straight for the locker room.

"What's going on? And why is Dawson all wet?" Herrmann asked the questions everyone was thinking, Matt feeling Severide pat his back, Casey turning towards his best friend.

"I got it, you go." Severide replied, nodding down the hallway towards Dawson, Casey giving him an appreciative smile before heading in that direction, jogging after her towards the locker room, hearing Severide begin to explain everything that had just happened.

Matt entered the bathroom, walking through the room towards the locker room, hearing shuffling coming from the last row of lockers. When he came around the corner, he saw his wife taking off her jacket, standing in front of her open locker. Without a word, Matt moved to her side, reaching into her locker and pulling out her extra pair of pants and jacket, placing them on the bench behind her. When she had shed her damp jacket, Matt took it from her, glancing towards the back of her shirt, trying to figure out if she needed to change out of that as well as Gabby sat down on the bench, leaning over to untie her boots. As she was hunched over, Matt reached out and ran his hand along her back, Gabby stopping her movements as she glanced up to him, a sheepish look covering his face.

"Sorry… I couldn't tell if your shirt was wet." He replied, Gabby flashing him a knowing grin before returning to her task, kicking her boots off before she stood back up, his hand sliding from her back.

She began to work on her belt, Gabby getting it off and handing it to Matt before she started on her pants, sliding the wet material down her legs, Matt grimacing when he saw the backs of her thighs were slightly discolored, telling him how cold she truly was.

"Do you really think it was just some kids?"

Her voice snapped him from his thoughts, Matt looking up from her legs as she reached for her clean pants, Gabby turning towards him as she put them on. His gaze softened as he registered her question, Matt hating that she was worrying so much about this. He knew it was unsettling, their tires being slashed, but until he had any reason to think otherwise, he didn't want to assume it was anything other than some stupid kids. Or even if it wasn't, he had no reason to think it happened to them intentionally. Tires got slashed all the time in Chicago, he didn't want to jump to the worst conclusion before he had a reason to. Especially not when he could tell his wife already had.

"Honestly?" He asked, Gabby giving him a swift nod as she tucked in her shirt, zipping up her pants. "I really don't know. I do think it's a little weird, and I'm not sure why it happened to my truck. But I don't want to assume the worst about all this unless there's a reason to." He told her, Gabby shooting him an unimpressed look as she sat back down on the bench, Matt sitting down next to her.

"I think your tires getting slashed is enough of a reason to worry." She replied as she put back on her boots, Matt drawing in a deep breath.

"I meant until we know if this was done intentionally to me, or if it was random." He explained, even though they both knew Gabby was aware of what he meant. "I know you're concerned about this, and I don't think you're wrong for feeling that way, but we don't know if there's anything to worry about. I mean, we live in Chicago, this isn't really uncommon." He reasoned, Gabby swallowing thickly before she nodded, sitting back up straight once she had her boots on. "I do think you should call Antonio, if it'll make you feel better I want you too, but can you try not to worry about this too much? I don't want you stressing over all this, baby." He murmured, Gabby giving him a slow nod.

"Yeah, maybe you're right… I am still gonna call my brother, though." She replied, Matt flashing her a supportive smile. "And you're gonna get the truck towed?"

"Mhmm. I will, but I guess we should wait until Antonio tells us what to do. I'll need to call Becca too, just to let her know we probably won't get home on time tomorrow." He responded, Gabby stretching out her back before nodding.

"Yeah… I'm just glad Sofia wasn't with us when this happened." She breathed out, Matt smiling weakly as he returned his hand to her back, rubbing his palm in soothing patterns.

"Me too, but Sof's fine at home with Becca." Casey reminded her, not wanting this to spiral into Gabby worrying about their girl. "We can call in a bit if you want, maybe see if we can Facetime with her, but she's good. She's probably having a much better day than we are." He added with a smile, Gabby chuckling softly as she nodded in agreement, reaching for her jacket, beginning to slide it on.

"I think you're probably right about that." Gabby replied, wincing slightly when her wrist twisted as she slid it into the clothing, Matt not missing the look of discomfort that covered her face.

"Your wrist still hurt?" He asked, Gabby shrugging as she zipped up her jacket about halfway, before adjusting the collar and her ponytail.

"It's a little sore, but I'm good." She assured him, Matt giving her a nod as he watched her stand up, Gabby closing her locker before reaching for her phone that she'd put down on the bench. Just as she had unlocked it, the bells rang out, calling squad and ambo to a car accident, Gabby pinching the bridge of her nose before locking her phone back, sliding it into her pocket. "I guess I'll call him later." She breathed out, Matt nodding as he pushed himself up from the bench, pressing a quick kiss on her forehead.

"Everything's okay, the truck isn't going anywhere." He spoke lightly, trying to ease some of the tension from her body, Gabby scoffing lightly as she began stepping backwards.

"That's not funny." She chastised, even though Matt saw the slight smile on her face.

"Sorry." He apologized, Gabby shaking her head. "But you go to work, I'll get these clothes in the wash for you."

"Thank you." She responded, rubbing her hand over his chest before walking towards the exit, Matt picking up her clothes off the bench, watching her go.

"Be safe out there." He told her, Gabby nodding as she slowed down her steps when she got to the corner.

"You be safe here." She replied, Matt returning the nod, flashing her a comforting smile before she disappeared out of the locker room, Casey breathing deeply as he began walking in the other direction towards the laundry room.

Matt sat at the table in the common room, tapping his finger against it as he sat around 51's other firefighters. Squad had returned from the call around half an hour ago, but ambo was still out, Matt assuming they should be back here soon once they got their patient dropped off, the Captain patiently waiting for his wife to get back. But as he sat here surrounded by his friends, his thoughts couldn't help but drift off, Matt staring straight ahead, his gaze focused out towards the garage, even though his mind was miles away. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about his truck, Gabby's words ringing in his head as he tried to figure out what might have been the reason for this.

Logic told him that he was probably right, that it was nothing to be concerned about. That odds are it was done because some stupid kids were playing a prank, or were dared. Or there were tons of people in the city who had problems with firefighters, it could've just been because his truck was parked outside the station, and it had nothing to do with whose truck it was. But he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe his wife had been right, that maybe there was more to it than that.

At first, if he was being honest, he really hadn't thought much of it. It was annoying, and frustrating, but he didn't think it was anything done because of him, or Gabby. There was no reason for him to think it was something done specifically to them.

Not until he remembered the threat that man had made to him the day of the crack house fire.

The firefighter hadn't considered it at first, that this man could be behind the slashed tires, but his wife's insistence that this wasn't just some stupid, random crime got him thinking. And once he started thinking about who might've done this, it didn't take him long to be reminded of that awful day.

Matt hadn't forgotten it happened, of course not. He couldn't forget something like that. But he had done what he could to move past it. It wasn't something he liked thinking about, so he'd done what he could to move on from it. He had accepted what had happened that day, he accepted that maybe he could've died but he didn't, and he was determined to enjoy every day he had with his family. He wouldn't let that man ruin his life, not when he still had one. And truthfully, he never actually thought the man's threat was serious. He was a junky; a murderous junky, but still a junky. There was a big difference between killing someone because they were in the way, and going out of your way to come back and finish the job. Matt never saw it as anything more than an empty threat, which is why he never told Gabby.

But now he had no idea what to think. There was a large part of him that still thought it was only a coincidence, that the man who tried to kill him had nothing to do with this. It had been over a month and a half since that happened, Matt couldn't see any reason why he'd come back now. It didn't make much sense to him, that if this man had been serious, why he'd wait so long to come back, and why he wouldn't just do what he promised instead of messing with him and Gabby. None of it seemed reasonable to him, and that alone was keeping him from being completely convinced that's what this was. Had this happened a while ago, then Matt probably would've immediately assumed it to be the guy coming back to make good on his threat. But now? He wasn't sure.

But what he did know what that someone had done this. Someone had come to the station and slashed his tires, he just didn't know if this was intentionally done to him or not. But if it was, he couldn't think of anyone else who would do this aside from that man.

He didn't want to assume the worst, and if he only had himself to consider, he'd probably just leave it alone.

But it wasn't just him.

Matt wasn't the only person that man had threatened that day. The crazy, drugged out murderer hadn't just threatened his life, but the lives of his wife and his baby. And that was something Matt would never risk. It didn't matter how slim the chances were that his tires being slashed were because of that man, if his family's safety was at stake, he knew he had to tell Antonio.

He had the two most important people in the world to consider, to keep safe, and he wouldn't do anything that might ever put them at risk.

Matt knew he probably should've told Antonio the second it happened. Looking back on it, he knew that. But he had been in such a rough spot after that day, he hadn't been coping with what happened, and his mind was all over the place. He wasn't himself, and it took him a long time to even be able to think straight. And by the time he'd finally started to get past everything, he figured the man was long gone. With him being wanted for murder and arson, Matt couldn't imagine he stuck around the city very long, so Casey never mentioned it.

But regardless of the actual reason behind his tires being slashed, that didn't matter; this man had threatened his family, and there was a chance he was coming back to try and make good on that promise. He couldn't keep it to himself anymore, no matter how much he wanted to move on from what happened.

He just hoped he hadn't made a mistake by not saying anything sooner.

If something ever happened to Gabby or their little girl because of him, he'd never forgive himself. As he sat here, he was already starting to be angry with himself for not telling Antonio sooner.

And he knew Gabby would be angry with him, too. She had every right to be.

His wife knew the man had talked about her and Sofia, Matt had told her that the night it happened. But what he didn't mention was how he'd threatened to come back and kill him. And he knew that was going to anger her as much as it would frighten her. She'd be so angry at him from keeping that from her, and he wouldn't blame her.

He thought he was doing the right thing, he thought it was an empty threat of a man who was angry and saw Matt as the reason the cops had come. He never thought there would be any sort of follow through, and the last thing he wanted Gabby worrying about was some crazy man coming after them, especially when Matt hadn't been making things easy on her already. He'd been a mess, but even through all that, he knew Gabby was having a hard time as well, and the last thing he wanted was to add to that.

But it wasn't something he could keep to himself anymore, even if this man wasn't behind what happened to his truck. It didn't matter if this man was long gone, he knew he needed to tell her, that he should've told her when it happened.

He'd just been hoping they'd never be in a position where he needed to.

"Hey Antonio."

Casey's eyes snapped into focus when he heard his brother's name, Matt glancing over to see the older Dawson and Ruzek walk into the common room, Antonio immediately looking to Casey. Matt was surprised to see him here, Casey not knowing Gabby had found time to talk to her brother already. But clearly she had, Matt knowing there was no other reason for Antonio to come to the firehouse, especially with Ruzek.

"Hey guys." He responded, everyone saying quick greetings to both detectives as Antonio came to a stop a few feet from the table Matt was sitting at, Adam stopping as well.

"Normally I'd say I'm surprised to see you stop by," Herrmann started, his thick accent filling the room, "But considering what happened to the Captain's truck this afternoon, I'm guessing that's why you're here." He finished with a grimace, Antonio nodding slightly.

"Yeah, Gabby called me earlier. Whoever did it, they definitely made sure that truck couldn't go anywhere." Antonio responded, his eyes moving back towards his brother. "Can we talk, Casey?" He asked, Matt nodding as he pushed himself up from his seat, giving a nod towards the conference room, Antonio and Ruzek following after him.

Matt moved past the tables, coming to stand at the front of the room, Antonio and Ruzek stopping a few feet from him. "Thanks for coming, I know you guys are busy." Matt spoke, Antonio shaking his head.

"It's fine, you all didn't know this would happen. I told Voight what was going on, he told me to come on down and bring Ruzek." He explained, Matt giving him a slight nod. He still had his problems with Voight, he always would, but he appreciated the man letting Antonio leave to come here. "How are you doing?" Antonio asked, Matt's eyebrows raising slightly. "I know my sister is upset over this, I could tell she was trying to hide it, but she seemed pretty freaked out. Wasn't sure how you were." He added, Matt giving a slight nod.

"Yeah, she's worried, but I'm alright." Casey responded, Antonio leaning his weight down on top of the table.

"Does she have a reason to be?" Ruzek asked, Matt glancing towards him, waiting for more of an explanation. "Have you guys had any run ins with anyone recently? I know we sometimes have issues with gangs, we have run-ins with them sometimes and it can get ugly. Anything like that?" He elaborated, Matt crossing his arms over his chest.

"Um, no, no gangs or anything." Matt responded, Ruzek nodding.

"No bad blood with anyone or anything?" Adam continued, Matt biting down on the inside of his cheek. "I mean, unfortunately, slashed tires in Chicago aren't an uncommon thing, that alone isn't much to go on. But if the firehouse had any run ins with anyone recently, even if it wasn't you or your shift, that could've been the reason."

"I haven't heard anything about any other shifts. Usually if something happens, we all know about it. Everything's been pretty calm around here." Casey replied carefully, Ruzek clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he nodded.

"What about the call from last month?" Antonio finally spoke up, Matt's eyes snapping towards him, the older Dawson seeing a look he couldn't quite read flash in his brother's eyes.

"What call?" Ruzek asked, looking back and forth between Antonio and Matt.

"That crack house fire, where that mother was gunned down." Antonio replied, Adam soon nodding. Matt couldn't be sure, but he assumed Ruzek, and probably everyone else in Intelligence, knew exactly what had happened that day, if Adam's reaction was any indication. "As far as I know, they never found the guy. I don't know if this would be him, though. I mean, there's no reason for him to come back, but he's the only guy I can think of that's given the house, or you, a problem." He finished, Matt pursing his lips together as his gaze fell down to the ground. Antonio's eyes narrowed slightly, noticing the immediate shift in Casey's demeanor, the detective not knowing what to make of it.

He knew Casey didn't like thinking of that day, Antonio having a front row seat to how much that incident had rattled not only Matt, but his sister as well. It wasn't a pleasant memory for any of them, but Matt especially, Antonio could only imagine how awful that had been, seeing what he did. The older Dawson had seen a lot of gruesome things in his line of work, and he knew Casey had as well, but what the firefighter had to endure that day, that would shake the strongest of people. And with what he learned from Casey and his sister, as well as Antonio having read the report on file, he knew Matt went through a lot that day, and in the weeks after. A lot that hadn't been easy for him to get past, and Antonio was sure he didn't like having to bring all that up again.

Seeing Casey closing himself off, Antonio released a soft breath, glancing towards the man beside him. "Ruzek, can you give us a minute?" He requested, Adam nodding immediately, taking a step back towards the door.

"Yeah, no problem. I'll go talk to everyone, make sure none of them saw anything." He responded knowingly, Ruzek having noticed the change in Casey's attitude as well, understanding this was a very personal and hard thing for the firefighter. "It was good to see you, Casey. Sorry it was under these circumstances, though." Adam added, Matt giving him a nod as he lifted his head.

"Good to see you, too." He responded, Adam shooting Antonio a quick look before leaving the room, Matt sure the detective knew what it meant, even if he didn't.

Antonio waited for the door to shut completely before he turned back towards his brother, finding Matt's eyes already on him. There was a hesitant look covering Casey's face, but Antonio could only hope now that they were alone, the firefighter would be a little more transparent.

"Look man, I know that day was really hard on you… That you went through a lot. I know you don't really like bringing all that up again, and I wouldn't if I didn't have to, I'm just trying to figure out what's going on." Antonio started, Matt giving him a nod. "I don't really see why this man would come back and do this, he got away, I don't know why he'd risk that by coming back. I've still been checking in with the investigation, they haven't stopped looking for him, but as far as I know every lead they have went cold." He explained, Matt taking a deep breath. "But if this was done intentionally, he's really the only person I can think of that would be coming after you specifically."

Antonio kept his eyes on Matt the entire time, trying to get a read on the man across from him, but he was having a hard time. He could tell Casey seemed a little tense, but he wasn't sure if that was because of the topic, or if there was something deeper going on. But, whatever it was, he needed to know.

"What are you thinking, Casey?" Antonio asked, his words getting Matt to look back at him. "I mean, besides this guy, is there any other person you could see doing this?"

Casey slowly shook his head, taking deep breaths as he thought over his next words. How he was going to tell the detective about what the man had said to him before he smacked him with the gun, the words that had been left out of the report, that Matt hadn't told anyone.

"No, I can't think of anyone else who'd do this… But, uh-..." Matt spoke quietly, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing as he straightened his back slightly.

Before Matt could continue, the door coming from the hallway opened, both Antonio and Casey turning at the noise, seeing Gabby walk in, flashing them both a weak smile.

"Hey, you're back." Matt cleared his throat, Gabby giving him a nod as she came to stand by his side.

"Yeah, just got back a few minutes ago. Hey Antonio." She greeted her brother, resting her hand on Matt's back, her side pressing against his arm.

"Hey sis."

"You find anything out?" She asked, Antonio blowing out a heavy breath, shaking his head.

"No, not yet… Like Ruzek and I were telling Matt, and as I'm sure you all know, slashed tires aren't uncommon here-"

"Yeah, but all of them?" She cut in, Antonio pursing his lips together.

"It's weird, Gabs. I'm not saying it isn't, I'm just saying that with the tires alone, that's not much to go on." He repeated Adam's earlier words, his statement earning a heavy sigh from his sister. "Once I'm done here, I'm gonna go talk to Boden, see if I can get a look at the outside cameras, but from where Matt's truck is, I'm not sure if it was close enough to be in the frame."

"So you're gonna look into it?" She asked, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing as he pushed himself off the table.

"Of course I am, sis. Regardless of why it happened, it happened. I'm gonna do what I can, it's just if we don't really have anyone to look at, I'm not sure we'll be able to figure out who did it, or why." He replied, Gabby giving him a nod before glancing towards her husband, knowing he'd been quiet since she got back. She couldn't tell much from her position slightly behind him, but he felt tense underneath her touch, Gabby rubbing her hand along his lower back.

"You doing okay?" Gabby asked, his demeanor a shift in how he'd been acting before she left for her call, Matt glancing towards her, flashing her a soft smile.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"What were you saying, Matt?" Antonio spoke up, earning the attention of them both.

"What?" Gabby asked, looking back and forth between her brother and her husband, Antonio nodding at Casey to continue.

"Right. Well, uh-"

The bells blaring throughout the house stopped him before he could get the words out, Matt getting cut off a second time as he heard truck and squad being called out to a house fire, Gabby dropping her hand from his back, knowing he needed to go.

"Sorry, I gotta…" He trailed off, Antonio giving him a nod before Matt glanced to Gabby, pressing a quick kiss to her head.

"Stay safe out there." Gabby spoke as he headed for the door, Matt giving her a reassuring nod before slipping out of the door, leaving the siblings alone in the conference room.

"You doing okay?" Antonio asked after a few seconds, gaining his sister's attention as Gabby tore her gaze from the door Matt just left through, giving her older brother a nod.

"I'm alright, yeah… I'm just worried. Matt keeps saying he doesn't think this was done because of us, which I guess makes sense. I mean, I'm not sure who would, but I don't know what to think. Out of everyone's cars here, why was it ours? Especially because Matt's name is plastered on the side of it, so obviously if his vehicle was what they were looking for, it's easy to find. I don't know, I don't want to believe someone did this because it was us, but I don't know what else to think, it just doesn't seem random." She breathed out, her rambling even taking her by surprise as she saw her brother's raised eyebrows, Gabby shaking her head. "Sorry, I'm sorry… I guess this is still bothering me more than I thought."

"You're fine, sis. I don't blame you for being upset. I wish there was more I could do." Antonio replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm gonna talk to Boden, see if we can get the security footage sent to the district and I'll take a look at it, but other than that if that doesn't give us much, I'm not sure what else I can do." He reminded her, Gabby nodding slowly.

"No, I know… I just appreciate your help."

"Of course, I'll help however I can." He told her, knowing his sister was more shaken by this than he initially realized, though he couldn't say he was surprised. In the past, it had taken a lot for something to rattle Gabby, she'd just always been that way. But ever since she got back from Puerto Rico, that hadn't been the case, in fact at times it had been the exact opposite. After what she went through over there, he understood it, but that was definitely something that had been a permanent change since she came home. And along with that, Gabby now had Sofia to consider in all this. He just wasn't surprised that all of this had left her a little uneasy. "I already asked Casey, but is there anyone you can think of that might've done this?" He asked, Gabby's eyes narrowing in thought. "Anyone you, or Casey, might've pissed off? Anyone the house has had trouble with?"

"I can't think of anything… The only thing I can think of is that guy who tried to hurt Matt, but isn't he long gone?" She asked, Antonio's tongue poking out to wet his lips, Gabby seeing the unsure look on his face. "...What is it?"

"It's just-... We still don't know where that man is, so I can't rule him out." He replied carefully, seeing his sister's body tense, Antonio shaking his head. "We don't know if that's what this is, we don't have any reason to think he'd come back for Casey, but it is a possibility." He tried to make her feel better, but he knew he'd failed, Antonio seeing the clear look of concern shining in Gabby's eyes. "I asked Casey, he couldn't think of anyone else who might've done this, so if it did happen to Matt because it was his truck, this guy is looking like he might be our best lead."

"But you guys don't even know who he is." She murmured, clenching her hands together in front of her, nerves radiating off her body.

"No… we don't." He confirmed, Gabby taking a deep breath before looking back towards her brother.

"Do you really think this guy is coming back for Matt?" Her voice was small, like she was afraid of the answer.

"I don't know, Gabs." He replied honestly, Gabby nodding slowly. "That's what I was trying to talk to Matt about before he got called out. But, like I said, there's no reason to think he'd bother coming back to do anything to Matt. I don't want you stressing over this before we even know what this actually is, alright? I'm gonna do what I can, I don't want you to worry." He replied, earning a pointed stare from his sister, Antonio blowing out a sigh. "Alright, well I know you're going to worry, but try not to. It'll be fine." He assured her, Gabby giving him a slow nod before Antonio took a step towards her, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze. "Just let me worry about this, I promise I'll keep you updated, alright?"

"Alright." She responded, Antonio pressing a quick kiss to the side of her head before heading for the door.

"I'm gonna go see Boden, I'll say goodbye before I leave… You okay?" He asked, stopping as he placed his hand on the door, Gabby giving him a nod.

"I'm good."

"Good… Kiss my niece for me when you get home." He added, thankful to see a smile form over his sister's face at the mention of her daughter.

"I will." She promised, Antonio smiling softly before opening the door. "Thank you, Tonio."

"I got you, sis." He promised, giving her one last nod before heading out of the briefing room, leaving Gabby in there alone.

Casey blew out a heavy breath as he grabbed his bag from his locker, slinging it over his shoulder before slamming the door shut, his eyebrows raising when he caught sight of his wife coming around the corner. She was already changed out, Gabby clad in her jeans, a t-shirt, and thick jacket, her shift bag resting over her shoulder.

"Hey." She greeted softly, Matt giving her a nod. "Severide's ready whenever we are."

"Alright." He responded with a weak smile, Gabby nodding before she turned around, Matt following her out of the locker room.

The last day had proved to be a lot for the couple, neither of them having handled the stress of yesterday as well as they would've liked when they were still in the firehouse surrounded by their friends and coworkers. Everyone had tried to do what they could to keep the Caseys' mind off it, but it was clear to everyone that both Matt and Gabby were on edge after what happened, Ruzek's questioning yesterday only cementing the belief around the firehouse that this might not have been random. No one really knew what was going on, but it was clear both the firefighter and paramedic were left a little troubled, everyone focusing on keeping things around the house as normal as they could.

Luckily, in Gabby's case, it ended up being a pretty busy shift, which kept her occupied and gave her the chance to keep her mind off things. It had made the rest of the day go by pretty quickly, which Dawson was thankful for. The same couldn't be said in Matt's case, however, 81 not having been called out again the rest of the day after the call that had interrupted his conversation with Antonio. Truck had spent the entire evening at the house, not being needed until around three in the morning when they responded to a house fire. But even though he would have rather had some distractions, the ample time at the house had given Casey time to make all the calls he needed to.

He had started with calling the garage where he usually got work on his truck done, Matt explaining the situation, making it known that this was a pressing matter, and he really needed his truck done by morning. It wasn't nearly as much of a headache as he was expecting, Casey getting everything set up rather quickly, the man on the phone assuring someone would be there soon to pick up his truck. And, true to their word, a tow truck had shown up in less than half an hour, both Matt and Severide staying out there while they got his truck towed, Casey reminding them he'd be by in the morning.

After that ordeal had been taken care of, Casey had called Becca, letting her know what happened and that they'd need her to stay a little longer with Sofia in the morning until they could get home. As expected, Becca was more than willing, constantly assuring him she could stay as long as needed, that her and Sofia were fine and for them to just focus on getting his truck fixed, and that she was here for whatever they might need.

Once he'd done everything he needed to do in regards to his truck, Matt felt a little better, but he still spent the majority of the last day with a sinking feeling in his stomach, and he knew his wife was feeling the same way. Especially when they heard back from Antonio late last night, and the security footage hadn't shown much of anything. Matt's truck was barely in the frame, you could only see the front right side of his vehicle and that hadn't given them much. They were able to see that tire get slashed, and there was a person in frame for a few seconds, but they couldn't see much, at least not anything useful. With the cold weather, whoever had done it was bundled up, making it impossible to get any identifying features. All Antonio could tell was that it was a man, probably someone around Matt's age, but that last part was merely a guess. Antonio had stopped by last night to show him the images anyway, even though they all knew nothing could really been seen, and, as expected, Matt wasn't able to help much. Based on stature alone, it could've been the man who tried to kill him, but it also could've been a hundred different people. There wasn't nearly enough to be anywhere close to helpful in identifying who'd done this. All it told them was that it hadn't been the stupid kids they were hoping for. Whoever had done this was older, which had left both Matt and Gabby even more unsettled.

Casey had been holding onto the hope that it was just some dumb kids, and he knew Gabby had been as well, so finding out that wasn't that case definitely hadn't helped anything. And even though it didn't confirm anything either, it meant he needed to talk to Antonio about what really happened the day of that call.

And he still needed to tell Gabby, too.

He wanted to, he knew he needed to, but he never found the right moment. He didn't want to tell her when they could be interrupted without warning, he didn't want to just drop that on her when they needed to be focused on work, so he'd decided to wait and tell her after shift, which meant he had to wait to tell Antonio, as well. There was no way he could tell the older Dawson without the younger one finding out, Matt knowing it was for the best to just wait, though that hadn't made it any easier.

The uncertainty surrounding everything was definitely the hardest part, and Matt would give anything for this to have never happened, because he knew how hard his wife was taking it, especially when he found out Antonio had mentioned to her that the person who'd done this might be the psychotic murderer who already tried to kill her husband once. After talking with Antonio, Gabby had been visibly on edge the rest of shift, and while Matt couldn't blame her, he hated seeing her so upset.

Gabby reaching for his hand pulled him from his thoughts as they got out into the garage, Matt looking towards his wife, seeing her flash him a soft smile. "You alright?" She asked quietly, Matt returning the smile as she gave her hand a squeeze.

"I'm good." He assured her, glancing down to their conjoined hands. "How's your wrist feeling?" He asked, knowing she hadn't mentioned it since right after she hurt it yesterday.

"It's fine, nothing to worry about." She replied with a gentle smile, Matt nodding and giving her hand one last squeeze before dropping it, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead as they headed for Severide's car.

To the relief of both Matt and Gabby, picking up Matt's truck hadn't taken very long at all. It was already done and waiting for them when they arrived, four brand new tires replacing the worn down, slashed ones from yesterday. And, under the circumstances, they were both relieved to have his truck back already.

Matt and Gabby exited the garage, walking towards his truck with their shift bags in their hands, Severide having just left once he knew they were good, the couple ready to get on with their day now that this was taken care of.

"Well… there's $700 we'll never get back." Casey breathed out in frustration, Gabby pursing her lips together as she climbed into the cold truck, Matt following her lead.

"I know, I hate it, too. But we didn't have a choice." She reminded him, Matt giving her a nod as they placed their bags on the ground in between them before he slid the key into the ignition, the truck roaring to life with ease.

"Ready to go home?"

"More than you know, but we should probably stop by the grocery store first." She replied, Matt glancing to her. "We have next to nothing at home, we honestly should've gone days ago." Gabby added, earning a nod from her husband. "I can call Becca, let her know we're gonna be a little bit longer."

"I don't care to go to the store, but can we go home first and get Sof?" He asked, Gabby raising her eyebrows slightly. "...I just wanna see her." He added quietly, her face softening before giving him an immediate nod.

"Of course, baby." She replied, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss, Matt relishing in the contact before she pulled back, both of them eager to get home and see their baby.

"What do you think, Sof? You think we should get regular pasta sauce, or Alfredo? I know Momma prefers regular, but your Daddy doesn't, so what do you think? You're the tie breaker here." He spoke to his daughter as they stood in the aisle, holding up both options in front of her, the baby waving her arms around, smacking the regular pasta sauce first. "Yeah, I'm not surprised you sided with your Momma…" He responded with a chuckle, placing the Alfredo back on the shelf before putting the sauce Sofia chose in the cart, the two Casey's continuing down the aisle.

They had been playing this game since they first got here, Matt letting Sofia help him figure out what all they should get, even though the baby had no idea what was going on, little Sofia just happy to be out and about. When they'd gotten to the store over half an hour ago, Matt had strapped Sofia to his chest in the new baby carrier they'd gotten a few weeks ago, the parents having upgraded to the one where they could wear Sofia facing forward. And, just as they expected, Sofia absolutely loved it. For as much as their little girl loved cuddling with her parents, when she was wide awake, she absolutely loved seeing the world around her, this carrier being the perfect thing for them. It kept Sofia close to one of them at all times, and gave the little girl an opportunity to look out around her, all while keeping Matt's arms free. It was the perfect thing for all of them, and had made their lives a lot easier, even though Matt definitely always got some looks whenever he walked around with Sofia strapped to his chest.

He wasn't really sure why, he didn't know why him carrying his daughter elicited such a response from people, but he'd certainly get a lot of stares whenever he wore this. Some of it was judgement, he knew that, but what made him more uncomfortable was the looks he'd get from women. Maybe it was just the fact that he was happily married, and that there'd only been one woman in his heart for the better part of seven years, but he really didn't like the attention he seemed to get whenever he had Sofia.

It happened sometimes in the past when they'd see his ring, some woman apparently finding that a turn on, or a challenge maybe, he wasn't sure, but he'd get approached some times even after they knew he was a married man. But with Sofia, it happened more often. He wasn't sure why, but he tried to pay no attention to it, Matt more interested in spending time with his daughter.

Thankfully, no one had approached him tonight, even though he had noticed more than one woman eyeing him since they'd been in here. But he assumed Gabby's frequent presence by his side was enough to deter anyone who had thought of coming up to him.

"Alright baby girl, what do you think about our pasta choices?" He asked, rubbing his hand against the carrier over Sofia's chest, the baby smacking his arm, soft babbling noises continuously leaving her lips. "Since we went with your Momma's favorite sauce, how about we go with Daddy's favorite pasta? That sound okay?" He asked, lifting his hand up slightly, Sofia becoming intrigued by her dad's hand, the little girl grabbing ahold of his fingers, pulling him towards her mouth. She began shaking his hand around, Sofia soon seeing the shiny wedding ring on his finger, quickly becoming focused on that. That was something Sofia had started doing as of late, always becoming fascinated by any jewelry people wore, the girl equally as curious of Gabby's wedding ring, as well as the necklace she wore every day. In the past, she'd grab onto people's jewelry while they held her, but now she seemed to see it as a toy, Sofia definitely finding it interesting. And, whatever jewelry she could get her little hands on, it usually ended up with her trying to shove whatever it was in her mouth, Matt guiding his hand away from her lips but letting her keep her grip on him. "Alright Sof, let's get some pasta and get back to Momma, I'm not sure where she wandered off to."

After grabbing a single box of pasta and placing it into the cart, Matt began to head out of the aisle, hoping it wouldn't take him too long to find his wife, even though she ran off somewhere a few minutes ago now, and had yet to reappear.

With one hand on the cart, he kept his other across Sofia's stomach, the young girl watching her surroundings with wide eyes as Matt walked around, his eyes peeled for Gabby. But his steps were soon halted when someone turned the corner just as he did, Matt having to stop abruptly to avoid hitting them.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you-"

His words got caught in his throat when he saw the person standing directly across from them, their eyes widened in shock as well, that look only intensifying when their gaze moved down, seeing the baby strapped to his chest.

"Naomi…"

His voice snapped her from whatever thoughts were filling her head, the blonde straightening her spine as her gaze moved back up to him, Matt seeing a harsh look in her eye.

"...So I guess Gabby stayed." She responded sharply, Matt pursing his lips together as his eyes darted around, trying to see if Gabby was anywhere in sight. "At least I'm assuming it's Gabby, that baby looks an awful lot like her… And I know I didn't know you very well, but I can't imagine you would've gotten married already to anyone else." She added roughly, clearly having seen the wedding ring resting proudly on his finger.

Casey stood there uncomfortably, unsure of what to say to this woman who had been nothing more than a poor decision on his part. He hated what had happened, he hated knowing he'd hurt her, but above everything else he hated that he'd ever done anything with her in the first place.

"Yeah, um-" He cleared his throat, rubbing over his daughter's chest. "This is Sofia." He told her, not knowing what else to say, Naomi releasing a slight scoff.

"Well, looks like I was right about Gabby… If you managed to get her pregnant, she'd stay this time." She responded bitterly, Matt's eyes narrowing in annoyance. He knew he'd messed up, but it had been well over a year since they'd seen each other, and he really didn't understand her attitude towards him.

They hadn't been anything. She knew what he was wanting from her when they got together, even though he wasn't proud of it. But he didn't understand why she was seemingly so hung up on their brief fling, if you could even call it that. And he really didn't like how after all this time, she was still taking shots at Gabby.

"Naomi, look-"

"Hey babe, there you are. I went back to the cereal aisle, but I couldn't find you…" Gabby's voice trailed off when she came up from behind Naomi, his wife clearly stunned when she realized exactly who he'd been talking to, Gabby's body tensing slightly as she came to stand beside Matt, an awkward tension filling the air. "Um… hi Naomi." She greeted uncomfortably, the blonde looking back and forth between them, shaking her head slightly.

"Yeah, we don't have to do this…" She replied harshly before they could even pretend to make small talk, Gabby swallowing thickly as Matt's neck clenched. "Congratulations on the baby, and getting remarried. I'm glad it worked out for you two… You deserve each other." She added, although her rough and sarcastic voice sounded the opposite of genuine, the woman turning around and heading in a different direction before either of the Caseys could say anything.

The awkward tension hadn't lifted even after she walked away, Gabby having taken a slight step away from him as they stood there uncomfortably, Sofia entertaining herself as she chewed on her fist.

"I, um-"

"What else do we need to get?" She asked, her voice cutting him off as Gabby turned towards him, Matt unable to read the look in her eye.

"Babe…"

"It's fine. What else do we need?" She repeated, her tone a touch firmer than it had been seconds prior, Matt sighing softly before glancing down to the cart.

"Um, milk I think." He responded, Gabby giving him a slight nod before heading in that direction, Matt following after her.

The rest of their time spent in the grocery store had been tense, to put it lightly. Gabby hadn't said much to him, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. He knew she wasn't mad that they'd seen her, there was no way for either of them to know they'd run into her here. He didn't even know Naomi was still in the area, although admittedly, she hadn't been on his mind since the last time he saw her. Although Matt knew it wasn't their running into her that had Gabby awfully quiet, but it was probably more so the memories her presence brought up.

He wasn't proud of what he'd done. He doesn't like being reminded of the mistakes he'd made, and he knew Gabby hated it just as much. How he did something he never should've done, bringing another woman into his and Gabby's home. He hadn't cheated, they both knew he didn't, but it almost felt like he had by bringing her into their home. And considering the thought still made him sick, he was sure it made his wife feel even worse, Matt knowing how much this entire mess had hurt her.

And it didn't help that the family was already on edge already, the events of the past day having taken their toll on both of them.

So Matt left it alone while they were in the store, not wanting to make anything more difficult, even though her silence was alarming. He knew trying to have any conversation in that place would get them nowhere, and considering he couldn't get a read on Gabby, he figured it safest to wait. She didn't seem mad, or even all that upset; she was just quiet. And somehow that had been worse.

Matt finished loading the groceries into the trunk of Gabby's car as she got Sofia buckled back into her seat, the two working on their own tasks quietly. By the time Casey had finished, Gabby was already in the car, waiting for him in the passenger seat as he came up to his door. Once he'd gotten in, Matt locked the doors, effectively closing them off from the outside world, Casey quickly turning the car on to get some heat flowing through the vents.

They sat there warming up for a few seconds, Matt sparing occasional glances towards Gabby, seeing her staring down at her lap, her mind clearly elsewhere.

"I'm sorry about that."

His voice brought her back into the present, Gabby raising her eyebrows slightly as she looked up towards her husband, a confused look on her face.

"For what?"

"For that in there, I know that was uncomfortable." He elaborated with a wince, Gabby shaking her head slightly.

"It's okay, it's not your fault… You didn't know we were gonna run into her." She replied, Matt running his teeth over his bottom lip, slightly surprised by her reaction. He wasn't entirely sure what he'd been expecting, but that wasn't it, especially considering her prolonged silence inside the store.

"Yeah, I definitely wasn't expecting that." He replied carefully, still unsure of where her head was at. And she wasn't giving much away, Gabby deep in thought as she stared straight ahead, focusing on the light snow hitting the windshield. "Are you alright?" He asked, but he got no response. "...Gabby?"

"Huh?" She asked, turning to see his expectant eyes on her. "Sorry, what'd you say?"

"I asked if you were okay…" He repeated, Gabby nodding quickly.

"Yeah, I'm fine… It's just- you don't think she had something to do with this, do you?" She asked quickly, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Gabby blowing out a heavy breath. "Your tires getting slashed… do you think she was part of it?"

His eyes widened slightly, not expecting those words to come from her mouth, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip roughly. "Oh…" He breathed out, thinking over her question before responding. "Honestly, I hadn't really considered that, but I don't think so… I mean, I guess it's possible, and I know she was mad, but mad enough to do that? I don't know."

"No, I know, it's probably just a coincidence. And I know Antonio thinks it's a guy in that video, but it's just… it's weird." She replied, Matt reaching out to grab her leg gently. "I mean, you haven't seen her since I first got back, then suddenly we see her the day after your tires get slashed?" She asked rhetorically, Matt pursing his lips together as he breathed deeply, dropping her eye contact. "...Right?" She prodded, Matt looking back up to her.

"What?"

"You haven't seen her since I got back, right?" Gabby asked for clarification, her eyes shining back at him as she waited for his response, Matt's eyebrows furrowing before he immediately shook his head.

"No, I haven't seen her, or spoken to her." He confirmed quickly, not wanting her to think otherwise. "The last time I saw her was the last time you did."

Gabby gave him a nod, blowing out a heavy breath before bringing her hands up to cradle her face, Gabby leaning over into her lap. "God, I know I'm being ridiculous, there's no reason for Naomi to have anything to do with this… She's obviously still hurt, but she looked just as shocked to see us as we were to see her, I don't think she'd have anything to do with this, this entire thing is just driving me crazy." She groaned, her head collapsed into her hands, Matt frowning deeply as he squeezed her leg, trying to give her any comfort he could. "I just wish I knew why this happened, I'm gonna go insane… Like if this was random, okay.. But if it wasn't? Who would do this to you? I don't get it." She mumbled, frustration pouring from her body as she tried to take steadying breaths, Matt's eyes falling closed. "I know Antonio thinks it might be that man who tried to hurt you, but why would he come after you now? It doesn't make sense, it's not like you're able to ID him or anything, God I just hate all of this."

It was clear she needed to get all this off her chest, Matt sitting silently by her side as her words washed over him, his chest tightening as he listened to her heavy breathing.

He needed to tell her. He couldn't keep putting it off anymore. She was driving herself crazy, and he hated seeing her like this. Even though he didn't know if this man was behind this, he knew it was a possibility. And he couldn't keep her in the dark about it any longer.

"Gabby…" He spoke softly, clearing his throat, but she hadn't looked up. "Baby." He tried again, watching her take a deep breath before lifting her head, Matt seeing the exhaustion mixed with worry settled in her gaze. "There's uh… We need to talk." He prefaced, seeing the immediate confusion settle over her face, Matt knowing his tone was only bound to worry her more.

"What is it?" She asked softly, Matt giving her thigh a squeeze as he took a deep breath, slowly meeting her gaze.

"There's something I never told you… about the day that guy tried to kill me."