Hello everyone! Hope you all are doing well, and staying safe. Here's the next chapter for you all, thank you for all the feedback on the last one, I hope you enjoy this one as well. Thanks so much for reading!

Chapter Ninety Three

Gabby ran her clammy palms over her jeans as they sat in the office, her leg bouncing up and down nervously as her gaze focused on her lap, the woman gnawing on her bottom lip while they waited. Casey was sitting by her side, the man's eyes on Sofia as she crawled around on the ground, the baby testing her boundaries, as she so often did, while she explored her new surroundings. They'd been here for a little over twenty minutes, the family being ushered into the intimate room before they were told Tina would be here shortly, the older woman leaving them on their own while they waited. And in that short time span, their daughter had been all over the place, the restless baby not content with being held by either of her parents, little Sofia fussing until she was placed on the ground and free to roam around.

But as the minutes drug on, Matt couldn't help but notice his wife's nervous energy, the man tearing his eyes away from his daughter and moving towards her every few moments. She'd been like this most of the morning, but as soon as they'd gotten to DCFS, it had become more noticeable, Matt knowing she'd probably be feeling like this until Tina got here.

It had been three days since they agreed to try and foster Caitlyn, since Gabby had come home and told him she was in, and things had definitely been a little crazy since then. At first, Matt was a little unsure, the couple having spoken at length about this, Casey needing to know she wasn't just doing this for him. He needed to be sure this is what she wanted, too. But after they'd spoken about it all throughout the day, and slept on it, when they woke up the next morning still feeling that same desire to help this child, they knew they were in.

And that's how they found themselves here, Matt and Gabby sitting as patiently as they could while they waited to meet Caitlyn.

While Matt felt some lingering nerves, the man more excited than anything to meet this little girl, Gabby was definitely more anxious than he would've liked. But he'd expected it, if he were being honest. He knew, despite how this was something she wanted to do, there was bound to be some hesitation on her part. After all they've been through, he knew there was still a part of her that was worried about bringing a child that wouldn't be theirs into their home, but he believed her when she told him this is what she wanted. That she wanted to do this for them, and this little girl. And he was sure once they actually met Caitlyn, some of those nerves would fade away.

"You good?" Casey asked after a few moments, Gabby snapping her eyes towards him, finding the gentle gaze of her husband on her, his soft smile calming her down considerably as she gave him a slight nod.

"Yeah, I'm good." She repeated, Matt reaching out to give her thigh a reassuring squeeze before he nodded. "Just a little nervous, I guess… But excited."

"Me too." He replied, squeezing her leg once more before he turned the other way to look towards Sofia, seeing his daughter was getting awfully close to the outlet on the wall, Matt moving quickly up out of his seat before she got any ideas. "Alright Sof, it's time to come back with Daddy." He spoke as he came up behind her, the baby having released a slight squeal of amusement when she was picked up off the ground, Gabby unable to stop the smile growing over her face as she watched her husband bounce their rambunctious daughter in his arms. Sofia was lightly smacking his face while he walked them back towards the table, Gabby placing her hand on the arm of his chair before he sat down, wanting to make sure it didn't move on him while he had their daughter in his arms.

Just as he'd gotten settled in his seat, with their baby chewing on her fist while she sat in his lap, the door opened, Matt and Gabby both immediately looking towards the sound as they saw Tina come into view, a little girl nearly glued to her side as they stepped in through the doorway.

The second they saw her, soft smiles covered both Matt and Gabby's faces, the clearly unsure child looking around quickly before her eyes landed on the couple, Caitlyn taking a step closer to Tina as the little girl held onto her hand tightly.

"Caitlyn… These are the people I was telling you about." Tina spoke softly before leading her further into the room, Gabby and Matt both standing up slowly before making their way around the table towards her, Caitlyn's eyes bouncing back and forth between them as they stopped a few steps short of her, neither one of them wanting to overcrowd her. "This is Gabby, and this is Matt… And this is their daughter, Sofia." She introduced, Caitlyn nestled into Tina's side as she continued looking at them, her nervous eyes locking on Gabby.

The second she caught her gaze, Gabby flashed her a warm smile, her instincts kicking in as she just wanted to do whatever she could to make the clearly anxious girl be more at ease, the mother taking a moment to look her over.

She was a small girl, Caitlyn looking to be pretty little for her age, her blonde hair falling just below her shoulders, partially covering the stuffed animal that was clutched to her chest, her deep brown eyes, that looked an awful lot like Gabby's, still locked on the older woman.

"Hi Caitlyn." Matt spoke up, his voice causing the little girl to look away from Gabby and towards him, the parents seeing her step away from Tina slightly, despite keeping the tight grip on the woman's hand. It wasn't much, but it was a little bit of progress, seeing that she was slowly feeling a little more comfortable around them.

"Hi." She spoke quietly, Gabby glancing at Matt for a moment before slowly taking a step forward, Caitlyn watching her curiously as Gabby crouched down to be eye level with the young girl.

"Who do you have there?" Gabby asked warmly, Caitlyn looking back and forth between Gabby and Matt before looking down towards her stuffed animal, the worn down teddy bear smushed against her body as she held onto it for dear life.

"Mr. Sparkles." She answered shyly, Gabby smiling softly at the name before giving her a nod.

"Well, it's nice to meet both of you." She replied, a small grin pulling on the little girl's lips as Gabby spoke to her and her stuffed animal, Caitlyn taking another step away from Tina towards her.

"You too." She replied, Gabby nodding before Caitlyn looked back towards Matt, her eyes focusing on the little girl in his arms, Sofia still oblivious to the other people in the room. "You have a baby?"

"We do." Gabby responded before waving Matt closer, the man stepping towards them and carefully squatting down as well, adjusting Sofia on his hip as the baby looked around, her wide eyes landing on Caitlyn. The second she saw the other smaller person, Sofia immediately began to bounce in her dad's arms, loud noises of excitement escaping her lips as she looked at Caitlyn, the older girl's smile widening.

"She likes me." Caitlyn spoke proudly, her bright eyes shining back and forth between Matt and Gabby, the latter feeling her heart pull in her chest at how happy Caitlyn was.

"Yeah, she does." Matt agreed, Gabby biting down on the inside of her bottom lip before nodding. "I think you two are gonna be great friends." He continued, Caitlyn's smile only growing before she stepped away from Tina completely, dropping the older woman's hand before coming to a stop in front of Matt. The second she was within reach, Sofia tried grabbing her, Caitlyn laughing loudly as the baby pulled on her arm.

"She's so cute." Caitlyn said with a laugh, both girls giggling as Sofia held onto her hand, the baby nearly shrieking from excitement as Caitlyn took a step closer to Matt, her eyes focused on Sofia. "Her name is So…. So-" Her eyebrows furrowed together in question, little Caitlyn clearly trying to remember their daughter's name.

"Sofia." Matt supplemented, Caitlyn's smile falling slightly before her head turned to the ground.

"Sorry… I forgot." Her soft voice was muffled by the teddy bear she'd all but buried her head into, Gabby and Matt sharing a knowing look before turning their attention back towards Caitlyn. While they couldn't be sure, her immediate shift in demeanor had them both thinking the same thing; that Caitlyn was waiting to get in trouble. That something as simple as her unable to remember the name of someone she'd just met would've been cause for her to be disciplined, and that broke their hearts.

Drawing in a deep breath, Dawson slowly reached out to place her hand on the girl's shoulder, Caitlyn cautiously looking back up towards them, her eyes moving between the two, seeing nothing but warm, reassuring smiles looking back at her.

"It's okay, you don't need to be sorry." Matt assured her, Gabby rubbing her hand along her arm in a comforting motion, their assurance slowly allowing Caitlyn to open back up again, the parents seeing a slight smile tugging on her lips before she nodded.

"I won't forget again! Promise!" She said excitedly, like she'd completely forgotten her worries from a few moments, Gabby sliding her hand around to rub the girl's back, Caitlyn's grin growing as she looked back at the baby. "Hi Sofia!" She spoke, her voice louder than it had been before while she grabbed ahold of the little girl's hand, Sofia's energy levels rising as this new, unfamiliar person paid attention to her. "Miss Tina said your Mommy and Daddy are gonna take me!"

"Caitlyn, honey, remember I just said they wanted to meet you." Tina tried, but Matt immediately shook his head, telling her it was fine, the woman nodding before taking a few steps back, wanting to give Caitlyn space to get acclimated to the family she might be spending a few weeks with.

"We could be best friends!" Caitlyn continued on brightly, the little girl looking from Sofia down towards her stuffed animal, before back to the baby, her eyes lighting up before she held out the toy. "We can play with Mr. Sparkles! I'm a great sharer." She said the second part to Gabby and Matt, her deep brown eyes bouncing between them as Sofia grabbed onto the stuffed animal, Caitlyn willingly handing it over.

"I think she'd love that, thank you, sweetheart." Gabby replied, both her and Matt seeing the pleased smile on her face. "That was very nice of you."

Caitlyn gave her a nod before returning her gaze to Sofia, Matt and Gabby glancing at each other while the two little girls were distracted, their eyes telling them both more than words ever could.

"Can we play?" Caitlyn's small voice gained their attention, the parents turning to find the little girl watching them with a hopeful look. "Are you leaving?"

"No, we're not leaving yet honey." Gabby replied almost instantly, seeing the look of happiness that flooded the girl's features, Dawson rubbing over her back. "Matt and I, and Sofia, we wanna stay here with you for a little while. We can play with you, and I know Sof would love it." She added, Caitlyn nodding excitedly before she reached for Gabby's hand, Dawson having to quickly stand up before she got pulled down to the ground, the little girl leading her back to the table while Matt followed close behind.

Over the next hour, Matt and Gabby spent as much time as they could getting to know Caitlyn, the parents a little surprised by just how lively she could be when she felt comfortable. It was a complete shift from the timid girl that had first walked into the office, Caitlyn spending most of the time chatting away, her five year old speech sometimes a little hard to follow, that disconnect not helped by the slight lisp she spoke with, but they were picking it up rather quickly. And the more time they spent with her, the more both of them became more and more enamored by the young girl, Caitlyn completely winning both of them over as they learned more about her. Though she had moments of shyness, and times where she was afraid she'd done something wrong and would freeze up for a moment, overall she seemed to be a happy and decently well-adjusted kid. A kid their little Sofia had absolutely fallen in love with in the short amount of time they'd spent together, which definitely helped both Gabby and Matt feel more at ease about the entire situation. It had gone better than they could've ever imagined or hoped for, and it just felt right.

And before they even realized it, it was time for them to leave, the parents telling the little girl goodbye before she was reluctantly taken by one of the other DCFS workers, Caitlyn clearly not wanting to leave them after they'd had such a great time, the sight of her apparent hesitance to go tugging at both Matt and Gabby's hearts as Tina came up to them.

"So… How do you think it went?" She asked from the other side of the table, Gabby pursing her lips together before drawing in a deep breath, her mind still focused on the look of what seemed to be worry on Caitlyn's face before she left the room. Like she was worried she wouldn't see them again, or worried about going back to the group home she was currently staying at; Gabby wasn't sure which one, but neither option sat well with her.

"I think it went great." Matt spoke up after clearing his throat, the man also a little thrown by Caitlyn's reluctance to leave. "She's an amazing little girl."

"She is." Tina echoed, her eyes moving towards Gabby, pausing on the quiet woman for a moment before she spoke up. "I mean, you saw her, she's so loving, and sweet. She just hasn't had the best luck finding a safe place to go while we wait for her to go be with her family… Because that's all she needs, is somewhere safe, with people who will take care of her. With people who she trusts. And, from what I can tell, she trusts you." She continued, Gabby and Matt sharing a quick look. "But I just need to know where you're at. Like I've told you, there's no pressure here. I know you have your own family to think of, this is entirely up to you… But if this is something you all want to do, I can get started on the paperwork today."

Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby never took her eyes off Matt, the two silently communicating as she gave him a slight nod, the smile across his face widening as he used his free hand that wasn't holding Sofia to reach out for hers.

"We're doing this?" He questioned softly, Gabby's smile growing before she gave him a strong nod, squeezing his palm tightly in hers as their fingers laced together.

"We're doing this."

Gabby moved around the living room, navigating her way through the multiple stacks of boxes piled high all through their apartment, the mother sparing a quick glance to her daughter that was sitting in her walker in front of the TV, the baby slowly moving herself back and forth across the small space as she played with the toys in front of her, Dawson getting the reassurance she needed that her daughter was preoccupied before she went into the bedroom for a quick moment. Knowing she was kind of on a tight schedule, Gabby was doing her best to get everything done before her husband got home, the mother knowing today was going to be one long and tedious day, but one she was excited for nonetheless.

It had been a few days since their visit to go meet Caitlyn, since they decided to foster the young girl for however long she needed a place to live, and to say things had been hectic since then would be putting it lightly. Not only had they been busy with work, Gabby's varying schedule through headquarters becoming more of a pain that she was anticipating, but with the move, and needing to get things ready for Caitlyn, they had a lot on their plates, which hadn't left much time for them to slow down. They obviously had a lot they were trying to manage, and, on top of that, it wasn't just them they had to take into consideration, either.

After they'd decided for sure they were going to be taking in Caitlyn, one of the first things they did was talk to Becca. They had spoken with their nanny, and told her the situation. That Caitlyn would be coming into their home and, obviously, her care would fall under Becca's supervision as well when Gabby and Matt were working. The parents had made it clear that there were no hard feelings if this wasn't something Becca wanted to take on, that if looking after another child was too much, especially one that was older, and they'd completely understand if she didn't feel like she could take on that responsibility. But thankfully, the woman was completely on board, which had been a huge relief to them.

Not only did they not want to have to scramble to find a new nanny, more than that, they didn't want to lose Becca. She felt like such a huge part of their family, she was their family, and they didn't want to lose that. Not when she meant so much to them, and their daughter especially. Sofia absolutely adored her nanny, they had such a close and unbreakable bond, and Gabby knew it would've been hard on all of them if they were to go their separate ways. But luckily, Becca was more than happy to take over care for both of the children the days they were working. And knowing that their nanny wasn't going anywhere had definitely been a weight off their shoulders, especially with everything else they had to worry about.

Though they were excited to be taking in this little girl, and giving her a safe and comfortable place to live for the time being, there was so much that went into this. There was a lot of preparation they had to do, and not a lot of time to do it, especially with moving into their new home.

While over the last couple of days they'd gotten a lot of essentials for Caitlyn, like a bed, a booster seat, and everyday things she'd need, there was still plenty more than needed to be done. Especially because all they wanted was for her to feel comfortable with them. But they'd never done this before- raised a five year old girl, and they were kind of flying blind. Though their experience with Louie was a little helpful for them now, those two situations weren't the same, and Gabby and Matt both had pretty much come to accept there was going to be a learning curve they'd have to navigate by bringing Caitlyn into their home.

But they were more than ready for it, the couple feeling even more secure in their decision that this was the right thing for them. After meeting her, and getting to spend that time with Caitlyn, albeit fleeting, they felt completely sure that this was something they were supposed to do. Even with Gabby's fears, after spending five minutes with that girl, she had no doubt in her mind that this was the right move for them.

The sound of their back door closing pulled Gabby from her thoughts, the woman glancing towards the clock as she heard what she assumed to be her husband getting home, Dawson cursing under her breath as she realized she was more behind schedule than she thought. Releasing a soft sigh, Gabby picked up one of the many boxers littering their bare bedroom before she walked out into the apartment, her eyes immediately finding Matt over by their baby.

Sofia had managed to get her walker in between the coffee table and the couch, the baby bouncing up and down in the seat while Matt stood in front of her, her energetic demeanor putting a smile on Gabby's face as she moved to put the box of clothes down on the kitchen table before walking back towards the living room.

"Yeah Sof, good job baby girl." Matt boasted as Sofia continued to inch herself forward, the young girl trying to get to her dad as she continued slowly moving towards him. Though assisted, they were still proud of her any time she walked at all, Matt and Gabby both knowing Sofia was one determined little girl. At nearly eleven months old, she wasn't quite able to walk on her own just yet, but she was getting closer every day. It felt as if any day now, she'd take her first unassisted steps, but she wasn't quite there yet. "Hey babe." Matt greeted when he saw his wife standing a few feet from him, Gabby flashing him a smile before continuing her path towards her husband, her head cocked to the side expectantly as she stopped short of him.

"...So?" She asked with a gleam in her eye, Matt's grin widening as he turned to face her, the man fishing around in his pockets before holding up what Gabby had been waiting for, her smile beaming when she saw the keys in his hand.

"It's ours." He replied, Gabby unable to contain her excitement as he jiggled the key ring resting around his finger. "I've got the keys to our townhouse... We've got our home, baby."

Before she said a word, Gabby quickly closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him tightly, Matt reciprocating the gesture as he wrapped his arms around her back, the man lifting her up off the ground as she held onto him.

"Oh my God…" She breathed out, nearly in disbelief at the fact they finally had their home.

Though their official closing day was still a few days out, after a lot of discussion between the couple, they knew the best course of action was to at least try and see if they'd be able to move in any earlier, for Caitlyn's sake. Not only was there no bedroom for her here, the last thing they wanted to do was bring her into their home, and then make her up and move days later. So they'd quickly realized that, if at all possible, they needed to get into their home a few days early. And after some conversations with the realtor and the owner of the building, Matt having explained the situation to them as clearly as he could, the older man agreed without hesitation to let them move in a few days early, which is where Matt had gone off to this morning while Gabby stayed back to continue packing up the apartment.

But even though they now had the keys, their entire apartment was packed up, and they would soon begin moving their things in, it still didn't feel real. There was a part of this that didn't feel like it was actually happening, Matt squeezing her back back putting her back down on the ground, Gabby stroking her fingers along his hairline as she slowly pulled away from him just enough to meet his eyes.

"We have our home." She murmured, Matt grinning from ear to ear as he nodded, his hands sliding down to her waist.

"We do." He responded, the man leaning forward and capturing her lips in a heavy kiss, the stress of this entire process melting away now that they were able to move into their home. When air became a priority, the two pulled back, Matt's smile widening when he saw the complete look of contentment on her face, Gabby's eyes staying closed for a few extra moments before she slowly opened them.

"God, baby, that makes me so happy." She breathed out, Matt nodding in agreement before he gave her another, much tamer, kiss.

"Me too." He agreed, his words soft before he gave her one last quick kiss, the two only connected for a few seconds before they completely separated, both of them knowing they were a little pressed for time this morning. "But what I'm not so happy about is getting this entire apartment moved to our new house today." He huffed out as he sat down on the couch, Matt's leg resting up against the side of Sofia's walker, the father reaching his hand out to run through his daughter's curly hair.

"Yeah, it is gonna be a little rough." She agreed, a slight wince covering her face as she knew the sheer amount of things they had packed up in this apartment, not including all the bigger furniture they needed to move. "But we don't really have a choice… With work tomorrow, then we're getting Caitlyn the next day… We're running out of time." She reminded him, Matt giving her a knowing nod as he stroked his thumb along the side of Sofia's head, the baby now occupied by the toys in front of her.

"I know, that still doesn't make it any more fun, though." He replied with a grin, Gabby narrowing her eyes playfully before shaking her head. "But I talked to Severide, he's gonna be here in about two hours, so we can go get the moving van… Then we're gonna stop by his place and get our old bed, before we come back here to get as much as we can." He told her, even though they had this same conversation last night, Casey wanting to make sure they were both still on the same page.

"Sounds good… Jemma is coming by here in a bit, and I know Becca said she could come for a little later this afternoon to help us with Sofia." Gabby added, Matt rubbing his hand over Sofia's head one last time before pulling back. "And didn't you say some of the guys would be coming to help, too?"

"Yeah, they are. I need to call Herrmann, but they said just to let them know what time to be here, and they'd at least help with getting all the boxes and everything… I figured we'd owe them all some pizzas and beer when this is done." He responded with a chuckle, Gabby nodding in agreement. "And, uh- just so I know, are we telling them about Caitlyn today?"

Gabby drew in a deep breath at the question, the woman furrowing her eyebrows as she crossed her arms over her chest, thinking over his words for a few moments. Though it had been a few days since they'd known for sure they would be fostering Caitlyn, they hadn't really found the time to tell anyone. Aside from Matt telling Severide, and Gabby telling Jemma, no one else knew. It wasn't intentional, but Gabby had wanted to tell everyone together. She wanted the firehouse to know all at once, but since she had been working across town their last shift and wasn't at 51, they weren't able to tell them all then. And they hadn't really found a moment to since.

"I'd rather just wait and let them all know at the same time…" She replied, Matt giving her a nod in agreement. "We do need to tell my dad, and Antonio, at some point today, but everyone else, I'd prefer to wait… Since I'm gonna be at 51 tomorrow anyway, we can just tell them all then."

Thankfully, tomorrow was one of Gabby's rare days where she wasn't tasked to be working at another house somewhere in the city, the paramedic working her usual shift at 51. They hadn't planned it that way, the couple just lucky enough that the timing had worked out as well as it did, Gabby glad she'd be with Matt the day before they'd be bringing Caitlyn home.

"Sounds good… And since Caitlyn's bed isn't being delivered until tomorrow, it's not even like that'll raise any questions." He responded with a soft smile, Gabby reciprocating the gesture as he pushed himself up from the couch, the man walking back towards her, taking in the stacks of boxes around the room as he went. "Okay, so, let's talk about a game plan for this morning… I know we still have a few more things to pack up, but we've got some time before anyone gets here. What do you think about us taking a few boxes over to the townhouse…" He suggested, watching her face light up as she raised her eyebrows. "Give us a chance to see our home with just us… before it's filled with all our friends, and way too many boxes." He finished with a chuckle, Gabby immediately nodding in response.

"I'd love to, yeah." She replied, Matt rubbing his hand along her arm before pressing a soft kiss to the side of her head as he walked past her.

"Alright… I'll start getting some boxes in the trunk, if you wanna get Sof ready?" He propositioned, Gabby nodding in agreement before they went their separate ways.

It took them about an hour to get out of their apartment and to their new home, the action a little foreign to them as they pulled into the cobblestone driveway and up to their garage, Gabby watching as he pulled the garage door opener out from his pocket before he clicked it, the man waiting until it had opened completely before he pulled in.

"I could definitely get used to this." She murmured, Matt chuckling softly before he gave her a nod in agreement, Casey putting her car in park and turning it off before he began to unbuckle.

"Yeah, I definitely think the garage is one of my favorite things about this place, and I won't even be the one using it." He replied lightly, Gabby shaking her head before they got out of the car. "I'll come back and get the boxes in a bit, I just wanna go in first." He told her as he moved towards the rear passenger side door, Gabby nodding as she took the keys from him before he got their nearly asleep baby from the car, Casey opting to just leave her in her carseat as he pulled it out of the backseat.

With the handle to her car seat securely in his grasp, he followed Gabby towards the door into their home, the woman stopping to hit the button to put the garage door back down before she put the key into the lock and turned it, Gabby slowly pushing the door open.

Neither of them were exactly sure how they'd feel stepping into their home for the first time, the couple looking around the space that looked exactly the same as it did last time. Nothing had changed since they'd done their second walk through, the completely empty home ready for them to put their personalized touches everywhere. But something about it felt different, they felt different, because this was theirs.

This was their home. Together.

This was the home they'd grow into, the home they'd possibly be in for the rest of their lives, or at least for a very long time. The home Sofia would grow up in. Where she'd take her first steps, where she'd say her first words. Where she'd become the incredible young woman they knew she'd be. This was their place, and the warmth they felt walking in for the first time was a feeling they didn't know how to describe, the couple looking around the open space before their eyes landed on each other.

Drawing in a slow, content breath, Matt reached his free hand out towards his wife, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her closer, Gabby's hand coming to rest against his chest as he tucked her into his side, their wide smiles infectious as the joy they were feeling radiated off of them.

"...Welcome home, baby." He murmured, Gabby's smile widening before she leaned forward, pressing her lips against his in a deep, passionate kiss, the two wanting to enjoy this important moment in their new home while they had the chance.

"So… how are you feeling about your new home, mija?"

Ramon's voice filled the air as they sat around the table, Gabby and Matt accompanied by her father, her brother, Severide, and Jemma as they enjoyed some much needed dinner after a long day of moving. It was past eight in the evening, the small group just now getting around to winding down after they spent the entirety of their day helping the Casey's settle into their home, or settle in as much as they possibly could with the limited time they had. And, if you were to ask Gabby, things had gone better than she could've ever hoped for.

With the help of the people here with her now, as well as nearly everyone from 51 popping in and out throughout the day to help with what they could, they'd managed to get everything moved out of their old apartment and into their new home. Though there were boxes everywhere, and the couple knew it would probably take a few weeks before they'd be completely moved in, they'd managed to get a lot done.

All of their furniture had been moved in and put where it belonged, or at least where it'd be staying until they could get new things. The couch and chairs from their old living room were currently sitting in their new one, Gabby deciding to leave those there, even though they were a little too small for the space, until they were able to find new furniture they loved. Their old kitchen table was placed nicely in the space between the living room and the kitchen, the piece of sturdy furniture fitting perfectly in their new home. And they'd also managed to get the bed in the guest room set up, which would be Becca's room, as well as the furniture in their master. But the most important thing they wanted to get done today was Sofia's nursery, Gabby insisting that be the first room they get set up before moving onto any others.

And luckily, they'd gotten it done rather quickly. Between Antonio, Severide, and Matt, they'd gotten her crib upstairs, along with the glider and her dresser, the room set up similarly to how it had been at the old apartment, both parents wanting their daughter to feel as comfortable as possible. Which, considering she'd been asleep for the better part of an hour in her new bedroom, the baby not having awoken once since she went down, they could only assume she didn't know things were any different before she went to bed.

"I love it." She replied brightly, Ramon flashing her a warm smile before taking another bite of his food, Gabby sparing a quick glance at her husband before continuing. "I know it'll take us some time to get fully moved in, we still have a lot of things to get… And it is a little weird, not being in the apartment anymore, but I love it here. It feels like home."

"I'm thrilled for you, Gabriela… For all of you. When you called yesterday and told me you were moving in a few days before you thought, I was a little surprised, but I'm just glad you're all settled… At least enough to live here. This place is absolutely wonderful." He told her, Gabby's grin widening as she felt Matt's hand rubbing along her back lightly, the man leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah, it's a great place… I think we're gonna be really happy here." She responded, her father agreeing with a nod and a wide smile. "And we really appreciate you all dropping everything to come and help us today. I know it was very last minute, but we couldn't have gotten this done without you all. You really saved us today." She spoke, finishing her sentence with a light chuckle as she earned a few nods from around the table.

"Of course sis, we're all happy to help… Well, everyone except maybe Severide." Antonio joked, his teasing causing them all to laugh at the expense of the Lieutenant, Kelly's near constant complaining having been a focal point of their discussions all throughout the day.

"You all are hilarious." Severide replied dryly, his feigned annoyance causing a few of them to laugh some more. "But if I seem to remember correctly, I'm the one who ended up carrying most of the heavy stuff. And plus I got here first this morning, I was helping move stuff long before you all got here, so yeah, I earned the right to complain a little."

"You could've taken a nap or something, Sev." Matt spoke up, Gabby biting back a grin as she looked towards him. "When we put Sofia down for hers this afternoon, you should've joined her." He joked, Kelly narrowing his eyes towards his friend.

"We appreciate your help, Severide." Gabby cut in before Kelly could say anything, knowing him and Matt would go back and forth all night if she let them. "We appreciate all your help… With everything going on, getting moved in was something Matt and I were a little stressed about."

"Yeah, moving usually is pretty stressful, but the hardest of it's done." Ramon encouraged, Gabby giving him a nod as she felt Matt begin to scratch her back. "And you all have had a lot going on regardless, with the new job the CFD has you doing, Gabriela… But I'm just glad we were able to get everything here today."

"Me too." She replied lightly, her eyes quickly finding those of her husband, both well aware there was something the two older Dawson's in the room needed to know.

It was something she'd been desperate to tell them all day, Gabby feeling some nerves mixed with excitement bubbling up in her stomach every time she thought of telling her family, but they hadn't found a good moment so far to do so. Either she couldn't get them together at the same time, or there were people from 51 around whenever they were both in the room. And, aside from all that, this wasn't something she really wanted to tell them in passing, anyway. This was something she wanted them to know in person, when she had their complete attention.

And now seemed as good of a moment as any.

"And, uh, speaking of stuff we have going on… while you both are here," she started, her words gaining the attention of her brother and father, the men looking at one another before focusing in on Gabby. "There's actually something Matt and I wanna talk to you about, or I guess something we wanna tell you." She prefaced, catching Kelly and Jemma share a knowing look across the table, their two best friends realizing there were about to be more people who knew of the temporary addition coming to the Casey family.

"Is everything alright?" Antonio asked first, Gabby immediately nodding in response before she leaned back into Matt's touch.

"Everything's fine… Great even. We've just got some news." She continued, seeing a surprised look cover her dad's face before he broke out into a smile, Gabby realizing what he must've thought before she could even say anything.

"Oh, mija, are you telling us that you're-"

"No." She cut him off immediately, Matt biting back a laugh as he saw how flustered his wife was getting. "I'm not- we're not pregnant." She was quick to clarify, Severide and Jemma both trying to hide their smiles as Ramon gave her a nod, his excitement that had already started to build around the idea slowly fading, the father waiting for his daughter to continue. "It's not that… but, uh, Matt and I, we're gonna be fostering a child."

Gabby saw the immediate looks of shock that covered her dad's and her brother's faces, both men obviously stunned as they took in the information. It was clear they were surprised, that they hadn't been expecting this news at all, and she couldn't say she blamed them.

"This all kinda… it happened really fast." She continued when they had yet to say anything, Matt rubbing slow circles over her shoulder. "But her name is Caitlyn, she's five years old. And she needs some help for a little bit, so she's going to come live here…"

Ramon gave a slow nod, Gabby seeing the clear apprehension on his face, his look mirrored similarly by Antonio's, the topic clearly making them a little uneasy.

"I… I didn't realize you two were looking into adoption, after everything before." Ramon spoke carefully, Matt shaking his head.

"We haven't really decided what we're doing to have another kid, but that's not what this is. Caitlyn already has a family lined up to take her, but there's been some hold ups, and this girl keeps getting bounced around. And she's been in some not great homes, so Gabby and I decided we'd foster her while DCFS gets the paperwork in order." Casey explained, Antonio nodding slowly as he digested the information. "She'll only be with us for a few weeks."

"When will she be here?" Her older brother asked.

"We're going to get her the day after tomorrow, when Matt and I get off shift…" She told him, seeing a look of understanding flash in Antonio's eyes.

"So that's why you two moved in earlier than planned…"

"Yeah." She responded, placing her hands down in her lap. "We didn't want to be moving everything when we had Caitlyn… We just want to be able to bring her to one place, and let her get comfortable here." Gabby spoke softly. "But we met her a few days ago, had her spend some time with Sofia… She's an amazing little girl. One of the sweetest children I've ever met in my life."

"She's great." Casey echoed, catching the knowing smile that covered Severide's face. "She's a little shy at first, which is understandable… But once she got comfortable around us, she just talked and talked and talked." He told them with a laugh. "She's definitely an animated kid, that's for sure."

As Matt finished speaking, there was a light silence that had filled the air around them, no one saying anything for a few moments as the Dawson's took in this information. Gabby and Matt both knew it was a shock to the system- that's exactly how they'd felt when Tina asked them, but Casey was sure once that surprise wore off, they'd be excited for them.

"So you'll only have her for a little while?" Ramon searched for clarification, the youngest Dawson giving him a nod.

"Mhmm… Just for a few weeks, maybe a month, depending on how long the paperwork takes. But it's just temporary."

"And this is something you want?" Ramon asked nearly as soon as she'd finished, Gabby furrowing her eyebrows slightly. "The both of you, you've talked about this, and you both want to do this?" He questioned, Matt nodding before the man even finished his sentence, but Gabby was the one to speak up first.

"We do." She confirmed, knowing her dad was just looking out for her. "We talked a lot about it, and, admittedly, I wasn't completely sure at first, but after thinking about it, and then meeting her… I know this is the right thing for us to do." Her voice was strong, leaving no room for any of them to doubt her words as Ramon gave a slow nod.

"Okay mija… I just needed to ask. This… I wasn't expecting this at all. But I do think it's a great thing you're doing here." He told them, Gabby's body relaxing as her father smiled softly. "This girl, Caitlyn… she couldn't find any two people better suited to take care of her."

"Thank you, Papa." Gabby murmured, Matt nodding in agreement.

"Thanks Ramon." The husband added, Gabby feeling like a weight had been lifted off of her now that her dad and brother knew of the newest addition to their family, albeit temporary. "We can't wait for you to meet her." Matt said, his words earning another nod from his father-in-law, the man looking back and forth between his daughter and her husband before fixating on Casey, the small smile on his face being reciprocated by the couple.

"I can't wait to meet her, either."

Casey pulled up to the curb outside of DCFS, the man putting Gabby's car in park as they were less than a block away from the building, nerves flooding both their bodies as he killed the engine. Today was the day, today Caitlyn was officially being placed in their care. And to say Matt and Gabby were feeling excited would've been an understatement.

Since they'd made the decision to foster her, it was like every time they thought about it, they became more and more excited by the idea. And now that they day was finally here, they were beyond ready to have her come into their home for however long she needed.

They'd just about done all they could do to get ready for her to live with them, Matt and Gabby having made it a priority to have as much ready for her as they could in the short amount of time they had to prepare for this, and anything they hadn't been able to get done, they knew they'd just figure it out along the way. The couple had gotten all they could think of that she might need, they'd told everyone who needed to know about what they were doing, Matt and Gabby having spoken to the house about it at the beginning of shift yesterday. And, by the many hugs and reassurances of how they were doing a wonderful thing for little Caitlyn, they knew the conversation had gone well.

But now that everyone knew, and they'd gotten the young girl as many essentials as they could think of, all that was left for them to do was to actually come and get her, which is what they were doing right now.

"Well… Are you ready?" Casey asked after he released a deep breath, Gabby giving him a nod before they began getting out of the car, Matt jogging around to the sidewalk to meet up with his wife. The couple was baby-less this afternoon, Gabby having arranged with Becca to stay a little longer today, so she could watch Sofia while they got Caitlyn, the parents figuring it best to have some one on one time with the little girl before bringing her home.

With their hands clasped together, the husband and wife walked the familiar path towards the building, the feet taking them directly towards Tina's office as they had so many times in the past. When they got to the correct floor, they were sent directly to the office, both of them knowing how this process worked, Gabby and Matt remembering how there were a few clerical things that would have to be taken care of before they could leave.

But before they knew it, they'd gotten everything completed that they needed to in order to have temporary care of Caitlyn, Tina leading the anxious parents out of her office and towards the conference room where they'd met the young girl days prior, Matt seeing her first as they stepped inside.

She was oblivious to their presence at first, the little girl working with determination as she colored the picture in front of her, her tongue poking out between her teeth as she moved her hand wildly across the page, the social worker beside Caitlyn seeing them before she did.

"Caitlyn." Tina called, it taking a second for the girl to register her name being called, Caitlyn dropping her colored pencil before she looked up. The moment she saw who was here, a shy smile covered her face, the young child scooting herself down off her seat before reaching for her stuffed teddy bear she'd had sitting in the seat beside her.

"You came back..." Caitlyn spoke as she got closer to them, the social worker that had been in here with her carrying a small backpack as she followed behind the young girl, Matt assuming those to be the only belongings Caitlyn had.

"Yeah, we did." Gabby replied, Caitlyn smiling as she clutched the stuffed animal tightly against her chest, similarly to the way she'd been holding it the first time they met, her brown eyes bouncing back and forth between them as she took a step closer.

"...Am I going home with you?"

Her words sounded so innocent and hopeful, it nearly brought tears to Gabby's eyes, the overwhelming emotions of the day partially to blame as she blinked quickly, Dawson giving her a strong nod.

"You are… You're gonna be staying with us for a little bit." She responded, Caitlyn's smile widening before she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Gabby's legs in a hug, her face pressed into her waist as she held on tight.

The action caught her off guard for a moment before she quickly recovered, Gabby moving her hand down to rub over the girl's back as her small arms were hooked around the back of her legs.

"Yay!" She spoke excitedly, her words muffled against Gabby's shirt before the young girl pulled back, Caitlyn moving to hug Matt in a similar fashion. "Can I see Sofia?" She asked as she pulled away, Matt and Gabby both seeing the proud smile that covered her face, the parents sure it was there because she'd remembered the young girl's name.

"You will, honey." Gabby promised, Caitlyn grinning before she reached out for Matt's hand, her little hand holding onto two of his fingers tightly before she grabbed ahold of Gabby's hand as well, the action flooding them both with an overwhelming sense of warmth as the parents shared a look. "Are you ready to go?" She asked with a soft laugh, the young girl nodding eagerly as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"I am!"

Giving her a nod in response, Matt reached back with his free hand to grab Caitlyn's small backpack, the man slinging it up over his shoulder before they began walking out of the room, Caitlyn saying goodbye to the social workers before they were out of sight. The child's excitement was evident as they walked out of the building, Caitlyn holding onto Gabby's hand tightly now that they were in unfamiliar territory, the parents more than ready to start getting the little girl acclimated into their home.