Hello everyone. I hope you all are doing well, and staying safe. I've got the next chapter for you guys.. I know a lot of you were looking forward to seeing Caitlyn meet the house, so I hope you like this one.

Thanks for reading, I can't wait to hear what you think.

Chapter Ninety Five

Casey held Caitlyn firmly on his hip as they walked up the driveway to the firehouse, the little girl keeping her arms wrapped tightly around his neck while her eyes bounced around her new surroundings. While Matt held onto the five year old, Gabby kept a similar hold on their daughter, the mother trying to do what she could to shield her baby's eyes from the sun as they continued towards the firehouse.

"Wow!"

Caitlyn's excited voice filled Matt's ears as they stepped through the open garage door, the little girl taking in the sight of all the rigs lined up, Matt chuckling softly as she began to bounce slightly in his arms, her grip around his neck loosening as she fought to be put down. Knowing she was bound to fall soon if he didn't put her down, Matt crouched to the ground, making sure Caitlyn's feet were securely on the concrete before letting her go, the little girl immediately running towards the first truck she saw, which happened to be Matt's.

But she only got about halfway there before she stopped herself, Caitlyn immediately turning around to look at them with a sheepish look on her face, Matt shaking his head slightly.

"It's okay, sweetheart, you can go look at the truck." He assured her, assuming she was a little weary after having gotten scolded moments prior from running away from them, Matt getting the idea that she probably didn't realize the difference between the two. But that wasn't a conversation for right now, Matt giving her an encouraging nod. "Just don't climb on anything, I'll show you around the truck here in a little bit, but you can go ahead and look."

Getting the confirmation she needed, Caitlyn continued running towards the truck, Matt turning back to get their daughter from his wife's arms before heading in the similar direction, Gabby and Becca staying just inside the garage as they both watched Casey follow after Caitlyn.

"How's she do this morning?" Gabby asked Becca, the paramedic crossing her arms over her chest as she watched her husband with the two girls while Caitlyn looked at the rig.

"She did good." Becca replied, Gabby sparing a quick glance to the woman who was practically family. "We played some games, she tried to play dolls with Sofia, though I don't think she's really grasped the fact that Sofia doesn't understand… But it was sweet." She explained, Gabby smiling softly as she looked back towards the girls and her husband, watching as Caitlyn's smile lit up at something Matt had told her. "We went on our walk, like I do every day with Sofia… That went pretty well. We weren't out as long as normal, just because I wasn't sure how Caitlyn would do, but everything went great. She stayed with me the entire time, kept her hand on the stroller… She did really well."

"Good, that's good." Gabby replied, the mom unable to stop her smile from widening as she watched them. "I know she seemed okay when we left… She understood she'd be seeing us soon, and that we'd be coming back tomorrow, but, I don't know… I was afraid she'd think we were leaving her."

"I get it." Becca responded, the young woman reaching out to place a comforting hand on Gabby's arm. "This is new, for all of you. And I've seen how Caitlyn is with the two of you already… She definitely has a strong attachment to you all, so I understand why you were worried. But really, she did great. She did ask a few times, to make sure we were still coming to see you, but other than that she just had a good time playing." She assured the worried mother, Gabby giving her an appreciative nod. "The only thing is that she didn't eat much of her breakfast, or her lunch…" Becca finished, Gabby pursing her lips together as she sighed heavily.

"Yeah, I know we've talked about that… She doesn't seem to want to eat all that much." Dawson spoke, the nanny giving her a nod in agreement.

"She ate a few bites of her toast, and maybe half of the egg I made her. Then a couple pieces of her fruit, but it wasn't much… Then during lunch, I made her half of a sandwich with some fruit, and she didn't really seem to want that, either." Becca told her, Gabby's eyes focusing on the small five year old as she nodded. "She did eat some of her snack though while we were on our walk, but she just didn't seem all that hungry… I know you wanted me to keep an eye on it." She said, Gabby nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, thank you… Matt and I are gonna have to try and figure out something there." She breathed out, Gabby shaking her head before turning back towards the nanny. "And I know we've told you this like, a hundred times, but really, thank you for this… For all of it." Gabby said, Becca's face softening as a small smile formed over her lips. "Taking care of another child, it's a big ask, especially on such short notice… But you've been absolutely incredible with Caitlyn, and with Sof, and we seriously can't thank you enough for everything you've done to help us."

"I appreciate that, Gabby, but you don't need to thank me… You know how much I love Sof, and Caitlyn is such an amazing little girl. What you and Matt are doing for her is incredible, and whatever you need from me, I'll help however I can." She replied honestly, Gabby giving her a strong, thankful nod just as the sound of Caitlyn's voice filtered through the air.

"Can we go for a ride?" The excitement in her words was enough to bring a soft smile to Gabby's face, before her and Becca began walking further into the garage.

"Maybe in a little bit we can go out for a ride, baby, but right now we're gonna go meet everyone, okay?" Matt responded, the little girl giving him a nod. Gabby had to stop herself from smiling wider as she heard the term of endearment Matt had used for Caitlyn, Dawson sure he hadn't even realized he said it as he and the little girl continued on with their conversation.

"I wanna see the truck!" She spoke, Caitlyn still just as ecstatic as she had been the moment they got here, Gabby coming up behind her husband and placing her hand on his back, the feeling of her causing him to spare a quick glance at her before he returned his attention to the little girl.

"I promise I'll show you everything here in a bit." By the gentle tone in her husband's voice, Gabby could tell this wasn't the first time he'd told her this, but he was patient with her nonetheless.

"Okay Matt." She agreed quickly, Gabby smiling softly as Caitlyn caught her gaze, Becca having stopped a few feet behind them.

When he felt her hand move down his lower back, Matt turned to look back at his wife, Gabby soon looking at him as well as soft smiles fell onto both their faces. "Hey." He greeted, Gabby giving him a slight nod before her eyes moved to their baby, the mother reaching her hands out.

"I can take Sof, if you wanna get her." She murmured, nodding to the five year old girl whose attention had been drawn back to the firetruck, Matt giving her a slight nod before he carefully handed the baby off to her mother. "Hello my beautiful girl." She spoke, Sofia squealing in delight as her mom held her, the baby gripping onto her shirt tightly as Gabby adjusted the eleven month old in her arms.

Once getting the reassurance that his baby was alright, Matt turned his attention back to Caitlyn, watching as the little girl looked away from the rig to face him when he stepped closer to him. "Alright Caitlyn, we're gonna head inside." He prefaced, Matt squatting down to her level before grabbing a hold of her small hands. "Do you remember what we told you last night?" The man questioned softly, watching as the girl thought over his words for a moment before giving him a nod.

"I'm gonna see your friends." She replied, her eyes bouncing around the room before landing back on Matt, watching as he gave her a nod.

"That's right, you are. Now there's gonna be a lot of people in there, people you've never met." He reminded her, knowing they'd had this same exact conversation last night. But despite that, he still saw the slight hesitance in her eyes, Matt giving her a reassuring smile before he continued speaking. "But they're our friends, okay? They're all really nice, and they're gonna love you." A small smile formed over her face by the time he had finished talking, Caitlyn giving him a nod as she felt him squeeze her hands gently. "And they're all really excited to meet you."

As those words left his lips, Matt dropped her hands, the man beginning to poke her stomach lightly, his action causing loud giggles to escape her lips as he continued tickling her, the girl squirming around while she continued to laugh.

After one last gentle poke to her stomach, he pulled his hand away, the bright smile covering the young girl's face enough to bring a similar one to his.

"So, are you ready to go inside?" He asked, Caitlyn looking behind him towards Gabby, seeing a similar comforting look on her face before she nodded.

"Yes!" She replied brightly, Matt nodding before he stood back up.

But the second he was upright, Caitlyn had her arms up in the air, clearly wanting to be picked up before they went inside, Matt drawing in a slow breath before complying to her request. While he knew carrying her around everywhere probably wasn't something he should make a habit of for her age, he also could tell she was a little anxious. She was walking into a room full of people she didn't know, and despite their assurances, he knew she was bound to be a little uneasy until she warmed up to them; just as she'd been with them. So if holding onto her made her feel a little better in this situation, he'd do it. At least until she felt more comfortable.

Once Caitlyn was securely in his grasp, the family of five continued towards the firehouse, the young girl taking in her new surroundings from the comfort of Matt's hold, her little arms having returned to their spot around his neck as he supported her weight. Since both their arms were occupied with children, Becca walked ahead of the parents, opening the door for them to head into the station.

Matt let Gabby in first, the Captain following behind his wife as they stepped inside, the couple immediately seeing all their friends exactly where they'd left them. As they came to a stop in the entrance to the room, a few pairs of eyes were already on them, Matt catching a bright smile from Herrmann before he spoke up.

"Hey guys." Matt started, clearing his throat as he got the attention of the entire room, all their focus immediately going to the little girl in his arms. "There's someone here we'd like you all to meet." He spoke, Casey looking down towards Caitlyn as the girl was practically hiding against him, her eyes bouncing around the room from the security of his embrace.

"This must be Caitlyn!" Herrmann spoke brightly, the man leaning forward in his seat on the couch as the little girl looked to him when she heard her name. "We've heard a lot about you, kid." He continued, Caitlyn nodding slightly as her grip tightened around Casey's neck, Matt knowing she was feeling a little nervous around all these people.

"Can you say hi?" He prompted, running his hand along her back as she lifted her head up, her brown eyes meeting his blue ones before he gave her a reassuring smile. "These are all our friends, remember?" He told her again, Caitlyn giving him a nod before turning to look back to the group, her eyes moving around all the people before she settled on Herrmann.

"Hi." She responded, Matt adjusting her in his arms while Gabby continued further into the room, carrying Sofia over towards the table as the little baby was excited to see all the new faces.

She earned a chorus of responses from around the room, Caitlyn keeping her tight grip on Matt as she continued to take in her surroundings, Casey rubbing soothing patterns along her back while they gave her time to get comfortable.

"You wanna meet everyone?" Matt spoke softly to her, the man still seeing a bit of hesitance in her brown eyes before she slowly nodded. Giving her another reassuring smile, Matt continued rubbing over her back before he walked her further into the room, the Captain figuring it'd be best to introduce her to a few people at a time.

While Matt was getting Caitlyn acquainted with their friends, Gabby stopped her path when she got back to the small circular table, Becca following close behind her as they came up to Severide and Kidd.

"There's my girl." Kelly spoke lightly, the firefighter reaching out for the baby in Gabby's arms, Sofia immediately bouncing up and down in her mother's grip. "And before Casey kills me, I was talking to Sof." He added, his words earning some laughs from around the room, Matt looking up from his conversation with Herrmann and shooting his friend a narrow glare before looking away, a soft scoff escaping Gabby's lips before she handed her daughter over to Kelly.

"Yeah, cause we really needed you to clarify that." She joked, Severide raising his eyebrows before focusing his attention on Sofia, the firefighter's usually tough exterior disappearing when he got the baby. Kelly was holding her under her arms, the man leaning back in his seat slightly as he held Sofia up in the air, unintelligible squeals of excitement leaving the baby's lips as Kelly gently lifted her up and down. It was a game they played often, Sofia always loving the time with her godfather now that she'd moved past the stage where all she wanted was her parents, the baby continuing to wave her arms in the air as Severide played with her.

"Well, you can never be too sure." Severide responded, but his focus was solely on the baby in his grip, Gabby rolling her eyes as she sat down in the chair across from him, Becca pulling up a seat beside her. "Isn't that right, Sof?" He asked, the tone in his voice changing as he spoke to the baby. "Your dad can get awful territorial."

"Sev…" Casey spoke up, Kelly looking behind the baby to see Matt shooting him another unimpressed glare, the man now standing over at the other table by Otis and Cruz, Caitlyn still securely in his arms.

Grinning softly, Severide gave him a knowing look before returning his attention to Sofia, a grimace covering his face when he saw drool falling from her mouth and moving down her chin, Kelly adjusting their positioning so none would get on him as he adjusted her in his lap. "That's nasty, Sof." He spoke, the man barely able to get the words out before Gabby was holding out a cloth towards him, Severide securing Sofia's back against his chest before he leaned forward to grab it.

"She's been teething." Gabby responded simply, Kelly raising his eyebrows before he gently wiped off Sofia's mouth and face.

"Still?"

"Babies are teething pretty much all the time." She told him, Kelly grimacing as he placed the cloth back down on the table, the man patting over Sofia's stomach as she suddenly became fascinated by the pacifier clipped to her shirt.

"Well, that's gross." He replied, Gabby cocking her head to the side as Kelly leaned forward slightly, his face coming into Sofia's view. "Yeah, that's gross isn't it? But you're still cute though, it's okay." He told her, the two in their own little world as Sofia smiled brightly, the young girl lifting her hands up to smack against his face, her own actions causing Sofia to laugh in amusement.

Severide let Sofia continue to hit his face for a few moments before she became interested in something else, the baby getting distracted by Kelly's shirt as she wriggled around in his arms, the Lieutenant adjusting her so she was facing him so little Sofia could play with his collar.

"So…" Severide spoke up after a few moments, his voice low as his eyes moved across the room towards the little girl, Gabby following his gaze to see Caitlyn being introduced to Brett and Foster. "I talked to Casey a little this morning, but how are things going?"

A soft smile formed over Gabby's face before she nodded, the mother clasping her hands together on the table as she looked back towards her friend. "Things are going great, honestly." She replied, Kelly matching her grin before he gave her a nod, Stella wearing a similar smile on her face. "There's been some… challenges, I guess. Just us trying to figure out having another child with us, but Caitlyn's great. She's adjusting pretty well."

"Yeah, that's what Casey said."

"She seems to really like the Captain." Kidd added, Gabby's smile growing as she looked back over towards her husband just as he was adjusting Caitlyn on his hip, the little girl still holding onto him tightly.

"Yeah, she loves him…" Gabby breathed out, her eyes watching as Matt turned around to face them, their gazes immediately locking, the wife seeing a bright smile form over his face before he began walking towards them. "I'm just glad she feels comfortable with us."

No one had a chance to say anything else as Matt got to them, Gabby shooting Caitlyn a soft smile as Casey slowly put her down on the ground. The second her feet hit the tile, the young girl immediately moved towards Dawson, Gabby helping her up into her lap as she got situated on her leg.

"Hi sweet girl." Gabby murmured, rubbing her hand along her back before pressing a kiss against the side of her head, Caitlyn leaning into Gabby's chest as her legs swung in the air. "Did you get to meet everyone?"

"Mhmm." She hummed, her curious eyes bouncing around the few people she hadn't yet met before she looked back up at Gabby. "I can't remember lots of their names…"

"That's okay, honey." Gabby was quick to assure her, Matt reaching down to rub his hand over Caitlyn's shoulder. "There's a lot of people here, but you'll get to know them all better." She told her, the little girl nodding before her eyes moved back across the table, Caitlyn curiously watching the man holding Sofia.

"Caitlyn, this is Kelly, and Stella." Matt introduced them, Caitlyn smiling shyly from the comfort of Gabby's embrace. "They're both firefighters."

Caitlyn's little ears perked up, the girl lifting her head up slightly before her gaze landed on Kidd. "You're a firefighter?" She asked, Stella immediately nodding with a bright smile. "Like Matt?"

"I am." She replied, Gabby not missing the small grin that formed over the young girl's face. "I work on the same truck as Matt." Kidd added, her Captain's first name feeling a little foreign coming from her lips, but Stella knew she'd only risk confusing the young girl if she called him Captain, or Casey.

"That's so cool." Caitlyn responded, the girl moving further away from Gabby's chest as she talked with Stella, the parents glad to see the little girl opening up around their friends. "Girls can be firefighters?"

"Oh, absolutely." Kidd said, Gabby nodding in agreement.

"Definitely." Casey added, Caitlyn's smile widening as she glanced back to Casey. "Anyone can be a firefighter."

"Yeah, they sure can… Gabby here used to be a firefighter, too." Kidd told her, Caitlyn's eyes widening even more before she turned back to Gabby.

"Really?"

"Mhmm… I worked on Matt's truck for a while." Dawson replied, Caitlyn smiling widely before looking back across the table towards Kelly and Stella. "But Stella works on there with him now, along with some of the other guys." She explained, Caitlyn nodding in understanding as she adjusted herself in Gabby's lap.

"That's cool." Caitlyn repeated, Kidd giving her a nod before the little girl's attention went solely to the man holding onto Sofia, Caitlyn's curious eyes focusing on the baby before she looked back to Kelly. "Sofia likes you." She said suddenly, Severide smiling softly as he glanced down to the baby in his arms, Sofia still occupied by the collar on his shirt.

"Yeah, she does." Severide replied softly as Matt pulled out the last free chair at the table, the Captain sitting down beside his wife.

"Kelly here is one of our best friends." Gabby spoke up.

The young girl's brown eyes lit up as she looked back at the older man, Kelly offering her a soft smile as he ran a hand over Sofia's back. "Best friends?" She asked, Severide immediately nodding.

"Yeah… We've known each other for a long time." Kelly replied, Caitlyn giving him a nod of her own in response.

"Kelly's like a part of the family… You know how we told you Becca's like our family?" Casey asked her, his voice gaining her attention as she turned to look back at him, Matt waiting for the nod of confirmation from Caitlyn before he continued. "Well, Kelly's like that, too… He's family. He's also Sofia's godfather."

"What's that?" She asked, her gaze moving to the baby at the mention of her name, the parents sharing a look while Gabby ran her tongue along the top of her mouth as she tried to best decide how to explain this to the young girl.

"Basically, it means he's someone we completely trust with Sofia…" She answered simply, Dawson running her hand along Caitlyn's back as the young girl looked at her. "He's someone we know will always be there for her, and always look out for her. He'll always protect her, and do whatever he needs to to keep her safe… He's someone who loves her a lot."

She paused for a moment, Caitlyn's eyebrows furrowing together as she thought over Gabby's words, the little girl continuing to swing her legs back and forth before she spoke up. "So he's not her daddy, but he loves her like he is?" She asked, her eyes focused on Gabby as the paramedic gave her a nod.

"Yeah, kinda like that." Gabby responded, sparing a quick look towards her husband who also gave the little girl a nod. But Caitlyn still looked to be deep in thought, her hands clasped together in her lap as she rocked back and forth on Gabby's leg. Neither parent was sure what was on her mind, but it was clear that whatever it was still had the girl a little troubled. But neither of them were able to question her before she spoke up again, her wide brown eyes locking on Gabby.

"Will someone love me like that?"

Her words stunned the entire room to silence, the sound of the television being the only thing they could hear as Caitlyn's innocent question hung in the air. No one knew what to say, the first responders glancing around at one another as Matt kept his eyes focused on Caitlyn, the young girl still watching Gabby.

It felt as if her heart had just snapped in half inside her chest, Gabby doing what she could to conceal her reaction to the question as she forced a weak smile, knowing Caitlyn needed to hear an answer from them. But Gabby wasn't sure how to respond, her mouth opening and closing slightly as she tried to figure out what to say to her, the little girl never taking her hopeful eyes off of Gabby. It wasn't until Casey cleared his throat that Caitlyn looked away from Gabby, the man rubbing his hand along her back as she turned slightly to look at him, Matt taking a deep breath before he spoke up.

"Of course, sweetheart." He replied as surely as he could, Caitlyn pausing momentarily before she gave him a small smile, her head nodding up and down. "Here soon, you're gonna go be with your family who already loves you so much, and wants to be with you." He continued, Matt knowing he had to choose his words carefully. He and Gabby didn't know much of anything about the family trying to adopt her, just that they were being hung up with paperwork, but he could only assume that people going through all this just to get her, that they loved her very much. And that they were serious about wanting to bring her into their home. But regardless of that, he still didn't know them, so he knew he could only say so much. "And plus you've got me and Gabby." He told her, knowing all eyes in the common room were on them, those words causing the smile on her face to widen.

As soon as he said it, he felt a rush of hesitance flood through him, like he was unsure if he was doing the right thing by saying himself and Gabby, as well. It had nothing to do with her, Matt knowing that both he and his wife already cared deeply for the little girl, and would do anything for her. But they also knew they needed to keep a certain level of distance. She wasn't theirs, she wasn't going to be theirs, and there was a good chance once her time staying with them was over, they'd likely never see each other again. So he wasn't sure if this was the best idea, because the last thing he ever wanted to do was lie to her.

But he also knew she was only five years old. She was a little girl, who just needed to know that she had people who loved and cared about her. And Gabby and Matt were those people. Regardless of how long they'd have her, he knew they'd always care about this little girl. He'd always care about this little girl, and he needed her to know that.

"And I think Sofia loves you the most out of anyone." He added, rubbing his hand along her side as a look of pure joy covered the young girl's face, Matt leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to the side of her head. "You have a lot of people who love you, Caitlyn… I promise." He assured her, the little girl immediately nodding, seemingly content with his answer.

"Okay!" She replied brightly, her wide smile telling Matt that she had seemed to forget her previous worries, the little girl having moved on from the previous conversation. Though the same couldn't be said for any of the adults in the room, Matt seeing the look of sadness still shining in his wife's eyes as they locked gazes. Drawing in a slow breath, he gave her a reassuring nod, Matt sliding his hand down off Caitlyn to squeeze Gabby's leg comfortingly, knowing she was a little affected by what the little girl had said. "Can I see the truck now?"

A soft chuckle escaped both Matt's and Gabby's lips as Caitlyn changed the subject, Casey looking back to the young girl as he found her hopeful smile waiting for him. "Yes, we can go see the truck." Casey told her, Caitlyn bouncing up and down in Gabby's lap in excitement.

But her bouncing soon turned into squirming, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she ran her hand along the little girl's side, the woman tapping Caitlyn gently to get her to look at her. "Do you need to go to the bathroom, honey?" Gabby asked her, Caitlyn immediately giving her a nod in response, Gabby's eyes moving over to her husband.

"I got her." He replied, Gabby nodding as Matt stood up from the table.

"Come on, Caitlyn." He spoke lightly, Matt putting his hands underneath her arms to help her down off Gabby's lap, the girl's feet hitting the ground as he let her go. "Then after, we'll show you the truck." Casey added, the young girl nodding before she reached for his hand, the two beginning to walk away.

"Wait," Kelly's voice stopped him, Matt looking back towards the table as Severide was now holding Sofia away from his chest. "I think this child needs help, too." He spoke, the man grimacing as he moved Sofia further away from him, Gabby scoffing heavily before she reached down for Sofia's diaper bag.

"You've changed her diaper before, Sev." The mother replied as she pushed herself up from her seat, Gabby swinging the bag over her shoulder before carefully grabbing a hold of her baby. "Come here, Sof." She murmured, Gabby soon smelling what must've had Kelly so disgusted. "Momma's got you, let's get you cleaned up, yeah?" She asked, the baby completely oblivious to what was being said to her, her little hands smacking Gabby's chest as she bounced up and down.

Seeing his daughter was secure in her mother's arms, Matt continued walking out of the room, Caitlyn still holding his two fingers securely in her hand as Gabby followed behind them, the family walking down the hallway away from the common room.

"Are you good with her? Or do you wanna trade?" Matt asked, knowing going with Caitlyn would be a lot less messy, but Gabby waved him off, shaking her head slightly.

"Nah, it's okay. I've got her." She assured him, Gabby's steps slowing as they got to the side entrance to the bunk room. "I'm gonna change her in here, I'll meet you two back out there?" She asked, pressing her back into the door before slowly pushing it open, Matt giving her a reassuring nod.

"Sounds good, babe… Okay, yeah, I'm sorry, I know you need to go to the bathroom." Matt spoke when he felt Caitlyn tugging on his hand, Gabby chuckling before the parents went their separate ways, both of them knowing they had a child to look after.

Casey sat on the couch in the common room, his hand lazily rubbing over the back of the little girl sleeping against his chest, Caitlyn having fallen asleep curled up in his arms about half an hour ago, the excitement of the day seeming to have finally caught up with her. The two little girls had been at the firehouse for a few hours, it now nearing five pm as most of the house sat around in the common room. Herrmann was perched beside him, while Mouch had considerately moved to the table earlier in the afternoon so Casey could sit with Caitlyn, while Sofia was currently half asleep as she was being rocked in Kidd's arms.

Thankfully, it had been an easy day around the firehouse, 81 having not been called out once since the girl's had gotten here, and 61 had only been called once, Gabby currently out with her partners, as she'd been for the last hour. But with the quiet pace around the firehouse, that had given Caitlyn plenty of time to get acquainted with the men and women of 51.

They'd spent over half an hour showing her the truck earlier in the day, which had been followed by a few quick trips around the block, sirens blaring as Caitlyn sat in the front seat with Matt. Their ride along ended up taking longer than planned, as well, Caitlyn managing to talk Casey into three extra trips around the block, Matt unable to tell her no each time they were close to the firehouse. Caitlyn was having the time of her life, the little girl completely ecstatic as they drove around with the sirens, so it didn't take much convincing every time she asked him to go again.

But eventually, they had managed to make their way back to the firehouse, Caitlyn having all but run inside to tell Gabby about her trip in the firetruck, the animated young girl telling the mother all about it as the house listened intently.

Then after that, they'd all just spent time together in the common room, Caitlyn having slowly warmed up to practically everyone in the house. It took some time, the young girl feeling more comfortable around some than others, but compared to how she'd been when she first got here, she seemed like a completely different kid. She'd definitely opened up throughout the day, Caitlyn talking the ear off of practically every first responder here at one point or another. And, coming as no surprise to any of them, Severide had been the person Caitlyn gravitated towards the most.

Aside from Gabby and Matt, the young girl spent most of her time with the squad Lieutenant, Caitlyn enjoying being around Kelly while she spoke with other members from 51. Matt could only assume it was partially because of how comfortable Sofia was around him, that Caitlyn had seen the type of relationship his daughter had with the firefighter, and that helped her feel more at ease around him faster than with everyone else.

But regardless of her growing attachment to the Lieutenant, Caitlyn had warmed up to everyone, and she hadn't shied away from talking to any of the first responders around her as she got to know everyone at the firehouse.

But her day filled with excitement and meeting new people had led to the five year old tiring herself out, Caitlyn having joined Matt on the couch around forty five minutes ago to sit with him while he watched TV. And while she'd started by being tucked into his side, she ended up in his lap, her little body curled up against his chest as she slept peacefully.

As he kept his hand moving comfortingly up and down her back, Matt leaned his chin down to rest against the top of her head, Caitlyn's arm wrapped around his torso as the group in the common room did their best to keep quiet while both children were resting.

"She's a really great girl, Casey."

Herrmann's soft voice hit his ears, Matt slowly lifting his head up from Caitlyn's as he turned to look at his friend, a small smile immediately forming over the Captain's face.

"And you two doing this for her… I can't think of anything more selfless." He continued, the genuine words from Herrmann flooding Casey with a sense of warmth.

"Thanks Herrmann." He murmured, Matt's hand coming to a stop on Caitlyn's side while she continued to sleep. "She is really such a great kid, she just needed people to look out for her for a bit." He continued, Herrmann nodding in understanding as his eyes moved back down to the sleeping girl nestled against the Captain.

"...So it is still just a few weeks?" He questioned, Casey's eyebrows raising as he caught the older man's gaze. "She really does have a family lined up to take her?"

"Yeah, she does." Matt responded, unsure of why Herrmann thought otherwise. "We weren't kidding, she does have a family who's trying to adopt her, they're just getting hung up in the system… She's not ours, Herrmann." He clarified, Christopher nodding once more as he drew in a deep breath.

"I just wasn't sure… I guess I just didn't know if you'd ever foster again, after what happened with Louie, so all this was kind of a surprise… But you all doing this for her, you and Dawson have some of the biggest hearts around." He breathed out, Matt pursing his lips together before he drew in a deep, slow breath.

"Yeah, I didn't know if it was something we'd ever do, either… There's definitely some hesitance there, and there probably always will be. But this isn't a normal situation. Caitlyn needed help, she needed people to look out for her, and Gabby and I are capable of doing that… But thank you, Herrmann… That means a lot." He finished speaking just as the double doors opened, Matt turning to see 51's paramedics walking into the firehouse, his wife being the last one in as they came into the common room.

"Aw, looks like someone had too much fun today." Brett spoke when she saw the state of the young girl, Gabby's eyes immediately finding her husband and little Caitlyn on the couch, a small smile forming across her face before she looked around for Sofia, Dawson soon seeing that her baby was passed out, as well.

"I guess we wore both of them out, huh?" Gabby asked, shooting Kidd a thankful smile before she moved towards the couch, Matt nodding slowly while Caitlyn continued to sleep.

"Yeah, Caitlyn's been out for a while… Sof, not so much. Maybe ten minutes, or so. But I think it's time to get both of them home." He replied, Gabby nodding in agreement as she reached out to run her hand lightly over the top of Caitlyn's head. They both knew it was best to get them out and into the car now, considering there was no way to know how long they'd be around before getting called out, and with the current sleepy state both children were in, getting them to the car would be more work than Becca could handle on her own.

"Definitely." She replied, Gabby leaning down to press a kiss to Caitlyn's head before she walked over towards the table where Becca was sitting, the mother beginning to gather Sofia's things while Kidd held the sleeping baby.

While Gabby was getting their belongings together, Sofia having ended up playing with practically every toy they'd brought her, Matt carefully began maneuvering himself up off the couch with the little girl in his arms. As he slid to the edge of the couch, Matt adjusted Caitlyn's weight against his chest, the man holding underneath her to secure her to him before he slowly stood up.

But despite his attempts to move as carefully as possible, his movements still woke up the young girl, Caitlyn immediately digging her head into his neck as she tried to stay asleep, Matt doing what he could to keep her relaxed as he slowly moved towards the hallway.

"It's okay." He murmured into her ear, Matt pressing a kiss to the side of her head as he rubbed her back, the man securing Caitlyn's dead weight in his arms as her legs hung down by his sides. "We're gonna get you home now." He continued, Matt rubbing continuously up and down her back as she slowly began to fall back asleep, Caitlyn's hand holding onto his shirt tightly as he felt her soft breaths against his neck.

Casey bounced gently on the balls of his feet as he waited for his wife and Becca, Matt whispering soothing words into her ear while she slept, the little girl completely content to sleep in his arms while Gabby moved towards her daughter.

"Come here, sweet girl." Gabby murmured as Kidd slowly handed her the baby, Sofia immediately waking up when she was moved. "I know, I know." She spoke, biting down on her tongue as she tried to soothe her back to sleep. Gabby bounced her around gently, Sofia clinging onto her mom as loud whines left her lips, everyone in the room watching on as both Gabby and Matt took care of the two children.

It took some time, but eventually Sofia calmed down, the baby curling up to her mother's chest as she slowly fell back asleep. And though Gabby knew they'd be going through this similar process here in a few minutes when they put her in the car, Dawson was happy she'd at least calmed down for now, Becca grabbing the diaper bag from the table.

Tearing her eyes away from her sleeping baby, Gabby looked up, soon realizing the entire room was looking at her, a sheepish look covering her face before she found Matt's gaze across the room, her husband still focused on keeping Caitlyn asleep. Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby looked back to her friends before smiling softly. "We're gonna get the kids out to the car, we'll be back in a minute." Her voice was barely above a whisper, Herrmann being the first one to nod.

"Take your time, kid… You all need any help?" He asked with a soft smile, his eyes moving back and forth between the two parents.

"No, no we're good. Thank you, though." She replied, Herrmann nodding before Gabby and Becca began walking towards the door.

"You'll have to bring the girls back again, though." He spoke up, Gabby turning back to meet his gaze. "We loved having them here."

There were nods of agreement that came from around the room, Matt and Gabby both smiling before Casey spoke up. "We definitely will… Thank you all for today, I know she had a great time." Matt told them, Herrmann giving him one last nod before the Casey family headed out of the firehouse.

Becca held the door open for the parents as they carried the sleeping children out into the garage, Matt feeling Caitlyn subconsciously press her head against his neck while she slept, the three adults continuing their path towards the car. Their walk was done in relative silence, Matt checking both ways before leading his family across the quiet street.

Within seconds, they were to the car, Matt waiting for Becca to unlock it before he opened the door and slowly began to put Caitlyn in her booster seat, while Gabby worked on securing Sofia in her car seat. He'd managed to get her down into her seat, but as he was buckling her in, the little girl startled awake, clearly unsure of her surroundings.

"Hey, you're okay." He murmured, Matt rubbing his hand soothingly over her leg as Caitlyn's head lulled towards him, the young girl blinking furiously until he came into focus, Casey seeing the evident exhaustion in her eyes. Even though she'd gotten some sleep already, he could tell just by looking at her that tonight would be an early night for little Caitlyn, Matt figuring that by the time they got home, ate, and took a bath, the child would be all ready for bed. "Becca's gonna take you home, alright?" He continued, figuring it best to explain to her what was happening. "Gabby and I will be home in the morning…"

"Tomorrow?" Her little voice was thick with sleep, Matt smiling softly before he gave her a nod.

"Tomorrow." He promised before leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead, Matt rubbing her leg once more before he finished securing Caitlyn into her seat, the two saying a few last goodbyes before Matt stepped back and shut the door, Gabby having repeated a similar process while Becca got into the driver's seat. The parents stood together on the sidewalk for a few moments until Becca pulled away from the curb, both of them wanting to make sure they were all good before heading back inside to finish out their shift.

Casey killed the engine in his truck as they sat outside their home, the couple not wasting any time in getting out of the vehicle as they were beyond excited to get inside and spend some time with the girls. Though seeing them on shift yesterday was fun, once they'd left, Matt and Gabby both had missed them like crazy, and they couldn't wait to get home and spend some quality time with their daughter and their foster daughter, Matt grabbing both their shift bags out from the trunk bed before locking up the truck.

After checking for traffic, the two jogged across the street, Gabby pulling out their key before they got to their front door, Matt hanging back behind her while she slid the key in the lock and pushed the door open, Gabby soon stepping inside the warm home.

The second she walked in, she was immediately met by the sight of Caitlyn sitting on the couch, clad in her pajamas as her focus was on the TV, while Sofia was standing with her back to them on the floor, holding onto the coffee table for balance while Becca was right beside her. At first glance, the sight made Gabby a little anxious, the mother being reminded of Sofia's fall against that same coffee table that landed them in the emergency room. But she tried to push that day from her mind, Gabby focusing her attention back on the sight in front of her while Matt came up behind her.

Before either of them could say anything, Caitlyn noticed their presence, the little girl's excitement evident as she began scrambling to get off the couch. "Gabby! Matt!" Her loud voice caught Sofia's attention, the baby unsure of what was going on while Caitlyn ran towards them as soon as her feet were on the ground, her little body colliding with Gabby's in seconds.

"Hi sweetheart." Gabby greeted, running her hand over the girl's back before leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good!" She replied brightly, Caitlyn brushing the hair from her face as she pulled away from Gabby, before she moved to give Matt a similar greeting. While the young girl was hugging Matt, Gabby looked back towards Becca, seeing the nanny had one hand on Sofia's back as she looked towards them.

"How'd they do?" Gabby asked as she stepped further inside their home, Matt following her carefully as Caitlyn was still attached to him. From Becca's texts last night, the parents knew Caitlyn and Sofia both had gone to bed pretty early, their daughter having gone down by 7:00, while Caitlyn was out by 7:30, but they hadn't heard anything from the nanny since, Becca nodding with a soft smile as Gabby stood just outside the living room.

"They both did great." She replied brightly. "They slept through the night, and they've both already had breakfast."

"I ate all my waffle!" Caitlyn spoke proudly as she detached herself from Matt, the little girl clearly having been listening to their conversation.

"You did?" Matt asked, Caitlyn giving him a strong nod before he ran his hand over her head.

"I did! And drank all my milk!"

Casey's smile widened before he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head, Caitlyn's smile matching his as he pulled back. "That's great, honey. Was it good?" He asked, Caitlyn nodding once again before she grabbed his hand.

"Will you watch cartoons with me?" She questioned, her little body trying to pull him towards the couch, Gabby chuckling as Matt gave the girl a nod.

"I think we can do that for a little bit." He answered, Caitlyn bouncing on her feet excitedly before the three of them walked further into the living room, Sofia still not having noticed their presence.

"Sofia, look who's home." Becca spoke as she rubbed over the girl's back, the baby looking towards her, clearly having no idea what was being said.

"Hey Sof."

At the sound of her mother's voice, the baby turned her around, a bright smile forming over her face when she saw her parents standing a few feet away from her.

"There's my beautiful girl." Gabby continued, the baby slowly turning her body away from the coffee table, Dawson's eyes widening slightly as she watched her baby balance all on her own. "Matt, look." She told him, hitting his arm repeatedly as her gaze was focused on Sofia, Matt and Caitlyn still standing beside her while Sofia kept her balance.

It was something she'd been doing a lot recently, the little girl able to keep herself up on her own, without holding onto anything for support, but she hadn't been able to do it for this long before, Gabby taking a slight step forward as sounds of excitement left the little girl's lips.

"Oh, look at my big girl." She praised, Sofia's happy giggle filling the air as Gabby continued towards her. But before Gabby could get any closer, the baby slowly began to take a step forward, Gabby halting in her tracks as Sofia unsteadily tried to walk towards her mother. "Oh my God." She breathed out, Matt having moved closer as Sofia successfully took her first step all on her own.

"Did she just…?" Matt asked as he came to his wife's side, Gabby smiling wide as proud tears formed in her eyes, the mother nodded while she kept her attention on Sofia, the young girl working towards taking another step.

"She did." Gabby spoke before she crouched down to the ground, holding out her arms towards her baby. "Come here, Sof. You can do it."

Matt mimicked his wife's positioning, the man crouching down as well before Caitlyn came to his side, the five year old hanging off of him as she watched the baby. They three of them were barely a foot away from the eleven month old, Sofia determinedly taking another step closer, proud smiles covering the faces of all the adults in the room as she continued walking towards her mother.

"There's my girl, come on Sof." Gabby continued to encourage her, the mother blinking back the tears forming in her eyes as the family did what they could to soak in this milestone moment.

"Yay Sof!" Caitlyn cheered, Matt and Gabby chuckling as the father wrapped his arm around Caitlyn's waist, both parents happy to see Caitlyn's support for the young girl.

"Yeah, that's it, come here." Gabby continued as Sofia took the last few steps, the baby getting too excited to slow down as she walked right into her mother's arms, Gabby wrapping her up in a tight hug as loud, unintelligible sounds of excitement continued to escape Sofia's lips. "Oh my God, baby, look at you." Gabby breathed out as she cradled her daughter in her arms, her eyes moving towards her husband, seeing the same look of pride shining in his teary eyes.

"...Our girl is walking." He spoke, his voice a little unsteady as his emotions got the best of him, Gabby nodding proudly as she adjusted the baby in her arms.

"Our girl is walking." She repeated, Gabby pressing continuous kisses against the top of Sofia's head.

Though Sofia had been walking around for awhile with either help from them, or her walker, this was the first time she'd ever done it on her own. Without any help from anything or anyone. And her parents were sure they'd never been prouder of her than in this moment, Gabby rubbing her hand up and down the girl's back.

"Good job, Sof!" Caitlyn spoke up again, her genuine excitement filling the room as she came over and kissed the top of her head, Matt's chest flooding with warmth at the sight of the three girls in front of him.

There was a sense of complete pride in the air around them, Sofia oblivious to how important this moment had been, the little girl just loving the attention she was getting more than anything as she grabbed onto her mom's shirt.

"Can we see if she'll do it again?" Matt asked, Gabby nodding immediately before her husband got up and stood a few feet away from them, Caitlyn following him as Gabby got Sofia up on her feet. "Come here, Sof. Come to Daddy."

Casey and Caitlyn both said words of encouragement as the baby slowly began walking towards them, the parents trying to enjoy every moment of this as Sofia walked on her own, both Gabby and Matt feeling a level of pride they never knew possible with each passing moment as she slowly made her way to her father.

Their girl was walking. Their little baby was growing more and more every day, and now she was able to walk on her own. And they couldn't feel more grateful that they'd been here to experience this moment.

And they were more than happy that Caitlyn had been here to enjoy it with them.