Hello there everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. It was so great seeing your all's responses to the last chapter, I'm so glad you all liked it. I hope you enjoy this one, as well.

That's pretty much all I've got, thanks for reading!

Chapter One Hundred and Forty Nine

"Here you go, Sof." Matt spoke softly as he placed a plate with oatmeal, eggs, and a few cut up berries down in front of his daughter, before pressing a kiss to the top of her curly-haired head. "Enjoy your breakfast, baby." He told her, the little girl smiling brightly when the food was placed in front of her before she began to dig in, Sofia doing her best to use the spoon her father had given her, even though she still struggled a little bit with it.

But it was something they knew she just had to figure out in time, Casey watching her shove a little bit of oatmeal into her mouth, as well as some falling down onto her clothes, before he placed Caitlyn's breakfast down on the table at the six year old's usual spot.

"Caity… Come eat, honey." He called into the living room, his eyes glancing that way just as Caitlyn looked away from the movie she had been watching all morning. Ever since she woke up around 5:30.

Neither parent was entirely sure why she'd woken up as early as she did, especially since they expected her to start sleeping in more now that she was out of school. But if anything, it had been the opposite, as ever since her summer break had started last week, she'd been waking up earlier than normal. Which meant Matt and Gabby did too, as their oldest child often came downstairs to join them in their room in the mornings, even when she knew she really wasn't supposed to get up yet.

"Your breakfast is ready." He added on, glancing down to the plate that looked very similar to Sofia's. Except her portions were a little bigger, along with the half piece of toast Casey had given her as he knew how much she liked it.

Caitlyn nodded in response before she pushed herself up from the ground, the child leaving her blanket and favorite stuffed animal behind as she hurried over to the kitchen table and hoisted herself up into her seat.

"Thank you, Daddy." She spoke as she sat up on her shins, her body leaning slightly over the table as she rested up on her arms, her eyes moving over the food that had been prepared for her while Casey went to grab their juice cups from the counter. "Can you say thank you, Sof?" Caitlyn said once Matt got back to them, the father placing their drinks down while Sofia looked towards her sister, her face currently covered in oatmeal and fruit before a wide, toothy grin appeared over her lips. "Can you tell Daddy thank you?" She prompted again, just as Gabby walked out of their bedroom.

"Ta." She spoke, Sofia using her word for thank you before she grabbed another berry off her plate. "Ta!" She repeated, a soft smile forming over Matt's face as he leaned down to kiss her head once more.

"You're welcome, baby." He told her, rubbing her back lovingly before turning to face Caitlyn. "And you're welcome, my other baby." He added on, his words earning a happy giggle from the six year old as he pressed multiple kisses to the top of her head.

"I love you, Daddy." She said happily when he pulled away from her, a loving look shining in the father's eyes as he cupped the back of her head while Caitlyn smiled up at him. But before he had the chance to respond, movement from behind him gained the girl's attention as she saw her mom coming towards them. "Hi Mommy!" She greeted brightly, like she hadn't just seen her half an hour ago before Gabby left to get ready for work.

"Hi sweetheart." Dawson spoke, Matt turning around to give his wife a soft smile just as she came to stand beside Sofia's highchair. "Looks like your dad made a yummy breakfast." She continued, Caitlyn nodding contently before taking a bite of her food.

"Want me to make you some eggs?" Casey asked after catching her gaze, Gabby giving him a slight nod before a thankful look crossed her face.

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks." She told him, Matt smiling back at her before he started walking back towards the kitchen, but not before stopping to press a soft kiss to her cheek.

Knowing that her girls were fine eating their meals, Gabby followed her husband's path after a few seconds, seeing him already at the stove preparing breakfast for her as she came to stand at the counter with him.

"Do you want some toast too?" He asked as he tossed the kitchen towel over his shoulder, the material resting on top of his white Captain's shirt while he moved his gaze between her and the eggs currently cooking in the pan.

"Sure… But you don't have to do all this, babe." She told him, reaching her hand up to rub gently over his cheek as a soft smile graced his lips.

"I know, but I don't mind. You want jam on it?" He questioned, glancing down towards the eggs one last time before moving back towards the toaster, Matt multitasking well to make sure none of her food burned.

"That sounds good, yeah."

"Alright… Oh, and I've already got our coffees ready." Casey added on, nodding back towards the counter behind him while he finished up her food.

"Wow, you're full service." She commented, her words bringing a sly grin to his face just before he met her eyes.

"Yeah, well after the, uh… service you gave me last night, I figured it couldn't hurt." He teased her, Gabby feeling her neck start to get hot just as she began shaking her head, the woman smacking his arm lightly before glancing towards their girls.

"Matt…" She warned, but her reaction only caused his smile to widen, Matt fighting back a chuckle as he plated up her food.

"Babe, you and I both know they have no idea what we're saying." He reminded her.

"Mhmm…" She hummed in response, as Casey handed her her breakfast that he'd prepared just the way she liked. "Thank you." Gabby told him, earning a nod from him just as Caitlyn's voice filtered into the kitchen.

"Mommy and Daddy, are you eating with me and Sof?" She asked, the parents looking her way to see her turned around in her seat, staring at the both of them. "She's making a mess." She added on, clearly speaking about her sister.

A soft laugh left Gabby's lips as she grabbed her coffee, before heading towards the table with her breakfast. "That's okay, honey. It's how she learns." Dawson responded, Caitlyn nodding understandingly, even though when Gabby got closer she could see her oldest daughter did have a point. That Sofia had her oatmeal mostly smeared all over her face and hands, instead of in her mouth. "Can you turn around, baby? It's not safe to sit in the chair like that." Gabby spoke to Caitlyn as she got to the table, the little girl nodding once more before sitting down correctly.

"Okay Mommy." She agreed without issue, Gabby sitting down next to her after placing her plate onto the table. "Did Daddy make you breakfast, too?"

"He did." She answered with a soft smile, Caitlyn matching her look as she held her fork in her hands.

"He's nice." She commented simply, her easy words earning a soft laugh from Matt back in the kitchen while he prepared his own food.

"Yeah, he is… Your dad is a great man." Gabby agreed, glancing back to her husband as she spoke, only to be met with a wink from him before he went back to what he was doing. "Now eat your food, honey." She prompted, knowing how Caitlyn often got distracted during meals.

"Okay." She repeated, before putting another bite of food into her mouth, all three of the girls eating their breakfast in relative peace, while Caitlyn's movie continued playing in the background.

Their morning continued on smoothly, Matt soon coming to join them at the table while they waited for their nanny to arrive, Caitlyn and Sofia both having eaten more of their breakfast than either of the parents expected as by the time they were done, Sofia had finished almost all of her food. Or what wasn't on her, at least, while Caitlyn ate almost everything she'd been given as well, all of them enjoying their meal together before Casey and Dawson had to go into work.

"Mommy?" Caitlyn spoke suddenly after taking a sip of her juice, Matt and Gabby just having finished a conversation of their own before the mother glanced down in her direction.

"Yeah honey?" She asked, reaching her hand out to brush down her hair a bit as Caitlyn looked up at her.

"Can I do dance?" She asked simply, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as it took a few seconds for her to realize what she meant. "I wanna dance, and go make friends." She continued on, Casey smiling softly at her.

"You wanna take a dance class? … Like we talked about?" She asked for clarification, Caitlyn grinning before she began to nod enthusiastically.

It was something that had come up a few times, about getting her enrolled in some sort of class this summer, as they knew it would be good for her. Whether it be dance, or gymnastics, or something else, they had talked about getting her into a class or two, to give her a way to socialize and meet some new kids, as well as a way to get out some of her seemingly endless energy. But up until today, conversations are all it had been.

They'd approached Caitlyn about the idea, Matt and Gabby also having a few separate conversations, while Gabby also talked about it with Jemma. But now all their talks seemed to be going somewhere, as Caitlyn had figured out what she wanted to do.

"Yeah!" She responded, her smile never faltering as she looked quickly between her parents. "Then I could be a pretty ballerina." She continued, Matt chuckling softly as he and Gabby shared a knowing look.

"Well, if that's something you want to do then we'll look into it, alright honey? See if we can find a class for you." She assured her, Caitlyn nodding before she responded.

"Yay! Thank you, Mommy." She told her, reaching up to give her mom a hug before hurrying from her seat and going around the table to her dad. "Thank you, Daddy."

"You're welcome, baby." He spoke, lifting his little girl up into his lap before she hugged him, Caitlyn wrapping her arms around his neck in a secure hold. "Momma and I will talk about it, and get you into a class as soon as we can." He added on, Caitlyn tightening her grip thankfully before pulling back to give him a kiss.

"Thank you." She repeated, Caitlyn looking between the two of them once more before speaking up. "Can we watch my movie before you go?" She asked suddenly, effectively changing the subject as another soft laugh escaped Matt's lips before he nodded.

"I think your mom and I have a little bit of time… Let me get the kitchen cleaned up, and then we can." He told her, Caitlyn accepting his answer as she slid down off his lap.

"You two go ahead." Gabby told him, Matt raising his eyebrows slightly as he glanced across the table to his wife. "I'll clean up Sof, and get the kitchen cleaned up… You go ahead." She encouraged him.

"You sure?"

"Mhmm." She promised, Matt nodding before he turned back to Caitlyn.

"Alright baby, you heard Momma, let's go watch your movie." He said, the little girl clapping excitedly before she ran back into the living room, Casey following after her while Gabby stayed back to clean up from breakfast, the parents going their separate ways before it was time for them to leave.

Dawson stretched out her neck as she made her way down the hallway, her hands shoved into her pockets while the paramedic did what she could to prepare herself for the shift ahead, especially when she was still feeling a little exhausted after being woken up early by Caitlyn. But it wasn't anything too hard to manage, Gabby breathing in deeply as she turned the corner to head for the common room.

"Hey Dawson."

Gabby looked up when she heard a familiar voice, her steps slowing as Kelly walked in through the double doors with a soft smile on his face.

"Hey Severide." She greeted, waiting for him to get to her before they both continued towards the common room. "How are you?" She asked, her eyes flickering back behind him for a moment. "Stella not with you?"

"She's at headquarters." He answered, her eyebrows raising slightly out of curiosity. "She, uh… She thinks she's finally gonna start thinking about becoming a Lieutenant, so she's there getting some stuff sorted out." He explained, a bright grin covering Gabby's face before she nodded.

"That's great, Severide… I'm so happy for her, she'd be a great Lieutenant."

"Yeah, she would be." He spoke with a soft smile. "But she's not really telling anyone yet, she just decided last night."

"Yeah, yeah, I won't say anything… But she should talk to Matt, he could definitely help her." She told him, Kelly nodding in agreement. "I mean, I know you could too, but…"

"No, I get what you mean. Casey could help her out a lot, for what she's trying to do. With her wanting to become a truck Lieutenant and everything." He told her, Gabby nodding back at him. "I'll tell her to talk to him, and between the both of us I'm sure she'll be fine. Hell, she'd be fine without us." He joked, Gabby smirking slightly in response.

"Yeah, she would be… But that really is great, Sev." She repeated, Severide matching her grin.

"Thanks Dawson." He said, as they got closer to the common room. "But what about you all, how are things in the Casey residence?"

"Good, we're doing good. The girls are doing well… We're still trying to get adjusted to this new schedule, without Caity being in school, but it's been good. And Sof's loved having her sister back in the mornings." She answered him, Severide chuckling softly.

"I'm sure she has." He replied, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. "How has she been doing, anyway? Sofia?" He questioned, Gabby glancing towards him. "Still wanting people to stay away from Casey?" Severide joked, Dawson scoffing lightly before shaking her head.

"Luckily, we haven't had any more of that." She responded with a laugh. "Although the only people she's seen are my dad, Becca, and Jemma… And none of them have gotten close enough to Matt to test it." She continued to explain, Kelly chuckling as well as their steps began to slow down. "But no, she's doing alright. She's a little better, I think… She's starting to sleep more, at least."

"That's good."

"Yeah, it is." She agreed. "I think we're nearing the end of it, or the sleep regression at least… Who knows how much longer the rest of it will last. But we're doing alright." She finished, Severide offering her a sympathetic smile in response.

"Dawson!"

Gabby and Severide both stopped and turned towards the voice to see Boden rounding the corner, their Chief waving her towards him as he came to stop just in front of the common room.

"Yeah Chief?" She asked, breaking away from Severide after giving him a nod, Kelly heading into the common room as Gabby walked towards her boss.

"I need to talk to you for a minute… Casey?" Boden called once more after looking over towards the kitchen where the Captain was standing, Matt's attention already on him ever since he'd heard him call for Gabby.

"Yes Chief?" He questioned, Boden nodding him over as well.

Without a word, Matt left his coffee at the counter and walked over to Boden, the older man leading him and Gabby both away from the common room and over towards the windows, clearly wanting some separation from everyone else before he said whatever he needed to. And neither Dawson nor Casey knew what to make of it.

"Everything alright, Chief?" Casey asked when they finally came to a stop, the couple standing next to each other while Boden was directly across from them.

"Everything's fine, there was just something I wanted to talk to you all about." He started, earning nods from the both of them before he continued. "I wanted to let you all know that I'm planning on having Emily's memorial service this Sunday."

Casey's body involuntarily tightened when he spoke to them, the Captain feeling taken aback by what he was saying to them, as those were some of the last words he expected to hear today.

He supposed it should've been on his mind, that this day would be coming. But honestly, Casey had almost forgotten about it, and about Boden's desire to have a ceremony in honor of Emily. Not because he didn't care, but because at the time his one and only focus was making sure Gabby and the girls were okay. He physically and mentally didn't have it in him to put much into anything else other than his family. And then after the smoke cleared from that horrific day, and Gabby had recovered as much as she was going to, it wasn't something he really liked to remember.

There was no forgetting what happened to her, he wasn't blind to that, as not only would Matt carry that day with him for the rest of his life, but so would Gabby. With the physical scars alone, they'd never be able to forget what she'd gone through, and that didn't even begin to touch on the mental battles they'd all experienced. But, at the end of the day, it wasn't a memory he liked to focus on when he could help it. So it hadn't exactly been on his mind lately.

But now it was looking like he wouldn't really have a choice.

"I know I mentioned it after the accident, and we haven't really spoken about it since, but I just… I feel like it's time." He continued on carefully, his eyes focused on Gabby. And soon, so were Matt's as well.

When he glanced her way, he saw a few different emotions playing out across her face, none of which he could entirely pinpoint. But truthfully, there was the thought that crossed his mind that Gabby might not even remember what Boden was talking about, as most of the weeks surrounding the accident were still a blur to her.

The memories she'd lost during that time, of some of those weeks before and after the accident, and even the accident itself, they never came back. She still didn't remember what happened to her, and a lot of her time in the hospital didn't come easy to her, either. It was all just blank, and in some ways Casey couldn't help but think of that as a blessing, as he would gladly live the rest of their lives without her remembering the details of that awful day.

But because of that, he wasn't entirely sure she knew what Boden was talking about now. Though he also figured it wouldn't take much for her to put the pieces together.

"I wanted to do it when Brett was out of the hospital, but then she went back home with her parents to do her rehab there. But I've been speaking with her, and I think she'll be able to make it." He told them, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly as her hands returned to her pockets, Matt not missing the way her body leaned towards his slightly.

"She's coming back?" She asked, the surprise in her voice hard to mask, Boden offering her a weak smile.

"Just for a visit." He answered, watching as Dawson drew in a deep breath, while Matt reached out to rest a hand over her back. "I've been speaking with her a lot over the past couple months. She said her rehab is going well- about as well as to be expected. And I guess she's well enough to travel, with her parents at least, so she said she'd like to be here for Emily's service."

"Alright, well I'm glad she'll be able to make it." Matt replied, Boden nodding before he glanced back towards Dawson.

"Yeah, so am I… But all of this, I'm sorry for doing this here, but I'm telling the house today, and I thought it would be best for you if I told you first." He explained, Matt giving him a slow nod. "I know all of this, it- it wasn't easy, and I didn't want you to feel blindsided by it coming up again." He spoke carefully, Gabby giving him a small smile.

"We appreciate that, Chief." Dawson responded first, Matt matching her look before he spoke up.

"Yeah, we do… Thank you."

Just as the words left Casey's mouth, the bells rang out above them, Matt silently cursing under his breath when he heard 61 and squad being called out to a rescue, the firefighter's gaze immediately moving to his wife as she took a slight step back.

"I've gotta…" She trailed off, nodding back towards the garage, both men nodding as firefighters began to rush past her.

"Be safe out there." Matt told her, just as he did every time the bells went off, Gabby offering him a small smile before she followed Jemma out into the garage, the PIC shifting her focus off of what Boden had just been talking to them about, as she knew she had a job to do.

Dawson's head fell back against the headrest just as Jemma finished parking the ambulance, her entire body feeling tired and achy as the long day was quickly catching up with her. It was late, she just wasn't sure how late it was as the last she'd checked the time it was well after midnight, and there was no telling how long ago that had been now.

But all she did know was that she wanted to sleep, as the nonstop calls today had taken a lot out of her, Gabby blowing out a rough breath just as Norris killed the engine.

With the both of them more tired than they even realized, neither of them were necessarily in the mood to say much, the partners exchanging a few exhausted words as they made their way from the rig to the firehouse, both of them heading straight for the bunkroom as they hoped to be able to get at least a little bit of a sleep before being called out again. Though with the pace of today for the paramedics, neither of them were going to hold their breath.

Though they planned to make the most out of their break while they had it, Jemma heading straight for her bunk and collapsing down onto it as they were surrounded by a bunch of sleeping firefighters. But Gabby had other ideas, as while she would kill for some sleep right now, her bunk wasn't the place she wanted to do it, her feet taking her past her bed and towards a certain Captain's office, as after hardly seeing him all day she wanted nothing more than to lie down with him and hopefully sleep for a while.

Getting closer to his office, she had no way to know if he was still awake or not as all of his blinds were drawn. But given the light peeking out underneath his closed door, she hoped she wouldn't be disturbing him too much as she carefully reached out for the handle and slowly pushed it open.

He immediately came into view the second the door opened, Gabby finding him laying in bed looking at something on his phone, with his hand behind him propping his head up, Matt's eyes immediately moving towards her when he heard the noise before a small smile formed over his face.

"Hey baby." He greeted softly, Gabby reciprocating the look before she stepped inside, the woman not bothering to wait for an invitation as she walked into the small room and shut the door behind her. "How was the call?" He asked, Matt reaching over to place his phone down on the small table beside his bunk, before giving Gabby his full attention.

"It was okay." She answered, Casey practically able to hear the exhaustion in her voice. "Everyone's fine, which is good." She added on, Matt nodding as he watched her bend down to unlace her boots before she kicked them off, her actions telling him she didn't have any plans of leaving anytime soon. But he didn't mind one bit, as he shot her another smile the second she looked back at him.

"...Is it okay if I sleep in here tonight?" She asked, his eyebrows furrowing slightly before he nodded.

"Of course." He answered, Matt sliding over to give her more room on the bed before she joined him, Gabby nestling her body in the small space while partially laying on top of him, the position a familiar one for them as they'd done this more times than they could count. "You never have to ask." He reminded her before things went quiet between them, Gabby cuddled up into his warmth as her head rested over his chest, her arm wrapped around his waist as he held onto her with just as much strength.

It was almost peaceful, this moment with just the two of them, Matt breathing in deeply as he ran his hand along her arm, the man doing what he could to clear his thoughts.

It had been a long day for all of them, but especially for Gabby and Jemma. And after what Boden told them earlier, that worried him a bit, as they hadn't really had the chance to talk about it. Not that there was that much to talk about, or at least he didn't think there was, but still, he would've preferred to have been around her a bit more today, just to get a feel for where her head was at with all of this.

"...You doing okay?" He finally asked after a few minutes, Matt able to tell by her breathing that she hadn't fallen asleep yet, Gabby nodding slowly against his chest as he continued to rub her arm.

"I'm fine, just tired." She answered him, her voice soft as Matt stroked his thumb along the back of her arm, before pressing a few soft kisses to the top of her head.

"Try and get some sleep." He murmured, feeling her breathe in deeply. "Hopefully it'll be an easy night."

"I hope so, too." She echoed, feeling her pause for a minute before she began to shift in his arms. "But before we sleep, there's something I want to talk about first."

Her request caught him a bit off guard, but he nodded regardless as she turned until she was facing him, her hand resting over his chest before her eyes met his, Matt keeping his arm around her back while he looked over her.

"Okay." He answered, Gabby breathing in slowly once more before she replied, her fingers messing with the collar on his shirt while she spoke.

"I've been thinking about something, pretty much all day, and this service for Emily…" She started, Matt's face tightening slightly as he waited to hear what she was going to say. "I think it's good we're doing it, and it'll be a nice way to honor her… but I don't want the girls there."

His eyebrows furrowed deeply, Matt not expecting those words to come from her, as he hadn't even really considered the possibility of taking them. Though, knowing how these things went in the past, he guessed he should've.

"I know with this stuff a lot of times everyone's families will come, and if this was anything else, maybe, but I just… I don't want them there." She repeated clearly, Matt's face softening before he responded.

"Okay." He told her without any hesitation, seeing that this was truly bothering her.

But his agreement didn't seem to be enough for her, or maybe she didn't even hear it, as she continued on.

"All of this, it just feels like it'll be too much… After everything Caitlyn went through, and Sofia too- I know how much the accident scared them. How it scared all of us. And Caity, she barely moved on from what happened to me," She rambled out, a sad look flashing in Casey's eyes as he was taken back to that difficult time. "I don't want to do anything that might make it worse for them, or for them to be reminded of that day and how I almost died." She continued on bluntly, Matt's eyes falling closed for a split second as he swallowed thickly.

"So I just… I don't know what you were thinking, but I don't want them to be there." She sighed out, Matt running his teeth along his bottom lip as he thought over her words for a moment, before he nodded.

"Alright." He agreed, watching as she nearly visibly relaxed. "I hadn't really thought about it yet, but I think you're right, they don't need to be there." He told her, Gabby giving him a weak smile before she continued.

"And I don't want to tell them, either." She spoke, Matt holding his tongue as he waited to see what was coming next. "Or really just Caitlyn, I guess, because Sofia can't understand. But I don't want to tell her what's happening." She said, her tone firm despite the late hour. "I mean, she'll probably know something's going on when we're not home, and we'll have our dress blues on, but I don't want to tell her it's for Foster. Because that'll just make her think of it, and how Emily died in the same accident that nearly killed me and I-"

She cut herself off, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she willed herself to take a few steadying breaths, Matt lifting his hand up to cup the back of her head as he did what he could to comfort her, the man taking slow breaths in hopes that she would match him. Which she soon did, Gabby giving herself a moment before she finally spoke up once more.

"I just don't think it's a good idea. So if you're okay with it, I'd rather the girls not know what's going on." She finished, Matt wearing a sad smile across his face before he nodded.

"That's fine with me, baby." He said softly, Gabby matching his look before nodding back at him. "And you're right, about all of it… They don't need to be there, or know what's going on. So while we're here, we'll keep them with Becca. Or if she can't, we'll see if Ramon can take them for the day… Give them some time with their grandpa." He added on, his words bringing a soft smile to her face. "But, whoever has them, we'll make sure they know not to tell them… And we'll make sure the girls are taken care of, alright?" He told her, feeling her breathe in deeply before nodding once again.

"Thank you." She all but whispered, Matt continuing to rub gently over the back of her head before she leaned in to give him a quick kiss, Casey reciprocating the action until she pulled back and returned to her previous position tucked into his side.

And from there on out, neither of them said a word, knowing they didn't need to as the air around them went quiet once more, both Matt and Gabby knowing they were on the same page with this and that all they needed to do now was get as much sleep as the possibly could, before they'd inevitably be called back out again.

Gabby straightened out her blue jacket as she got down out of Matt's truck, the paramedic making sure her uniform was the way it was supposed to be, before grabbing her hat and shutting the door while waiting for her husband to join her on the sidewalk. He was dressed similarly to how she was, aside from the white hat in his hands, Matt flashing her a soft smile before coming to stop in front of her, his eyes tracing over her face until he spoke up.

"You ready?" He asked her, Gabby giving him a small smile before she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready." She answered, Casey taking her hand in his before they started walking towards the firehouse.

Though the ceremony wasn't starting for another half hour or so, they had already gotten everything set up outside, the scene feeling eerily similar to other memorials that they'd unfortunately had in the past. The rigs were parked out in the driveway in a line, Gabby sure that even though second shift wasn't working today, the entire house had likely been taken out of service for the time being; long enough for them to pay their respects to their fallen friend.

Releasing a soft sigh, Gabby tore her eyes away from the driveway and instead focused more towards the house, as many first responders were beginning to come into view while they were all huddled in the garage.

From the size alone, Gabby knew it had to have been more than just first and second shift here for the ceremony, as there were at least 50 first responders here. But she was glad for that, as she knew Emily deserved to have a lot of people here. And she was sure it would bring some comfort to her family as well, as Gabby knew they'd be arriving here soon, if they hadn't already.

"There's Severide and Kidd." Casey spoke up, his voice bringing her back to the present as they stepped onto the apparatus floor, it hard to really make out anyone in the sea of blue. But after a moment, Gabby saw what her husband did, as their friends were standing over by the wall, Kelly and Stella off to the side with Jemma while they waited for everything to start.

Silently, Gabby and Matt headed that direction, the couple not dropping their hands as they navigated their way through all the men and women in the garage, along with their families, Casey leading the way until they got over to the smaller group.

"Hey, there they are." Severide spoke, Jemma and Kidd both looking their way as Matt and Gabby joined the small circle.

"Hey guys." Casey greeted, Gabby standing between him and Jemma before Matt started looking around once more. "...I can't believe how many people are here."

"Yeah, it's a lot… I guess other paramedics, and people from other houses wanted to pay their respects to Foster." Kidd replied, Matt nodding with a sad smile as it was impossible to miss the somber mood in the room.

"Well I'm glad that people wanted to be here. She was one hell of a paramedic." Casey responded, everyone in their group nodding in agreement. But no one had much of a chance to say anything, as there was suddenly a bit of commotion over by the entrance to the garage.

"Well well well, if it isn't Sylvie Brett. Look at you." Capp spoke brightly, everyone looking that way just as the familiar blonde was hugged by the firefighter, most people from second shift starting to crowd around her as they wanted to greet their friend they hadn't seen in a long time.

But the five of them stayed back, as they knew they would have their time to see Sylvie, and the last thing they wanted to do was overcrowd her under the circumstances, as this was the first time she'd been back here since everything happened. And given how rough it had been on Gabby, the current PIC had a pretty good idea of how she was feeling right now.

"It's great to see you guys." Dawson heard her say as she looked over her, as even from afar Gabby could tell how much improvement she'd made in the past few months.

She was able to stand up and walk on her own, which was incredible progress for her given how the last time Gabby saw her, she was practically bedridden. And even though her parents seemed to be following close behind her, she was able to handle herself well, as aside from the sling on her arm, there weren't any visible injuries left from what happened to her.

From what happened to all three of them, Gabby breathing in deeply as she knew this was something that would keep her and Brett connected for the rest of their lives. Them being the two that survived, that something no one could understand unless you had lived it.

"She looks good." Kidd commented, almost like she was relieved, as no one had seen their friend in a very long time. And even though a lot of them had reached out, Kidd and Dawson the most out of anyone aside from Boden, they never really got anything more than a few texts back. But with everything she was dealing with, they couldn't blame her, as this entire thing had torn her life apart.

"Yeah, she does." Gabby agreed as Brett finished greeting the last person from 51 that had come up to her, before she caught Dawson's gaze. Smiling softly, Gabby waved her over, the blonde reciprocating her look before she gradually made her way to them.

She was walking slowly, and with a noticeable limp, but she was still able to get to them on her own, the thought crossing Gabby's mind that if Brett's mobility was still this limited even after all these months, that it might be something more permanent. But she quickly pushed it aside, as she didn't want to focus on that right now, Gabby watching as Kidd moved away from the wall to be the first person to greet her.

"There's my girl." Kidd spoke before pulling her into a light hug, being mindful of her arm.

"Hi Stella… It's so good to see you. All of you." She spoke as they separated, Gabby nodding as Brett came to join the group.

"How have you been, Brett?" Severide asked, all eyes on her as a soft breath escaped her lips.

"Well, uh, I've been alright… I'm getting better. Slowly, but better." She told them, as she adjusted the strap of her sling.

"Yeah, Boden's said your recovery has been going well?" Jemma spoke up, Brett offering her a small smile before she continued.

"It is, yeah… As well as it can. I've regained some more mobility in my arm… It's not much, but it's progress."

"That's great, Brett." Gabby chimed in, the two locking gazes for a moment before she nodded. "And the sling…"

"Oh, yeah, I have to wear it sometimes… Just with how messed up my shoulder was, that hasn't fully healed. I've still got some more surgeries I have to do, to get a little more function back." She explained to them, her words causing a few of them to grimace, as the realities of her recovery were slowly starting to set in once more.

"Surgeries, as in multiple?" Kidd asked, Brett releasing a soft sigh as her weight shifted between her feet.

"Yeah, my doctors say I've still got maybe two or three more surgeries I'll have to do, if I want to get more use out of my arm." She told them. "They were hoping rehab could fix it, but it can't… And it's probably gonna take another year or so before I have all of those done." She added on, her words shocking all of them.

"Wow, a year?" Kidd pressed, Brett nodding with a sad look in her eye.

"Mhmm… It was a shock to me, too. But it's just how things are. And even then, I won't be able to regain full mobility, this is just to help get me to a point where I can live my life, and I'm not in pain." She said, her words getting quieter and quieter the longer she spoke, Brett not missing the looks of pity she was getting from a few of her friends.

"Does Boden know?" Stella asked, Sylvie glancing her way once more. "I just wasn't sure with… I know after the accident, they said you might not be able to work again, but I didn't know if anything had changed there. Or if you'd thought about ever coming back…" She spoke carefully, everyone watching Brett as she mulled over her words, before finally responding.

"Yeah, I uh… I was actually gonna talk to everyone about this today, but I won't be able to come back to work here." She told them, Gabby frowning slightly as she listened to the words leave her lips.

It was something they all kind of knew already, that Brett likely would never be able to perform her duties as a paramedic again. In fact, they'd all pretty much been told that after the accident happened, but there was still a part of them that hoped she'd be able to come back anyway. That once she'd healed, and recovered as much as she could, that, like Dawson, she'd be back.

But clearly, that wasn't the case for her.

"All my doctors, and physical therapists, they'd all told me the same thing- that the damage was too extensive to have a full recovery, and I'd never be able to safely be a paramedic again." She spoke with a sorrowful look. "And I've known it for a while, so I guess I've had time to accept it, but yeah I won't be able to come back."

"I'm so sorry, Brett." Kidd spoke, similar sentiments being said by the rest of the group as Brett nodded.

"I appreciate that, I do… But it's okay. It happened, and all I can do is move on from it. Because it all could've been so much worse for me." She reassured them, a pause filling the air before her eyes moved to Jemma. "And it's really hard, knowing that I won't be able to come back here, but Boden couldn't have picked a better paramedic to join 61 with Dawson… I know the rig is in good hands." Brett spoke as she gave the younger paramedic a warm smile, Norris mimicking her expression before Sylvie moved her gaze back to Gabby. "There are two of the best damn paramedics in the entire city on the rig right now." She added on lightly, Gabby giving her a soft smile before she nodded.

"Thank you, Brett." She responded softly, the blonde nodding back at her before she glanced back behind Dawson.

"Of course… But, uh, Gabby, do you think we could talk for a minute?" She asked her, the PIC's eyebrows raising slightly before she nodded.

"Yeah, of course." She told her, Gabby handing Matt her hat before the former partners began walking away from the group, Dawson matching her pace until Brett finally came to a stop in a more secluded area of the garage, giving them the space to talk about whatever was on Sylvie's mind.

"I, um… I just wanted to talk to you for a minute, because being back here, it's all a little surreal." She started, Gabby nodding with a sad look in her eye. "And I'm gonna miss all this so much- I have missed it, but I think what I'll miss the most is being on that rig with you." She told her, her honest words going straight to Dawson's heart as she was a little caught off guard by her statement.

"You were my first friend here, my first partner, and my best friend for so long, and even after everything that happened, getting to be back on that rig with you was the best. And I'm gonna miss it, and you, so much." Brett continued on, Gabby doing what she could to control her emotions even though with everything going on today, it was nearly impossible. "And since I'm moving back home, I'm not sure how much we'll see each other, so I just wanted to make sure to give you this…" She trailed off, using her good arm to reach down into her pocket and pull out a photo.

Once Brett handed it to her, she immediately recognized it, as it was a picture from years ago, probably shortly after Sylvie joined 51, the two of them sitting in the rig together with bright smiles on their faces. Dawson couldn't even remember who had taken this photo, but she remembered the picture clearly, a soft grin forming across her face as she stared down at it.

"Turn it over." She prompted, Gabby glancing back up to her for a moment, before flipping the small photo over.

And the second she did, her breath nearly caught in her throat, Gabby recognizing the words instantly as the note was one she remembered well. One that, at the time, had pained her to write, as she'd never gotten to properly say goodbye to her best friend. The same words Gabby had written to Brett just before leaving for Puerto Rico, Gabby's fingers tracing lightly over Sylvie's handwriting on the back of the picture as she continued staring at the note.

'Love you partner, and always will.'

Tears started to cloud her vision before she looked back up, Gabby finding a gentle smile waiting for her as Brett reached out to hold onto her arm.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew that I'll always be glad to have had you as my first partner here, Dawson." She told her, Gabby nodding slowly before she took a step forward and wrapped her friend up in a hug.

"I am, too." She whispered, feeling Brett hold on a little tighter as Gabby clenched her eyes shut for a moment. "And I'm gonna miss you too, Brett."

The former partners held onto each other for a moment longer, before they finally separated, Gabby giving her an assuring nod before rubbing her hand along her arm, the pair sharing a few last words before they headed back over to the small friend group, where all of them were waiting for the ceremony to start.

The ceremony where they would get the chance to say one last goodbye to their friend, before finally putting that awful day behind them for good.

And there we have another one. Hopefully you all enjoyed this one! I know it was a little heavier, and it's never fun to go back and relive what all Gabby went through, but I wanted to tie up this one loose end with that storyline. As well as update everyone on Brett, and what she's doing. Truthfully, it's not the easiest to write her these days, but even so, I do like the way the chapter turned out, and I hope you all did too.

Also, I know a lot of you picked up on Boden acting strange in the last chapter, and we will be getting more into that in these upcoming chapters, so be on the lookout for that.

Thank you so much for reading, everyone. I'm eager to hear your thoughts on this one, and I hope you have a great rest of your week! I'll see you next time.