Hello there everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all. I loved getting to read your thoughts on the last one, and I hope you enjoy this one as well!

I know this one is a little shorter, but I get into that more at the end of this chapter. For now, thank you all so much for reading! I can't wait to hear what you think.

But real quick, I just want to say that it's hard to believe that this story has made it to 150 chapters, especially because as some of you know, when I first started this I never intended it to become more than ten chapters. But now here we are, like two and a half years later, and this story is still going. And that's because of you guys. Thank you all so much, for supporting me and this story. And with all my stories. Whether you've been reading since the beginning, just started, or joined somewhere along the way, I am so, so grateful to every one of you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting me all these years. It means the absolute world to me.

Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty

Dawson waited for traffic to pass before she turned down the road beside their home, a soft smile resting over her face while her youngest daughter was secured in the backseat, Sofia singing along to the children's song Gabby had playing on the radio. Though it was more screaming and babbling than actual singing, but the mother loved it regardless, as Sofia had not a care in the world while she spent time with her mom.

They had been out most of the afternoon, Gabby deciding to take Sof out with her while she ran some errands, as Dawson had quite the list of things she needed to get done. And with both her and Matt off today, as well as him having a free day from his construction, she decided to take the opportunity to check off some of the things on her to-do list. Especially with how one of the things she needed to get done was rather important, for her and Matt both- even though he had no idea it was happening.

But that was exactly what she wanted, Gabby looking forward to showing him the surprise she had for him while Sofia continued singing in the backseat, the mother hitting the button to open their garage before pulling in. Once her car was parked, Dawson killed the engine, much to the dismay of the little girl behind her as she was quite enjoying her song. But even without the music, that didn't deter her singing as Sofia continued babbling away back there while Gabby put the garage back down.

It was something she did every time she had the girls with her, Gabby making sure their garage was closed before even thinking about getting out of the car, as she didn't want to take any chances. Their neighborhood was rather safe, and with this road only accessed by people who lived in the few townhomes around them, the street was never that busy so it wasn't necessarily the traffic she was concerned about.

But when it came to her family, Gabby would rather be safe than sorry. She had seen too many accidents in her line of work, and heard too many horror stories from Antonio and on the news about kids being taken, even right in front of their parents, that it wasn't something her or Matt were ever willing to risk. So, just as she always did, she made sure the garage was completely down before unbuckling and getting out of the vehicle, Gabby grabbing her phone and wallet before she walked around to the other side of the car to get Sofia.

As soon as she opened the door, Sofia looked towards her with a bright, though somewhat slobbery, grin, the almost twenty two month old starting to mess with the clasps holding her in her seat as it was clear she wanted to get out now that her mom was in front of her.

"Hi baby, yeah I know, I know." Dawson murmured as she watched her daughter continue to fight against her restraints, her spunky attitude as present as ever as Sofia was still keeping their hands full most days. "You wanna go inside and see your Daddy?" She asked her, the little girl starting to move around more the second Gabby mentioned Matt.

"Dada." She spoke excitedly, Gabby smiling softly as she got her straps undone and lifted the baby out of the car.

"Yeah, let's go see your dad. And Caity."

"Kay Kay." She repeated, clapping her hands together excitedly before Gabby shut the car door and placed the little girl down on the ground, the mother wanting to get Sof inside before coming back out here to get all the bags out of the trunk. "Kay Kay… Kay Kay."

"I know, I know… They're just inside baby, let's go." Gabby spoke softly, Sofia's little hand clasped tightly in hers as they started walking around the back of the car towards the door to their home.

Their movements were a little slower than they'd typically be, as it always was with Sofia, but Gabby was wanting to let her do as much on her own as she could, as even though Sofia was still in a clingy phase, she loved her independence. As long as her parents were with her, she was always looking for things to be able to do on her own. And while just walking inside wasn't that big of a deal, it was still something, as usually with the steps up into their home they would carry her.

But today, with Gabby's help, she was able to get up them on her own, the two of them moving slowly while Sofia navigated the steps that were a bit steeper than the ones inside their home.

"Good job, baby." Gabby encouraged her as they stood on the landing, Sofia wearing a proud smile on her face as this was one of the tasks they were working on with her a lot. They made sure she was always supervised, and they mostly did it inside where the carpet on their stairs provided a softer landing, but she was getting better and better at teaching herself how to get up and down the steps safely.

While they were standing there waiting to go inside, Sofia stood up on her toes to try and reach the door handle with her hand that wasn't holding onto her mom, her impatient nature getting the best of her as a soft laugh left Gabby's lips.

"Alright, alright, we're going to see Daddy and Caity... And we need to give Daddy his surprise." She spoke lightly, Dawson helping her little girl open the door before Sofia dropped her hand and hurried inside.

Following after her, Gabby shut the door behind them and headed into their home, the soft sound of the television really all she could hear as the familiar movie filtered in through the hallway. When her and Sofia first got home, Gabby wasn't sure what the rest of her family would be doing on this nice and warm June afternoon, and quite frankly she was a little surprised they hadn't been outside enjoying the weather, as it was nearly impossible to get Caity inside most days considering she loved being out and getting to ride her bike.

But as she headed further into their home and the sound of the TV got louder, it became clear to her that they'd decided to stay inside this afternoon after Matt picked her up from her dance class. And when she came into the main part of their home she began to understand why, a soft smile forming across Gabby's face as she took in the sight in front of her.

Matt and Caitlyn were over on the couch, both fast asleep as the six year old laid next to her father. Casey was on his back, one of his hands resting over his chest while Caity was tucked into his side between him and the back of the couch. It was almost hard to see her, Gabby only getting a good look at her once she started to walk a little closer as Caitlyn was pressed up against his side, her head tucked up to the side of his chest while they both rested.

She couldn't be sure how long they'd been asleep, though she knew Caity's dance class had finished up well over an hour ago, Gabby only able to assume that they'd fallen asleep pretty soon after they got home given how Caitlyn was still dressed in her clothes from class- the baby pink leotard and tights hard to miss next to Matt's dark jeans and navy blue shirt.

But they both looked to be resting comfortably, though once Sofia noticed where they were and she began to waddle her way towards them, Gabby knew that wouldn't last for much longer.

When the girl got to them, she reached out to hold onto the edge of the couch, her little hands gripping the material while she looked up at her dad, Gabby coming up behind them as she waited to see what Sofia would do.

She stood there quietly for a few moments as Gabby came and sat down on the coffee table behind her, a soft squeal leaving Sofia's lips like she couldn't contain her excitement at being back with her dad and sister. Though as the noise began to get louder, Gabby could tell her impatience was starting to blend in with that excitement, as Sofia just wanted them to wake up.

As the child began to realize her dad still wasn't awake, she reached out to gently pat her palm against his arm, that combined with the soft sounds still leaving her lips prompting Matt to wake up rather quickly, as Gabby knew the both of them had become rather light sleepers since the girls.

When his eyes opened almost abruptly, Gabby could tell he was a bit confused, Matt looking around before his gaze moved down towards Sofia, who was still patting against his arm. The second he saw her, a soft smile covered his face, Matt moving his hand down off his chest towards Sofia as the little girl's smile widened when she saw he was finally up.

"Hi princess." He greeted, his voice thick with sleep as he carefully lifted his other arm that was around Caitlyn and reached down to pick up Sofia, the baby waiting with her hands up above her head as she was eager to be with her dad.

"Dada up." She spoke happily, her wide smile causing Matt to grin back at her as he gently placed the little girl on his stomach, being mindful of a sleeping Caitlyn still tucked into his side while Sofia made herself comfortable on top of him before cuddling against his chest.

"Hey my sweet girl, I missed you." He continued on, hugging her to him while placing kisses against the top of her head. "Did you have fun with Momma?" He asked as he glanced over towards Gabby, the smile on his face widening when he locked eyes with his wife, before he began to rub his hand along Sofia's back. "Did you get everything you needed done?" He asked, Gabby nodding as her eyes moved between him and their girls.

"We did, yeah. We had a nice time." She answered him, Matt nodding with a soft grin as he felt Caitlyn begin to shift beside him, before settling down after a few seconds and continuing to sleep. "How were things here?"

"Things were fine, I got some stuff done before I had to go and get Caity. Then when we got home, she wanted to watch a movie… Which I'm realizing now was just her way of saying she wanted a nap without admitting it." He added on with a laugh, his voice clearing up as he continued to wake up.

"Yeah, she definitely never likes admitting it." Gabby echoed with a soft smile, her hand reaching out to brush through his hair while she sat in front of him. "But she's always pretty worn out after dance. How'd her class go?" She questioned after her eyes moved back to Caitlyn.

She'd only had a few classes so far, as she'd gotten enrolled the week before last, but the six year old was absolutely loving dance. She loved meeting her new friends, as Caitlyn called them, and she was completely in love with her teacher, the little girl having the time of her life every time she was able to go to class. And there was also the added benefit as it certainly helped get some of her extra energy out, as it wasn't uncommon for Caity to be a little tired after dance.

"It was good, she said that she had a great time. Talked my ear off the whole way home." Casey told her after clearing his throat, Sofia still wiggling around on his chest while he scratched her back. "And her teacher said she did really well, that she's learning a lot which is good." He continued to explain, Matt pausing for a moment before a sly grin formed over his face, like he had just remembered something, Gabby's head tilting to the side while she waited for him to say whatever it was.

"Although after today, maybe next time you should come with me to pick up Caity." He told her, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly as she stroked her thumb over the top of his head before pulling her hand back.

"Oh yeah?" She asked, unsure of what was coming as he gave her a nod. "Why is that?"

"Because the second I walked in there, those dance moms were all over me." He replied with a smirk, Gabby unable to help the way she rolled her eyes before an amused scoff left her lips.

"They were, huh?" She questioned back, the teasing tone in her voice making his smile widen.

"Mhmm… Apparently they don't see a lot of dad's around there. And I'm not sure if we've just never crossed paths with them before, or if they never paid attention because usually you and I go and get her together, but today they seemed very interested to get to know me." He continued on, Gabby shaking her head lightly as he laughed. "Even after I very obviously was showing my wedding ring, they didn't seem to mind."

"Oh, well that's good to know." She breathed out, Matt smirking softly while his girls continued to rest on him.

"Yeah, it was like open season over there." He added on, Gabby chuckling at his terminology as she couldn't help but find his words a little ridiculous, though also amusing. "But don't worry, I made it clear I'm not interested."

"Yeah, I wasn't worried babe." She answered without a bit of hesitation, Matt's smile widening as they looked at each other. "That's not something I ever worry about."

"Good." He answered her, Matt moving his other hand to rest over Caitlyn's side, while he continued alternating between scratching and rubbing Sofia's back, the younger daughter slowly starting to lull to sleep as the comfort and warmth of her dad's embrace was enough to make her a little tired. "...So, uh, how long do you think I'll be stuck here?" He asked after a moment, his eyes moving between the two girls before glancing back towards Gabby.

"You're not getting out of there anytime soon." She answered him, Matt mulling over her words before he ultimately nodded, a content look appearing over his face as he relaxed back into the pillow.

"Well, that's alright with me… I was having a great nap." He spoke lightly, Gabby matching his grin before she nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, well you can go back to your nap in a minute, but there's a few other things we need to talk about first." She prompted, Matt's eyebrows raising as his head turned towards her.

"...That sounds like I'm in trouble." He joked, Gabby rolling her eyes before she responded.

"Not this time." She said, Matt smiling softly as he waited for her to continue. "But no, I just wanted to let you know that Kidd called me on the way home, said she was hoping she could come over and get some help with studying for this Lieutenant's exam." Gabby spoke as an understanding look soon appeared over his face, Casey well aware of his firefighter's upcoming exam as he and Stella had spoken about it a lot lately. Which, in turn, led to the entire house soon finding out.

Though Severide had mentioned to Gabby how Kidd wasn't going to tell anyone about her test just yet, once Stella had gone to Casey for his help after Foster's ceremony a couple weeks back, it hadn't taken long for word to get around the rest of the house. And now that they all knew, they were just doing whatever they could to help as the entirety of 51 was beyond proud of the firefighter.

"She said she tried to call you, but you didn't answer."

"I must not have heard it." He replied, Gabby nodding knowingly as she was sure Kidd had called while he and Caitlyn were sleeping. "But yeah, of course I don't mind, do you know when she's coming?"

"I think tonight." She answered him, earning another nod from her husband. "And I'm sure Severide will tag along too, so I figured we could order in for dinner. Maybe get Chinese food, or pizza depending on what the girls are feeling. Then Kelly and I could entertain them after we eat, while you help Stella." She explained some of what was going on in her mind, Matt smiling softly in agreement.

"Sounds good, baby." He replied, Gabby matching his look before she pushed herself forward to press a soft kiss to his forehead. "...What was the second thing?" He asked once she sat back down, a shy grin soon appearing over her face as her bottom lip tucked between her teeth, her reaction causing his own smile to widen. "What is it?" He pressed when she didn't respond, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she reached down to grab her wallet that was sitting on the table beside her.

"Sof and I did a few things while we were out today, but there was one pretty special errand that I had to do… I have a surprise to show you." She could tell her words piqued his interest, the almost goofy grin on his face growing before he spoke up.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhmm." She hummed while opening up her wallet. "I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get it today, that's why I didn't tell you. But I was." She continued on vaguely, Matt no less confused as he watched her pull out her license before handing it to him.

"What's this?" He asked, taking his hand off of Sofia's back to grab it.

"Just look at it." She prompted, her hands resting in her lap as she watched his eyes trace over her license, like he was trying to figure out what he was supposed to be looking at.

But then, he saw it.

And she could tell the second he registered what was different, his eyes crinkling as a wide, happy smile covered his entire face while he focused on the I.D. in front of him.

The same I.D. that now read Gabriela Casey.

It had taken some time to be able to do this, as changing your name was a lengthy process. Something that was much more intensive than either of them realized. But now, it was finally done. Her name was legally changed, or in the process of being changed, on everything, and this was the last step she had to take.

She was now officially Gabby Casey, and she was so eager to tell him.

And his reaction didn't disappoint, Gabby seeing his eyes begin to water as he stared at her name, his entire face lighting up before he looked back towards her, his excitement and pride hard to miss as she could tell just how thrilled this has made him. So much so that she could tell he wanted to get up and hug her, but he wasn't really able to move with the girls on him, Matt settling for reaching out for her hand instead as a look of complete and utter joy flashed in his eyes.

"...I love you so much, Gabriela Casey."

His words were like music to her ears, Gabby beaming as she grasped onto his hand a little tighter, their fingers locking together before he gave her palm a squeeze.

"I love you so, so much. Thank you for this." He breathed out, Matt blinking quickly a few times as Gabby felt her own eyes beginning to water as well.

"I love you, too… And I love our family." She murmured, Casey giving her an immediate nod in agreement. "Our girls have your name, and now so do I… We're the Casey's, and I wouldn't change that for anything."

"Me neither." He told her before gently tugging on her arm, prompting her to come back towards him as Gabby got up to give him a gentle, loving kiss. "I love you." He told her again as his lips ghosted over hers, Gabby smiling softly before she kissed him once more, the two staying in this position as long as they possibly could while Dawson used her free hand against the couch to support her weight. Neither one of them wanted to pull back from the other, so they didn't, Matt and Gabby's hearts both feeling so completely full while they celebrated this defining moment in their lives as a few more soft words left Gabby's lips.

"I love you, too… More than anything."

Casey walked swiftly through the hallways of 51 towards the common room, with the notebook he'd been searching for for the last ten minutes securely in his hand, Matt hearing more and more chatter coming from the room as he got closer to his destination.

"Yeah, we were over at Casey's last night, and Caitlyn kept trying to help Stella. It was so sweet." Severide's voice flooded out into the hallway just before Matt turned the corner, a soft smile forming over his face as Kelly spoke of his oldest daughter. "I managed to keep Sof entertained, but Caity wasn't interested, she was with Stella the whole night."

"Ah, really?" Herrmann spoke with a soft grin, Kidd nodding in response from beside Kelly.

"She was, yeah. It was cute." Kidd replied, glancing towards Dawson to find a wide smile over her face. "That kid is such a sweetheart, she was really trying to help me study."

"Yeah, I'm not sure how much she was actually helping." Gabby spoke up lightly, her words earning a few laughs from around the room. "I think she was more of a distraction than anything else, but she was trying."

"No, no, she was fine." Kidd assured her. "We were able to get a lot done, and Casey was such a big help. He's gonna work with me until my test, so hopefully I'll be ready."

"You will be." Dawson spoke without hesitation, Severide nodding in agreement while Matt stood in the entrance to the common room. "You've got this, Stella."

"She's right." Kelly echoed, Kidd giving them a soft smile before she nodded, Dawson and Severide both knowing more than most how nervous Stella was for this exam. But they had all the faith in the world in her, as did everyone else in this house.

"Do you know when you're taking it, Kidd?" Herrmann spoke up, gaining the firefighter's attention before she shook her head.

"Not yet, no… I'm still waiting to hear from headquarters. But it'll be in a few weeks probably, at least. If not longer." She explained, seeing some nods from around the room just before Casey's voice hit their ears.

"Hey Kidd?" He called, everyone glancing towards the hallway as they hadn't noticed his presence, Matt holding up the notebook in his hand just as Gabby glanced towards him, a knowing look soon covering the faces of Dawson, Kidd, and Severide, as that folder had been talked about a lot last night. "I found all the scenarios and questions I was telling you about," He continued, his firefighter getting up from her seat and heading towards him, the appreciative look on her face hard to miss. "So we can go over them, whenever we have downtime."

"Thank you so much, Casey." She replied gratefully, Matt nodding with a soft smile.

"Nothing to thank me for… Though the guys might want some thanks, because we're gonna be doing a lot of extra drills now, to let Kidd run things." He spoke, his voice projecting through the room as he caught the eyes of all of his firefighters. "I take it that won't be an issue?"

"Absolutely not, Captain." Mouch responded without a thought, Kidd laughing softly as the rest of 81 nodded in agreement.

"Good, good." He spoke, though his lighthearted tone was keeping things easy around the room. "Today we'll just focus on some of the scenarios in here," He started, holding up the book once more. "And see how you handle those, but I was thinking- Hey Chief?" Casey cut himself off when he saw Boden walk through the side entrance into the common room, the older man slowing his steps when he heard his name being called out.

When he noticed his two firefighters standing at the front of the room, he immediately changed his course and began to head that way, getting the sense the Captain was needing to have a conversion with him. "How can I help you, Casey?" He asked, his hands resting over his hips as he looked between Casey and Kidd.

Matt glanced towards him with a soft smile on his face, but it was one that began to fall when he took in his Chief's tired demeanor. That same demeanor that the firehouse had seen a lot of these last few weeks, or over the last month really, as Boden had not really been himself as of late. He just seemed to be far away, and not entirely present most days. And Casey wasn't sure what to make of it.

For a while Casey thought it had something to do with Foster's ceremony and everything that brought up, as that hadn't been easy on anyone in the house. But when that came and went, and Boden still seemed a bit off, Casey couldn't help but think that this was something else entirely.

He just didn't know what it was. And he hadn't had the chance to ask.

"Casey?" Boden pressed, Matt shaking his head slightly when he was drawn from his thoughts, before clearing his throat.

"Right, sorry. I was thinking that with Kidd preparing for her Lieutenant's exam that's coming up," His words were cut off by heavy cheers from around the room, Kidd laughing softly as warm Casey and Boden both smiled, Matt waiting for the room to quiet down before he continued. "But I thought we could let Stella take the ropes on a few calls today?" He asked him, Boden's eyebrows raising slightly.

"I'd be there to watch over everything, and I'd step in when needed. But I thought it might be good for her, to help her get a feel for things better."

The room went quiet as their Chief thought over his words, the older man drawing in a few deep breaths as he looked between the Captain and his firefighter. But when he locked eyes with Casey, Matt saw that look again- that hesitation. And the second he picked up on it, all of Casey's uncertain feelings came rushing back.

Because there was something going on with Boden. There was no doubt about that.

"That'll be fine, Casey." Boden eventually replied, the two officers locking gazes for a long moment, like they both knew there was more going on than just Kidd. But Matt didn't comment on it, not here, as he gave a soft nod before reaching out to clasp Stella's shoulder.

"Thanks Chief." He responded, Boden giving them both a tight lipped smile before nodding.

"Just make sure to do everything by the book." He added on, Casey and Kidd both giving him an understanding look. "And you ultimately have the say-so out there. You're still in charge."

"We understand, Chief." He repeated, the older man nodding just as the bells went off.

Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61. Multiple vehicle car accident, South Racine

As the call continued to be rattled off, the first responders in the room began to get up from their seats, all of them pausing what they were doing this late morning as they started heading for the garage.

"Alright Kidd, I hope you're ready for this." He spoke as he hurried to the double doors, Stella nodding back at him as they both got outside.

"I am, Captain."

"Good… Now let's get out there."

Casey moved through the bullpen as he walked towards Boden's office, the Captain greeting a few of their civilian employees when he passed them while making his way to his destination. When 81 returned from their call just moments ago, he'd immediately been told by one of the guys on engine that Boden wanted to speak with him when they got back, Casey wasting no time in getting out of his gear and heading this way as he now stood in the open doorway, Matt lifting his hand up to knock against the frame.

Boden looked up when he heard the sound, a knowing look crossing his features before he leaned back in his seat, waving Casey in.

"I heard you wanted to see me?" Matt asked him as he stepped further inside, Boden removing his glasses and placing them down on the desk before he nodded.

"I did, come in Casey… Shut the door behind you." He spoke, Matt pausing for a moment before he nodded, the Captain complying with his boss' request before heading further inside. "How'd the call go?" He asked as Matt sat down in front of him, the soft smile that formed over Casey's face hard to miss. "Kidd do alright?"

"She did great." He replied, his hands resting over his thighs. "It was a bit of a tricky call, one of the cars was pinned in pretty tight and there were some severe injuries. And some of the people involved were kind of in shock, so it was hard. But she handled it like a pro." He added on, Boden pausing for a moment before he nodded.

"That's great to hear, Casey."

"It is, yeah… I wasn't really sure what to expect from her honestly. I mean, I know how capable she is a firefighter, but running calls is a whole different animal." He continued on, Boden nodding quickly in agreement as they both knew just how true Matt's words were. "But she did really well, she basically did everything the same way I would… She's gonna make a hell of a Lieutenant."

Boden smiled softly as he listened to Casey's words, the older man able to hear just how genuine Matt was as it was clear he thought highly of his firefighter.

"I believe she will, too." He replied, Matt nodding with a similar grin.

"Yeah, she's gonna do great. And I know it's not an immediate thing, but seeing her out there today… It just makes me think about how I'm gonna hate to lose her off of 81." He continued on, Boden's smile starting to falter slightly as Casey released a soft breath. "We're a better truck for having her, and it'll be hard to let her go, but she's too good to be working under someone else her whole career."

Boden nodded slowly as Casey's words resonated in his head, the air around them going quiet for a moment before the Chief looked down towards his desk, the change in his demeanor evident as Matt kept his eyes on him.

He waited for a moment, to see if his boss was going to say or do anything. But when a full minute passed and he had yet to respond, Casey wasn't sure what to make of what was going on in his head. But he had a feeling it wasn't just about Kidd, Matt knowing this likely went back to whatever had him acting so off these past few weeks.

And now that they had this moment alone, he couldn't help but think it was finally the time to ask him about it.

"Is everything alright, Chief?" Casey asked after a few more seconds, Boden pausing before he looked back up at his firefighter, with an unreadable expression etched into his skin.

"Everything's fine, Casey." He answered, though his words didn't do much to combat the unsettled feeling in Matt's gut as it was hard to believe him. "There's just been a lot on my mind lately, and then everything you just said about Kidd, it…"

"Yeah?" Matt pressed, unsure of where this was going as Boden pursed his lips together for a moment before he spoke up.

"Everything you said about her, is how I feel about you." He told him, Casey's eyebrows furrowing almost immediately as he wasn't sure what to make of his words, confusion coursing through his system. "You talking about how she's too good to be working under someone, how she seems to be a natural at this job- that's you, Casey. It always has been… Which is why there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about."

Matt kept his eyes on him as he spoke, this conversation catching him off guard as he genuinely had no idea where Boden was going with this.

"These past few weeks, I've been doing a lot thinking, and talking with Donna… about my future and what's next for me." He prompted, Matt's eyebrows furrowing deeply as his head tilted to the side. "And I was waiting for the right moment to bring this up, though I'm not sure they'll ever be one."

"Chief, what do you-"

"I've decided to step down as Chief, Casey."

His voice stunned him to silence, Matt's mouth slowly closing as Boden's words washed over him, Casey hardly able to form a thought as this was one of the last things he'd ever been expecting. Especially from Boden. But if the look on his face was any indication, this was real. It was happening, and the Chief had already made up his mind.

And he had seemed to make up his mind about more than just his future, as the next words out of his mouth nearly knocked the wind out of Matt.

"...And I want you to take over for me."

Well, there we have another one. And let's just say I am very eager to hear your thoughts on everything. I'm not sure if any of you saw this coming or not, but I can't wait to hear what you all think about this.

Also, I just want to say really quickly that I am sorry this chapter is so short. I know my updates are typically a lot longer than this, but it was a really rough weekend for me and I didn't have much time to write. And I also didn't want to just add a bunch of filler to make the chapter longer, so this is where it ended up. But I really do like how it turned out, and I hope you all do as well.

Thank you so much for reading, everyone. I hope you all have a great week, and I'll see you next time!