Well, hello there everyone. It's definitely been a while.

Let me just start out by apologizing for how long it's taken me to get back to updating my stories. I never intended to go a month without posting anything for you all. But these last few weeks were very chaotic, and I didn't have any time to sit down and write until this past week. So I'm sorry for that, but I appreciate you all being patient with me as I get back into my stories.

A few things I want to mention, is there will be an update for Whatever Comes Next this week, too. So be on the lookout for that. And also I am working on the next chapter for If We Never Say Goodbye. I hate how long it takes me to get those chapters to you all, but I am trying my best to get that next update to you all. Then lastly, for those who don't know, I'm working on a little (actually not little at all) Dawsey Christmas two-shot. If you follow me on twitter, you may have seen me talking about it, but yes I got the idea in my head for a little story and wanted to write it, so the first chapter of that should be posted for you all early next week.

Other than that, I think that's all I've got for you all. I know that was a lot to go over, but since I've been gone for a bit I just wanted to make sure you all know what's going on, and what's coming. But now that we've gone over all of that, I'm gonna stop talking now and let you all get to the story.

Thanks so much for reading everyone, I really hope you like it! And I can't wait to hear what you think.

Happy reading!

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Eight

Dawson drew in a deep breath as she made her way to the top of the landing on the second floor of their home, the mother being met by the sound of nothing but complete silence while she looked towards her daughters' rooms. It was a little early, but not anything earlier than when their girls usually got up, as Gabby had come up here to get them for breakfast before she left for shift. Which was what they typically did on days when she and Matt worked. But what wasn't as usual was the fact that both Sofia and Caitlyn were still asleep, Gabby tightening her hold on the sippy cup full of milk in her hand before she started towards her baby's room, knowing it would be easier to get Sof up first.

In an effort not to startle her, when Gabby got to the little girl's room, she made sure to enter quietly as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. But, to her surprise, she was met by the sight of her almost two year old standing up in her crib with a bright grin on her face, the baby gripping onto the edge of her bed tightly as an elated squeal left her lips the second she saw her mom.

"Well, good morning Sof." She spoke lightly, a smile of her own falling onto Gabby's face as she couldn't help but feel equally as excited to see her daughter. "When did you get up? Last I saw you, you were fast asleep." Gabby continued to talk with her, even though she knew Sofia wouldn't necessarily be able to answer her, the child instead pressing her chest into the edge of the crib while reaching out for her mom. "I know, I know, Momma's here. Come here, sweet girl." She continued her soft words while she gently lifted Sofia out of the crib.

Her movements were slow, Gabby knowing she still had to be careful with herself as she settled Sofia onto her hip, the baby throwing her stuffed animal back into the crib in order to grab the milk her mom had gotten for her, before digging her curly haired head into Gabby's neck.

"Did you sleep well, baby?" She said, rubbing her hand along her daughter's back while her weight rested over her forearm, Gabby pressing a few soft kisses to her head before moving over towards the dresser so she could change her diaper. "Looks like you did."

Sofia's only answers for her mom came in the form of hums and squeals, the young girl more focused on her milk than anything else while she laid down on her mat as Gabby quickly changed her diaper, the process going smoothly enough as Sof's tired state kept her from putting up much of a fight. And soon enough she had gotten her back into her onesie, Gabby leaning down to give her baby a few kisses before picking her up and heading out the door towards Caity's room.

Following the same routine she went through with Sofia, Dawson secured her youngest in one arm before slowly pushing the ajar door open and stepping into Caitlyn's room. And just like Sofia had been, Caity was also awake as well. Though based on the way she was stretching her arms above her head, before bringing them down to rub her fists over her eyes, Gabby got the feeling her little girl had only woken up moments ago, the mother smiling softly at her daughter while moving further into the room.

"Good morning, baby." She greeted her six year old, Caitlyn smiling brightly as she brought her hands down from her face, her reaction alone telling Gabby she hadn't noticed her presence until right now.

"Morning Mommy." Caity replied back, her voice still thick with sleep as she watched her mom and Sofia come towards her. "Morning Sof."

"Kay Kay!" Sofia cheered happily, the child pinning her sippy cup against her chest before reaching her free arm out towards her sister.

"Hi sissy." Caitlyn replied with a giggle, Gabby carefully sitting Sofia down on her daughter's bed before she instantly started to crawl towards her, Caitlyn opening up her arms for a hug as the baby collapsed down on top of her sister. "I missed you." She added on before Sofia pushed herself up to give her older sister a kiss.

"She missed you, too." Gabby responded as Caitlyn wrapped her little arms around Sofia, the mother unable to stop her smile from widening as her heart felt so incredibly full while watching her girls.

"I missed you too, Mommy." The six year old continued, Dawson giving her a gentle nod as she sat down on the edge of the mattress, before reaching out to brush some of Caity's unruly hair out of her face.

"How'd you sleep, honey?"

"Good." She answered as a yawn left her lips, a slight chuckle escaping the back of Gabby's throat while Sofia continued to make herself comfortable on the bed, the little girl shifting over to lay beside her sister before grabbing her milk. Her head was resting up against Caitlyn's arm, the two cuddling together as Gabby looked back and forth in between her girls. "I didn't get up early." She stated, Dawson holding back another laugh as she nodded.

"I know you didn't, that's why I'm up here to get you. But I'm glad you slept well, baby." She answered her, Caitlyn smiling proudly as Gabby reached out to start rubbing over Caitlyn's stomach lovingly. "But now that you and Sof are awake, what do you think about going downstairs to get some breakfast?" She suggested, seeing Caitlyn's eyebrows raise slightly as it was clear she wasn't opposed to the idea. "Becca's here, and she's making pancakes."

"With blueberries?" Caity questioned suddenly, Dawson biting back a smile before nodding.

"Yes, with blueberries. Your favorite." She answered her, watching as a content look appeared over her daughter's face. "And I think she's making some eggs for you and Sof, too."

"Okay, we can go eat breakfast." She agreed, Gabby smiling softly before she started to move to get up.

But while she did, it was then Caitlyn's tired brain had finally taken notice of her mom's appearance, the six year old seeing how Gabby was wearing her clothes for work as she was just now remembering her parents would be gone today. And once that thought hit her, Caity couldn't help but glance over towards the door, like she was waiting for someone else as it wasn't lost on her how only one parent had come to wake her up.

"Is Daddy awake?" Caitlyn asked while she began to sit up, Sofia following her movements as the little girl abruptly held out her near empty sippy cup for her mom to take, before she began to climb over her older sister to get off the bed. But the movement didn't phase Caitlyn at all, the girl merely helping to make sure Sofia didn't fall as she managed to get her feet planted firmly on the ground.

But while all that was happening, Gabby was doing her best to keep her focus on both girls, a slight wince appearing over her face as she knew exactly what Caitlyn was asking her.

"He is, but he's at work." Dawson responded, watching Caity's face fall slightly while Gabby reached out to place a hand over Sofia's back. "Remember last night, we talked about how your dad would have to leave early?" She reminded her, it taking a few seconds before that realization began to show in her features.

"...Oh yeah." Caity replied, somewhat dejectedly as her disappointment at not getting to see her dad was hard to miss. And while Gabby didn't really like seeing her daughter like this, it was something that had happened quite frequently while Matt was still getting used to his new position within the CFD.

It had been a few weeks since his promotion, and there were still some adjustments the entire family was trying to get used to with his new schedule and responsibilities.

As promised to them, it hadn't changed things too much, but Matt was still gone a little bit more than he'd been before as a Captain. It wasn't anything too bad, and he certainly wasn't as absent like when he was when becoming a Chief. But here lately he hadn't been around as much, especially over the last week or so he'd been spending a lot more time at the firehouse as he'd been busy with work. And it was something Caitlyn and Sofia were both working on getting used to, while Matt himself was figuring out how to balance work and home as well as he could.

But despite any challenges, Dawson and Casey had done their best to keep things as normal as possible around the house while they made their way through all these changes, the parents knowing ahead of time that there was bound to be a learning curve with all of this. And if you were to ask Gabby, she thought they were all managing it pretty well, even though some moments were harder than others with the girls.

"Yeah, he had to leave pretty early this morning, honey. But he did come up here to give you a kiss goodbye." She assured her, as Matt had taken the time before he left to come and say bye to both his girls, even if they weren't awake to see him. "And he told me to tell you how much he loves you and Sof." Dawson added on, her words bringing a small smile to Caitlyn's face. "He said he's gonna miss you, but your Daddy and I will be back tomorrow morning, yeah?"

"Mhmm." She hummed in understanding.

"And he also said he can't wait to hear all about your dance class." She said, Caity giving her another nod as her mom's words were beginning to make her feel better.

"Okay… But can Sof and I call you and Daddy later?" She questioned with an almost hopeful gleam in her eye, Gabby immediately nodding as she reached out to rub her hand along her arm.

"Of course you can, baby. You can always call us." She promised her, seeing Caitlyn start to relax a bit as she smiled.

"Okay Mommy." She replied, Gabby matching her grin before she leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Now, how about those pancakes?" Dawson redirected her, Caity's eyes lighting up while she began to nod excitedly.

"Yeah, I want my pancakes!" The six year old responded before hurrying out from under her covers and sliding down off the bed, Gabby laughing softly as the three Casey girls got up and started to head out of the bedroom, all of them looking forward to their breakfast together before Dawson had to leave for the firehouse.

Casey took a long sip of his second cup of coffee this morning while tapping his pen against the top of his desk, the firefighter letting the warm liquid coat his throat before he put his cup back down, and began to go back to the work he'd been trying to get through since arriving at the firehouse this morning.

He had been here for about an hour already, from the last time he checked the clock, Casey having left his family rather early today as he had a seemingly never-ending amount of paperwork to get through. And while he didn't love these extra hours and being away from his girls, the time here at the house proved to be necessary, as these few early mornings he'd been doing every couple shifts had helped tremendously in keeping everything under control here at 51. And they had also helped Matt in general, by letting him get a little more settled into his new role at the firehouse, as this extra time here kept him from getting overwhelmed during shift.

In just the few weeks that had passed since he took over the reins here at 51, he had come to realize just how easy it was to feel like you were drowning in this job. Much more than he ever felt when he was a Captain, Matt having so much more on his plate now as he was still just trying to get used to all of this.

But overall, he felt like he was handling everything okay. Even if there was a lot he was having to learn as he went, it still felt like he was doing a good job. That he was able to keep a level-head, and perform as a Chief in ways that were expected of him.

And it helped that the rest of the house was adjusting just as well, as everything here was running as smoothly as it always did. There were still moments of disagreement, where one of his firefighters didn't see eye to eye with his call, or they wanted to do things differently, as Matt was able to recall a few times where he and Severide, Herrmann, and even Gabby hadn't necessarily been on the same page. But that was typical for a firehouse, as they had all been that way with Boden a time or two over the years. And at the end of the day, they still respected his authority whether they agreed with him or not, his firefighters and paramedics able to show him that same respect they had with their last Chief as they all knew the chain of command.

Of course there were some times where it was a little strange for people, as the shift from friend to boss wasn't always the easiest to navigate, but they were all making it work. And thankfully, for as well as things were going on shift, the change in their professional dynamic hadn't altered anything in their personal lives. So far, everyone in the house had been able to separate the two, knowing when to treat him like their Chief, and when he could just be Casey.

And that was something that Matt was more than grateful for, as these aspects of his new job had gone about as smoothly as he could've hoped for during these first few weeks.

While starting to focus back on the work in front of him, the sound of his phone buzzing against the desk pulled him from his thoughts rather quickly, Matt shaking his head lightly before he glanced over to see he had a new message from his wife. An almost instinctive smile formed across his face when he noticed her name, the man dropping his pen down onto the stacks of papers before he picked up his phone to see what Gabby had sent him.

'Girls missed you during breakfast, but they ate well. They're taken care of at home with Becca, and Jemma just picked me up, so we'll be at the firehouse soon'

The smile on his face no doubt grew while he read over her words, as her message was accompanied by a photo of Caitlyn and Sofia at the dining table. They were both still in their pajamas, his babies smiling wide while they enjoyed their breakfast with their mom, Matt feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness just by getting to see a photo of his girls. But even that slowly started to morph into something a little less heartwarming, as Casey hated the fact that he had been away from them this morning. But truthfully, he hated being away from them at all.

And if there were any drawbacks to this, and the job, this was it. That he was missing precious moments with his girls. Even in simple instances like breakfast, he hated that he wasn't there to get that time with them. And he also couldn't help but hate how with him away more, so much of everything at home got put onto Gabby. That she was having to take on more of their shared responsibilities by herself, and even though she had told him over and over that it was fine, he still felt bad about it.

But regardless of his feelings right now, he knew this was just part of it. That all he could do was be as present as possible while he was there, with taking on as much as he could with the girls and making the most out of the time they did have together, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he began to type out his response.

'God, our girls are so cute, I missed them this morning. And you, but it looks like everyone had a good time. I'll see you soon. Drive safe babe, I love you'

After sending her that message, Casey placed his phone back down onto his desk, intent on getting some more work done while he had the time before shift change. But it was only maybe a few more minutes that passed before there was another interruption, as Casey had just finished looking over some paperwork from headquarters when he heard a knock on his door, the Chief lifting his head to find Severide standing in the doorway.

Holding his hand up slightly, Casey waved him in, Kelly starting to move further into the room while Matt slid a few of his papers aside.

"You're here early." Severide spoke as he walked towards the desk, Matt chuckling lightly before leaning back in his seat.

"I could say the same for you." Casey countered, Kelly giving him a knowing look as he came to a stop behind the chairs across from the Chief. "What are you doing here already? I wouldn't expect you for… at least another twenty minutes." He teased while checking the time on his watch, Severide waving him off before he responded.

"Yeah, yeah… I'm only here because Kidd wanted to come in early." He started to explain as he moved around the chair to sit down, Matt giving him an understanding nod. "She wanted to go over a few drills with Herrmann, I think is what she said. So they're out in the garage."

"Oh, I'm sure Herrmann's loving that."

"Absolutely." He chuckled, as Casey shook his head in amusement, the two friends sharing another look before Kelly spoke up once more. "So, Chief, how are things going?" Severide questioned, his words almost pointed as Matt's head tilted to the side slightly.

"Things are good." He answered slowly, Severide's eyes moving down towards his desk before looking back up at him.

"That's good… How are the girls? It feels like forever since I've seen them." Kelly continued on, Casey's face softening a bit before he nodded.

"They're doing well… Just enjoying the last little bit of summer. Sof's good, and we got Caity registration for school finalized last week, so that was a big thing." He breathed out, Severide laughing softly as he made himself more comfortable in his chair.

"Ah yeah, the brand new first grader." He spoke with a gleam in his eye, Casey shaking his head after huffing out a heavy breath, like he couldn't believe how old his girl was getting. "Her school starts in a couple weeks, doesn't it?"

"The beginning of September, yeah." Matt responded with a grin, Severide matching his look. "It's coming up soon."

"I can't believe she's about to be in first grade, that's insane to me, thinking about how young she was back when you all first met her." Severide told him, Casey breathing in deeply before he nodded in agreement. "And then there's Sof, who's got a birthday coming up." He added on, Matt's smile only growing wider as Kelly saw the excitement shining in his friend's eyes. "The little squirt is about to be two, which feels even crazier."

"It does, yeah." Matt breathed out in agreement. "It's hard to believe she's two already, it feels like just yesterday she was this little baby we were bringing home from the hospital… And I know every parent says that, but it's true." He added once he saw the look on Severide's face, the squad Lieutenant chuckling softly as he held his hands up.

"Hey, I get it, I feel the same way. It doesn't feel like it's been two years since she was born, especially when you think about everything that's happened since… I mean, two years ago you started with one daughter, and now you have two."

"Fair point." Casey laughed in agreement. "But I wouldn't change any of it, even if my girls are growing up too fast."

"I know you wouldn't." Severide told him, resting his hands down on his legs as Casey gave him a small smile, before his attention moved back down to the papers on his desk that Kelly had interrupted him from. But while Matt was looking at what was right in front of him, Severide's eyes were focused more on the large stack sitting on the edge of Casey's desk, his interest getting the better of him as he soon spoke up once more. "...What do you have there?"

Casey lifted his head up at Severide's question, his eyebrows raising slightly before he followed his friend's gaze towards the pile of applications sitting farther down on his desk. The applications that Matt had been looking over the last few days, the same ones Casey saw Kelly eyeing a few moments prior.

"Those?" Casey asked for clarification as he reached out towards the stack, Kelly giving him a nod while Matt adjusted the files. "They're applications for our next Lieutenant on 81." He answered honestly, seeing a flash of something he couldn't quite read in Severide's eyes. And while he wasn't sure exactly what it was he was thinking, he had a pretty good idea.

"Oh yeah?" He questioned after a pause, Matt nodding as he pulled the stack a bit closer.

"Mhmm… I mean, Herrmann's been great filling in. But we need a Lieutenant. A permanent one." He told him, Casey merely voicing the thing that everyone already knew as Kelly nodded slowly. "And even though headquarters makes the final decision, they've asked for my input… Basically told me they want to know who I think will be the best fit, and that's where we'll start. So I've been looking over some candidates for the position."

Severide waited for another moment before nodding once more, Casey getting the sense that there was something he wanted to say, the Chief just wasn't sure if he would do it. But soon enough, he did.

"...Stella wouldn't happen to be in that pile, would she?" He questioned, Matt glancing back towards him with a curious look in his gaze while Severide sat up a little straighter. "I mean, you've seen her. You know how good of a firefighter she is, and you helped her become a Lieutenant. So… What about Kidd?" He pushed, Casey biting back a smile before shaking his head lightly. "What?"

"Nothing, it's nothing, I just… I'm surprised it's taken you this long to come to me about this." Casey told him, Severide narrowing his eyes playfully as the two men shared a laugh.

"Well, I was waiting for you to get off your ass and offer it to her, but that seemed to be taking too long." He joked, Matt letting out a soft scoff before he shook his head. "But, in all honesty, the reason I hadn't brought it up is because Stella told me not to." Severide began to explain, as Casey gave him a knowing nod. "If not for that I would've come to you weeks ago, and she'd probably kill me now if she knew I was doing this, but I just wanna know if you've thought about it… Her running 81."

"I have." Casey answered honestly, Kelly sucking in a deep breath before he nodded back at him. "Believe me, it's been on my mind. And her file is in there, it's been at the top for a long time now." He told him as he gestured towards the pile of applications. "She's the obvious choice for this job, her being in-house and all. With me training her, and her knowing everyone… The truck already respects her, it would be an easy transition I think. For all the same reasons Boden wanted me as Chief, that's why I do think Kidd would do well here." Casey boasted, his words causing Kelly the grin softly as he spoke of his girl. "And that was even something Boden and I talked about a time or two before he left, that we both thought she'd be a good fit."

"Yeah, I think she would too." Severide spoke surely, his gaze flickering back down to the desk for a moment before returning to Casey. "She's a hell of a firefighter, and we've all seen how well she's stepped up into that Lieutenant role when she's needed to."

"I agree." Matt repeated, Kelly's head leaning forward slightly before he replied.

"So then why haven't you offered it to her?" He questioned, Casey hearing nothing but uncertainty in his friend's voice as it was clear Kelly just wanted to know where his head was at with all this. That he wanted to know what was happening with Stella, and Matt couldn't blame him as he knew if it were Gabby in this position, he'd be doing the same thing. That he had done the same thing in the past when it came to vouching for Dawson.

"Well, truthfully I haven't for a few reasons." He started, Severide looking him over while he waited for more of an explanation. "I have all the faith in the world in Kidd, and her abilities to run a truck, and run it well. But I also don't want to just throw her into the deep end without her truly knowing what she's getting herself into." Matt told him, while clasping his hands together on top of his desk. "And even though she's good, this would be her first real job as an officer, and starting by running a truck in what's arguably the busiest house in Chicago, when she doesn't have all that much experience, can be a bit daunting… So I've needed some time to truly see her in action, which is why I've had her and Herrmann splitting some of the workload lately."

Severide nodded in response, the squad Lieutenant finding it best to stay quiet while Casey explained exactly why he'd been holding off on offering Stella this job. And as a firefighter, he understood it, as everything Matt was telling him made sense. And if it were him in his position, he likely would've been doing the same thing.

"So that's part of it, but then I also need to talk to Kidd about all of this… See if she feels like she's ready for it." Casey went on, swallowing thickly once Severide gave him an understanding nod, as Matt wasn't sure how receptive he'd be to his next words. "And then, frankly, I also wasn't sure how well you two would handle it…" He spoke honestly, watching as Kelly's eyebrows furrowed in deep confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I just mean that this would be a big shift from what you two are used to, now being the same rank, in the same house." He continued on, Severide soon opening his mouth to say something. But Matt held his hand up as a signal for Kelly to let him continue, as Casey had more he needed to say. "I'm speaking from experience here, Sev. Not as your Chief, but as your friend… Any dynamic shift in your professional life is bound to bleed over into your personal life. You saw it happen with me and Dawson." Casey reminded him, as Kelly released a soft sigh.

"Now I know these situations aren't the same, for a lot of reasons. You wouldn't be her boss or anything, but something like this would be just as much of a change for you two. And there would be times where she's in charge and calls the shots… You two aren't used to that on the job. So I just wanted to make sure this was something you had thought about, and something you knew you could handle before I made any actual decisions." He told him, Matt pausing for a moment to take a breath before he kept on.

"And that's not to say that your all's relationship would've kept Kidd from getting this job, because it wouldn't… I wouldn't not give her the job because of that, it's not fair to her. Not when she's worked so hard to get where she is." Casey added on carefully, as Severide gave him a knowing nod. "But it needs to be considered, and I wanted to make sure it was something you could manage before we tried to figure all this out."

Casey's words hung in the air for a moment, as by the look on his face Matt could tell Kelly wasn't entirely impressed with what he was saying. But as the seconds passed by and Severide had yet to say anything, it was becoming clear that the Lieutenant was beginning to realize that Casey had a point, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"But, like I said, you two wouldn't keep me from suggesting Stella for the position, there's just been a lot to figure out with this. And I do believe Kidd needs to be placed somewhere, sooner rather than later. Because she's too good to just be on the sidelines." Casey continued on when he realized Severide likely wasn't going to say anything, his friend pausing for a moment more before he nodded in agreement. "So maybe you two talk about it, and I'll talk to Kidd, see where she's at with everything and if she feels ready." Matt spoke, earning an appreciative smile from Kelly. "And then we'll go from there."

"Sounds good, Case." Severide responded, the two men sharing one last understanding nod before Kelly glanced down to his watch. "...We should probably get out there. Can't have the Chief being late for his own meeting." Kelly added on lightheartedly, Matt resisting the urge to scoff at him as he started to organize a few of his papers, before getting up from his seat.

"As the Chief, I can never be late. Because the meetings don't start until I get there." He countered, Severide rolling his eyes after huffing out a heavy breath.

"Oh brother." He muttered, Matt laughing in response before the two firefighters headed out of the office and started the walk towards the conference room, the air around them easy despite their earlier conversation while they made their way to their destination.

But they only got so far before Matt slowed his steps down when he saw Dawson and Jemma come in through the double doors, the two off in their own conversation for a moment until Norris noticed him and Severide.

"Well, good morning boys." Jemma greeted them as they came to a stop just inside the hallway, Gabby turning back when she registered her partner's words, to find her husband and Kelly walking towards them. "Or should I say men."

"Definitely men." Severide corrected, the two sharing a laugh before they continued on towards the conference room, after Jemma gave a quick greeting to Casey, leaving the couple alone in the hallway.

Before either of them said a word, Casey wrapped his arm around his wife's back and pulled her in for a quick kiss, the abrupt action catching her a bit off guard. But she relaxed into him regardless, Gabby smiling against his lips before kissing him back.

"So, this morning went okay?" Matt asked her once they separated, the two continuing on with their text conversation from earlier today as Gabby gave him an assuring nod.

"Mhmm, everything's good." She responded, Casey smiling softly before he leaned down to steal another kiss.

"Good." He replied, neither of them needing to say anything more as they both had quite the long morning already, Matt pressing one more gentle, yet loving kiss to her lips before they started walking in step towards the conference room, the firefighter and paramedic both ready to get their shift started.

"No, no… I understand. I do- Yeah, yup. Mhmm… I'll look it over now, and get back to you… Yeah, okay. Thanks- Bye Chief."

Casey blew out a heavy sigh as he hung up on what had to have been his tenth call of the day, the man shaking his head roughly before he brought his hand up to press into his temple, the growing pressure behind his eyes having not let up ever since it made its presence known a few hours ago.

It had been a long day for 51's Chief, to put it lightly, as Matt was basically chained to his desk all morning making phone calls back and forth to headquarters, the tedious work certainly leaving him a bit more exhausted than he'd care to admit. Especially seeing as how he hadn't done anything more than sit at this desk all day.

But after finishing up what he hoped to be his last phone call for at least a little while, he had every intention of getting out of this office for a bit, Matt continuing to rub his head for a few more minutes, while stretching out his neck to relieve some of the soreness that had built up over the last few hours.

"Long morning, Chief?"

Casey looked towards the doorway when he heard Herrmann's unmistakable voice, to find the older man standing a few steps inside the office with his hands in his pockets, Matt offering him a small smile before he nodded.

"Yeah, you could say that." He answered, his words prompting Herrmann to step in further while Casey sat up a little straighter in his seat.

"You've been tucked away in this office most of the day, I figured you were pretty busy." Christopher continued on as he stopped short of the two chairs in front of Casey's desk.

"I have been, yeah… Lots of stuff going on at headquarters today." He breathed out, Herrmann's eyebrow raising slightly before his head cocked to the side.

"Everything alright?"

"It's fine, just some of the usual stuff." He responded somewhat vaguely, but Herrmann let it go as he knew if Casey wanted to share anymore, he would've. "...I didn't realize you all were back from your last call yet." Matt added on after a moment, the officer recalling hearing the bells go off awhile ago.

"We just did." The older man answered with a nod.

"How'd it go?"

"It wasn't anything too bad." He said, shrugging slightly after he spoke. "Everyone's alright, it could've been worse." Christopher finished, Matt giving him an understanding nod before his eyes flashed behind Herrmann out towards the bullpen.

"Did 61 get back with you guys?" Casey asked him as he met his gaze. "Gabby and I were gonna call the girls sometime today, but I wasn't sure if she was here." He further explained, seeing the knowing look that appeared over Herrmann's face before he shook his head.

"She's not, no." He replied, as Matt gave him a nod. "They got called out again as we were leaving the scene, person in distress I think. So it might be a bit before they're back."

"Alright, that's fine. Thanks anyway." He told him, the older man nodding before Matt started to get up out of his chair. But while he moved, Christopher stayed firmly in his spot, his still form hard to miss as Casey finally looked back his way. "...Did you need something else, Herrmann?" He pressed, the older man smiling softly before shaking his head once more.

"Nah, I'm good… I was just coming to see how our Chief was doing." He said with a slight laugh, Matt's face relaxing before he smiled back at him.

"Ah, well, your Chief is doing fine… Just trying to get some down time before someone else tries to-" His sentence was cut off by the sharp sound of his phone ringing, Casey's head hanging down towards the ground before he reached out towards his desk. "Call me… Before anyone else tries to call me." He finished his statement, Herrmann unable to stop his chuckle as Casey picked up the phone and put it to his ear.

"Chief Casey." He answered to whoever was on the other end of the phone, Herrmann watching him closely with a soft grin as he could tell how annoyed his Chief was at these constant phone calls.

But that annoyance quickly morphed into something else, as Matt's expression faltered slightly, before his face started to lose some of its color, his eyes widening before he spoke up. "Wait, what?" He asked, effectively cutting off whoever he was talking to, the worried edge to his voice causing Herrmann to be on alert as he took a step closer to his boss. "What do you mean, what happened?"

Herrmann couldn't be sure what was going on, the words on the other end of the line too muffled for him to hear, but whatever it was, Casey didn't like it, the man quickly reaching down for his cell phone and keys while pinning the landline between his ear and shoulder.

"How did that happen, are they okay?" He asked once more, Herrmann seeing more and more of how rattled he was by whatever he was hearing through the phone.

And that alone told Christopher it could only be one thing.

Gabby.

"Is Dawson okay? And Norris?" He repeated, Herrmann's eyes falling closed as he tried to push off the unsettled feeling in his gut, as even though he didn't know what was happening, it was clear something was wrong. "No, no okay… Yeah, I'm headed that way now. Tell 61 to stay there." He ordered, before abruptly slamming the phone back down onto his desk and grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair before heading for the door.

"Casey, what happened?" Herrmann called after him, his words slowing Matt down only for a second as he turned back towards his firefighter, the older man seeing nothing but worry and uncertainty in the Chief's gaze.

"It's... something happened on 61's last call." He responded vaguely as he tried to gather his thoughts, Herrmann not liking the sound of his vague words as he took a few steps towards Casey.

"Are they alright?" He pushed, Matt drawing in a breath before he nodded.

"They are- Or I think so, but I… I don't know, I gotta go."

And those were the last words he said before he bolted out the door, Herrmann watching him all but run through the bullpen and down the hallway before he was out of sight, leaving the firefighter alone in his office without a single idea as to what was going on with their paramedics.

But all he did know was that it couldn't have been anything good.