Hello there everyone and happy Monday. I hope you all had a good weekend, and are doing well going into this week.

I've got the next chapter here for you all. We're gonna see a little bit more into how Gabby, and Jemma, are doing after what happened, as well as have a little celebration for one member of the Casey family. So I hope you all enjoy it.

That's pretty much all I've got, but I'll see you all next time. Happy reading, everyone!

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty

Casey sat quietly on the couch in their living room with his arm wrapped around his wife, his attention moving between the television and Caitlyn, who was currently playing on her own while the rest of the family sat together. Though Matt was the only one awake right now, as Gabby and Sofia both were resting. It wasn't too late into the evening, but once they'd gotten through dinner and bath time, neither of them made it much longer before falling asleep, Gabby having been dozing in and out against his shoulder for the better part of the last hour, while Sofia was lying fast asleep between them curled up against her mom's chest, her one thumb in her mouth while her other hand was reached back to hold onto her dad's shirt.

And while Casey himself wasn't tired, he was just happy to be with his girls, the man absentmindedly rubbing his hand over the side of Gabby's head while pressing occasional kisses to her hair, as his other palm was resting lightly over Sofia's side.

"Daddy." Caitlyn spoke up, knowing well enough to keep her voice a little lower as her mom and baby sister were sleeping.

"Yeah honey?"

"Look!" She said with a bright smile before starting to spin around in a circle, the navy blue jacket over her body nearly swallowing her whole while she continued to move, with soft giggles leaving her lips the entire time.

She'd been doing this for a while, for at least the last ten minutes or so, as ever since she'd found one of his old Lieutenant's jackets- the puffy blue one, with the yellow lettering on the back, she'd been completely fascinated by it. Which then turned into her refusing to take it off, as she continued spinning in circles with his large jacket covering her nightgown.

It used to be his favorite jacket, and he knew for a fact it was Gabby's favorite as well, but it had been so long since he'd worn it that he almost forgot about it. Though now seeing it wrapped around Caitlyn's small frame, nearly dragging the ground as she moved, he was remembering just how much he liked it, the father smiling softly as he continued to watch his daughter play.

"I'm like you." She continued on with a laugh, once she stopped doing some of the turns she'd been learning in her dance class. "I'm like Chief Casey." She said proudly, as she hadn't really noticed the wording on the back.

But Matt didn't mind one bit, his smile only growing before he nodded back at her. "You are, baby. You're just like Daddy." He agreed, his words only making her happier before she kept moving around the living room.

And that's what she continued to do for the next few minutes, Caitlyn content to entertain herself while everyone else rested on the couch. But after a while, the six year old became more interested in what the rest of them were doing, before she slowly made her way over to her family. Though the person she was most focused on was her mom, as Caity couldn't help but look at her while she slept.

"Mommy's tired." She said suddenly, her voice regaining Casey's attention as he looked away from the TV to find Caitlyn standing in front of him.

"Yeah, she is." He spoke quietly, his hand still moving steadily over her head as he could hear Gabby's even breaths.

"She's been tired lots." She commented, their observant daughter regaining Casey's attention as he drew in a deep breath of his own, knowing Caity's words were certainly true.

"She has been." He agreed with a small smile. "Work has been a little tiring, baby. And then you know, planning for Sof's birthday party in a couple days has made her a little more tired than usual." He played it off, Caitlyn grinning softly before she nodded happily.

"Sof's gonna be two." Caity spoke brightly, as she rested her hands against the edge of the couch.

"Mhmm, she is." He agreed, while Caitlyn glanced towards her little sister who was still fast asleep against her mom.

"You know what's fun, Daddy?" She questioned quickly, his head tilting to the side as he waited to hear what she had to say. "I was with Sof for her first birthday, and now I'm here for her second!" She continued on cheerfully, Matt's smile softening before he nodded.

"I know, baby." He replied gently, as Caitlyn leaned her side up against his legs that were propped up on the coffee table. "And you know what?"

"What?"

"You'll be there for the rest of Sof's birthdays, too." He told her, seeing her eyes light up in realization before she bounced up and down excitedly. "Just like she'll be there for yours."

"Cause she's my sister!" She stated, Matt laughing softly before he nodded back at her. "And we'll always spend birthdays together."

"Yeah honey, that's right." He replied, Caitlyn continuing to smile proudly while she looked at Sofia.

But when she looked back towards her mom, and took in the sight of her sleeping, that smile began to fade as the child couldn't help but think back to what her and her dad had just been talking about a few minutes ago, her eyebrows furrowing a bit while she continued to watch her mom.

"Daddy?" She asked once more, Matt glancing towards her to see her deep in thought while looking at her mom.

"Yeah baby?"

"Is Mommy okay?" She questioned, almost abruptly as Casey took a slow breath before looking down towards his wife. "I know she's tired lots, cause of work like you said. But she seems sad sometimes." She continued on, Matt hearing nothing but worry coming from his oldest daughter. And it was a worry he wished she didn't feel. "And she's been hugging me extra tight."

Casey forced himself to take another breath while he listened to his daughter, as he was trying to figure out how best to handle this. He wasn't entirely surprised that she picked up on Gabby's somewhat strange behavior these last few days, given how much Caitlyn paid attention to every little thing. But in a situation like this, part of him wished she hadn't noticed it, as the last thing Gabby would want right now was their daughter worrying about her. Even if some of that worry was necessary, considering she wasn't entirely past what all happened during the shift before last.

It had been a few days since that awful ambo call Gabby and Jemma went on, and, as Caitlyn had noticed, Gabby had been acting a little differently. Especially towards the girls, she'd been a little more clingy than normal whenever she was with them. Though Casey could only assume it came from the residual shock of what happened.

She was fine, Matt knew that, but there were certainly some moments where he could tell she was stuck on what she went through. Where it was affecting her choices and how she acted, and, as Caity's words indicated, affecting how she acted with the girls too.

But with that, Matt knew their girls were also a huge part of what was helping her get through all this, even if they didn't know what all was going on. Just seeing them and being around them was able to help Gabby feel better, as she had been making an extra effort these past few days to spend as much time with them as she possibly could.

And Matt had become a part of that as well, as it hadn't taken him long to notice how Gabby preferred when they were all together. Even if it wasn't always possible, he knew she felt the most at ease when they were all home, those feelings also being part of what led to Casey taking a slight step back from work these past couple days. He'd considered it the moment the call happened, but as soon as he saw how Gabby was acting a little off after everything, he knew it was in his family's best interest to take on less at work and be more present at home. For him to be able to be around to take more off of Gabby's plate, because he knew that's what she needed.

Which, from what he could tell, was helping. Even if there were those moments with Gabby where she wanted a little extra time with their girls, or she was a little distant here and there, he knew she was doing alright. That she was just working through this in the best way she knew how, which meant it was going to take her a little bit to get over it. Especially with all she'd gone through in the past.

"She's okay, sweetheart." He answered her after a moment, while he continued stroking Gabby's head. "You don't need to worry, she's alright." He tried, but Caitlyn merely frowned before she continued on.

"I don't want her to be sad." She said, Matt's heart tugging in his chest at her soft words. "I just want Mommy to be happy."

"I know sweetheart, I don't want her to be sad either. But she's alright, I promise." He assured her, as even though Gabby wasn't completely past all of this, he knew his words were true. That she was alright.

"Okay." She replied, somewhat wearily as she looked between her parents. "But I've been giving Mommy extra hugs, cause hugs make me feel better." She spoke, her innocent words bringing a sad smile to his face. "And kisses, too."

"And I know your Momma appreciates that." He responded, watching as his baby smiled softly before leaning more into his leg. "You're a very sweet girl, thank you Caity."

"You're welcome." She replied, as her eyes found Gabby once more. "I just want Mommy to know I love her as much as she loves me and Sof, so she feels better."

"She does know, baby… She knows how much you and your sister both love her." He promised, meeting her eyes once more before he nodded. "Now why don't you come up here and sit with me." He prompted, Caitlyn immediately nodding before she began to climb up onto the couch.

With his jacket still on her body it made the task a little more difficult, especially since he couldn't move much to help her, but eventually she was able to get herself up, Caitlyn soon tucking herself into his side with her head pressed into his arm. Once she was settled, he gently removed his hand from Sofia and reached over to rest his forearm across her, as he knew it would help her to feel more close to him.

"Is she okay?"

Matt glanced over when he heard Gabby's tired voice, all of their movement likely waking her up as she continued resting against his shoulder. Though from those few words alone, he could tell she hadn't heard all that much of the conversation.

"She's fine, babe." He said before pressing another kiss to his wife's head, while Caitlyn pushed herself up to see past her dad's body.

"Hi Mommy." She greeted, Gabby smiling softly despite the fact she hadn't opened her eyes.

"Hi baby." She murmured, as she was gradually starting to feel Sofia's weight resting against her.

"I was telling Daddy how much I love you." Caity spoke with a grin. "Cause I love you lots and lots." She finished, Matt himself unable to stop his smile at the genuine reaction between his wife and oldest daughter.

"I love you too, sweet girl." She replied, Caitlyn wearing a satisfied smile on her face before she fell back down into her dad's side. "I love all of you so much."

"We love you too, baby." Casey repeated, before placing one more kiss to her head as he knew that here before long she'd be back asleep.

His assumptions were soon proven correct when within minutes, he could hear her breathing even out, Gabby resting peacefully in his arms while Sofia continued to sleep between them. And it didn't take long for Caitlyn to follow suit as well, as while using his jacket as a blanket she had fallen asleep against him, her head hiding between the couch cushion and his arm as Casey knew her proximity to him made her feel safe.

While they all slept against them, a part of him knew he should probably get all his girls to bed soon. That their clear exhaustion was a sign that it was going to be an early night for the entire family. But he found himself wanting to stay right here for a little while longer, Matt figuring it couldn't hurt to wait before getting them all to bed, as he wanted some time to just soak up these tender moments with his girls while he had them.

So that's exactly what he did.

A heavy yawn escaped Caitlyn's lips while she slowly came into consciousness, the little girl lifting her hands up to rub some of the sleep from her eyes before gradually beginning to take in more and more of her surroundings in her bedroom. It was pretty early, though by the light over on her shelf she knew it wasn't too early, as the color shining back at her told her she was allowed to get out of bed. But even though she could get up, she didn't necessarily feel like she wanted to yet, Caitlyn's body still feeling a little exhausted this morning.

But all of that started to go away the more her mind cleared, and within a few minutes she remembered what today was, Caitlyn then sitting herself up out of pure excitement as she was more than ready to get up now.

Because today was her sissy's birthday, and she didn't want to go any longer without seeing her.

Throwing the covers off herself, Caitlyn grabbed her teddy bear while slowly sliding down off her bed, her nightgown falling back down to her knees as she made her way over towards her door, before pulling it open just enough to get out into the hallway. Once she was out there, she heard nothing but quiet, the light flowing in from the windows keeping her from getting nervous as her feet padded over the floor while she made her way to her sister's room.

Sofia's room was equally as quiet, the humming of her sound machine all that Caitlyn could really hear as she stepped inside the dim room, before finding her sister laying down in her crib.

She was awake, from what Caitlyn could tell, the two year old babbling away to herself while she held onto one of her stuffed animals; a blue monkey, that she had been loving so much recently. And seeing her up already just made the six year old even more excited, as a bright grin appeared over Caitlyn's face before she walked further into the room.

"Hi sissy."

Sof turned her head towards her the second she registered her voice, the toddler smiling from ear to ear as soon as she saw her sister, before she began to excitedly move her arms and legs around in the air.

"Good morning, Sof." She continued on as she got to her crib, Sofia reaching out to hold onto one of the wooden rails while that slobbery grin never left her face.

"Kay Kay!" She cheered, Caitlyn looking towards her with a soft gleam in her eyes as she reached out to hold onto her fingers.

"Hi Sofi." She continued on, rubbing her fingers lightly as Sofia continued to watch her older sister. "Do you know what today is?" Caitlyn asked her, but she got nothing more than a few incoherent words in response while Sof kept playing with her hand. "Today is your birthday… Happy Birthday, sissy!" She told her happily, Sofia's smile widening before she brought her free up towards her mouth to chew on her fist. "You're two!"

The younger Casey girl continued smiling, but made no move to get up as she continued looking up at her sister, Caitlyn watching Sofia with nothing but love in her eyes before she slowly dropped her hand. At first, the baby wasn't too happy with the lack of contact as she started to whine softly, but those cries lessened the second she saw Caitlyn beginning to climb into her crib.

It took the six year old a minute or two, as she was trying to move carefully and not fall, but eventually she had managed to get herself over the railing and into the crib with her sister, Sofia giggling happily as Caitlyn stood above her, before the older girl began to get down next to her. Sofia stayed in her place while Caity laid beside her, their heads facing one another as the younger girl immediately reached out towards her sister when she was close enough.

"I love you, Sof." Caitlyn told her just as Sofia placed a sloppy kiss against her cheek.

"Love.. you." Sofia repeated, her broken words bringing a huge smile to Caitlyn's face before she gave her another kiss, the two sisters content to lay beside one another as Sof had her little arm reached out towards Caity.

"I love you, more." Caitlyn said, while shuffling to rest on her side. "And Mommy and Daddy love you, everyone loves you lots and lots, Sof. Uncle Kelly does, and Aunt Jemma. And our abuelo… They all love you, and we're gonna see them later when we have a party." She continued conversing with her sister, even though Sofia was content to just listen. "Everyone is coming over, for you. Cause it's Sof's day!" She added on with a soft giggle, the sound prompting Sofia to laugh as well before the two year old placed her hand over Caitlyn's cheek.

"And I got you a present.. Daddy helped me pick it out." Caity spoke, while Sofia kept her bright blue eyes on her.

"Dada." She repeated her once more with a wet grin, Caitlyn letting out another laugh before she nodded.

"Yeah, our Dada." She said softly, the older Casey daughter unable to stop her smile from widening as she was enjoying every moment of this time with her sister. "But I think you'll like your present… Maybe Mommy and Daddy will let me give it to you at breakfast." Caitlyn stated, while she went through all the thoughts in her mind, Sofia hanging onto her every word as she was captivated by her older sister.

"But even if you have to wait, that's okay. Cause your birthday is gonna be so fun… We're all together, so it's gonna be great." She finished, looking over Sofia's smiling face before she leaned forward to give her another kiss.

"I really do love you lots, Sof." She reminded her, as the toddler rolled over to cuddle into her more. "You're the bestest little sister in the world."

Caitlyn gave her sister one last kiss before relaxing down into the mattress, Sofia following her lead as they laid together in the two year old's crib.

Downstairs, Matt and Gabby were currently laying down in their own bed as well, both their eyes filled with tears while the baby monitor sat on the pillow between them, the parents having watched the entire moment between their girls.

They first checked the monitor this morning when they were alerted to movement when Caitlyn got out of bed, but they were both so grateful they had looked at it as they were able to see and hear everything happening in Sofia's nursery.

"God, how did we get so lucky?" Gabby breathed out after a few more moments of silence from upstairs, Matt smiling softly as he reached out to brush a couple loose strands of hair behind his wife's ear.

"I don't know." He answered just as quietly. "But they're incredible. I'm so grateful for our girls… For all my girls."

Gabby's watery grin widened when she heard his words, her head shaking lightly from side to side before she pushed herself up to give him a kiss. One that he instantly reciprocated, as he brought his hand back up to cup her head.

"I love you." She murmured against him, feeling him smile once more before giving her another kiss.

"I love you, too." He echoed as they pulled away, his hand sliding down from her head to her arm before giving her a loving squeeze. "...Wanna go get the birthday girl?" He asked with an eager gleam in his eye, Gabby matching his grin before nodding with just as much excitement.

"Let's go." She replied, the two sharing one last kiss before they got up out of bed.

After checking to make sure their girls were still in Sofia's crib, they gave themselves a few moments to become more alert, Gabby changing into a pair of shorts and one of Matt's t-shirts, while Casey put a shirt on as well to go with his pajama pants before they left their bedroom and headed upstairs.

But not before they stopped to get the cupcake and balloons they'd stashed in the kitchen after the girls' went to bed, Matt grabbing those items before following his wife up the steps to their youngest daughter's room.

They knew the girls were still awake, that they were just laying together in Sofia's crib, so they weren't too worried about entering quietly as Gabby and Matt slowly walked through the doorway, Sofia seeing them first before Caitlyn.

"Happy Birthday, baby!" Gabby spoke brightly, Sofia practically squealing in excitement when she saw her parents before she and Caitlyn carefully got up in the crib, the youngest needing her sister's help a bit while she was standing by the rails of her bed.

"Mama!" She cheered, her small arms reaching out towards her mom as Gabby got to her first, while Matt came up beside her with a cake and balloons in his grasp. "Mama! Dada! Ba! Oons!" She continued on, her little body nearly shaking in excitement before Gabby pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Oons!"

"Yeah, balloons Sof!" Caitlyn spoke from beside her, the six year old just happy to be surrounded by her family as they celebrated her sister's birthday. "They're so pretty."

"Oons!" Sofia repeated, earning laughs from her parents before Matt held out the balloon string to her.

"You want your balloons Sof?" He asked with a chuckle, his youngest daughter's wide eyes growing even bigger before she reached out towards him, Gabby pursing her lips together in amusement as she brushed down some of her girl's unruly curls. "Here you go, baby." He told her as she grabbed the string, before starting to shake her arm around wildly, like she was so entertained by being able to make the balloons move around in the air. "Happy birthday, princess."

"Happy Birthday, Sof!" Caitlyn echoed, as Matt took a step towards the crib and wrapped his arm around their oldest. "I already told her Happy Birthday this morning, Daddy." She added, Gabby smiling softly as she continued to rub the top of Sofia's head, while the baby was preoccupied with her balloon.

"I know, we heard… You're such a great big sister, you know that?" Matt told her before leaning down to give her a kiss, Caitlyn smiling happily as she continued to look at her sister, Sofia squealing in delight while she kept moving around her balloons.

"Thank you, Daddy." She replied, as he kissed the top of her head once more. "Can we sing to her now?" She asked, her excitement for her sister one of the most endearing sights for both parents.

"Oh, I think so… As long as your Daddy-"

Gabby's words were cut off by the sound of Matt's loud, off-key, rendition of Happy Birthday as he immediately started to sing to their daughter, Caitlyn and Gabby both laughing before they joined in to celebrate Sofia's birthday.

And the little girl was loving every second of it, Sofia bouncing on the balls of her feet while her wide eyes looked between her family, all three of them singing all the way until the end before they started clapping. And those claps were something Sofia joined in on as well, the sound of her loud giggles like music to their ears as she clapped her hands excitedly, before Gabby leaned down to press loving kisses all over her face.

"Happy Birthday, my Sof." Gabby told her one more time before Sofia gave her a kiss back, Matt moving in to give her the same amount of attention as he had yet to properly tell his baby Happy Birthday.

While he showered their youngest daughter with endless hugs and kisses, Gabby held onto the cupcake for their girl, waiting until Matt pulled back to give Caitlyn another hug as well before she put a bit of icing on her finger to give to their daughter. And the second she ate the icing, it was clear she wanted more, Sofia eagerly reaching out towards the cupcake as that little taste her mom had given her wasn't enough.

"Alright Sof, alright." Gabby spoke with a chuckle, before glancing over to see Matt helping Caity out of the crib. "Why don't we head downstairs and let Sof eat her cupcake?" The mother suggested as she got a bit more icing on her finger for Sofia to eat. "And we can make some breakfast."

"Yeah!" Caitlyn spoke, just as Matt placed her down onto the ground, Gabby smiling softly while giving Sofia a little more of her cake. "What are we making?"

"Your dad and I were thinking chocolate chip pancakes, with maybe some scrambled eggs and raspberries." She told her, Caitlyn's eyes widening in excitement as Matt had moved to lift Sofia out of the crib and into his arms.

"Those are Sof's favorites!" Caity replied with a beaming grin, Casey doing all he could to stifle his laughter as Gabby nodded.

"They are, baby… You wanna help us make breakfast?"

"Yeah! Let's go!" She spoke, grabbing onto her mother's hand before leading her out of the room, the parents sharing a knowing grin as they headed out of Sofia's room and downstairs, all of them more than ready to spend the entire day focusing on the youngest member of the Casey family.

Casey stood just in front of the garage outside their home while nursing a cup of soda, as their friends and family were scattered around the secluded street between the townhomes, everyone content to just enjoy one another's company after eating while they continued their celebrations for Sofia's second birthday.

The festivities had started earlier in the day after breakfast, when they'd Facetimed with Gabby's mom for a bit so Camila could see her youngest grandbaby on her birthday. Then soon after that emotional talk, they'd had a call with Matt's mom as well, as both grandmother's were wanting to be a part of Sofia's special day. And both of those conversations had gone extremely well, Sofia enjoying all the attention she could get before Jemma and Marcus soon arrived to help set up things for the party, their arrivals eventually followed by Ramon, then Severide and Kidd.

And after that, people started to filter in gradually; everyone from the firehouse began to arrive, and their families, as well as Christie and Violet making an appearance to visit the Casey's. Which was pretty much the extent of who all they had invited, as Gabby and Matt both felt like it was best to keep this relatively simple party with just those close to them.

Sofia's birthday was a special day, there would never be any denying that and their little girl was worth celebrating, but with that, neither parent really thought a huge party was necessary for their two year old. Especially when she was too young to remember it. It just felt as if they'd be doing it more for them than Sofia, so they decided to put all their energy into just making sure their daughter had the best day she possibly could. And considering all Sofia cared about these days were toys and being surrounded by her family, this was the perfect type of party for her.

And, from what Matt and Gabby could tell, she was having the time of her young life. Her and Caity both were.

"Hey man."

Severide's voice pulled Matt from his thoughts as he turned around to see his friend coming down the steps from their home, with Marcus close behind him, Jemma's boyfriend shutting the door before heading towards Casey.

"What's up, Sev?"

"The old lady wanted me to check and make sure you got something to eat." He spoke, Casey's head cocking to the side at his friend's choice of terminology before biting back a smile.

"The old lady?" Marcus asked, almost like he was thrown by his words as well.

"Dawson, yeah."

"You better not let Gabby hear you say that." Casey warned playfully, earning a proud grin from Severide before he continued on. "But yeah, I'm good.. I was able to eat in between feeding the girls." He explained, as Matt couldn't help but find his wife's need to take care of him endearing.

"That's what I told her, but she didn't believe me." Kelly responded, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his mouth before shaking his head lightly, while Severide looked out towards the group of people. "...Where's the little squirt?" He questioned when he was unable to get eyes on Sofia, Matt glancing a little further down the road before nodding in that direction.

"Down there, with Jemma." Casey answered, as he watched Norris help Sofia play around on one of her new birthday presents; a balance bike that Ramon had gotten her.

Though she already had a bike, it had definitely seen better days as Sofia managed to rough it up a bit rather quickly. And seeing as how their baby had gotten a little taller these last few months, this new bike fit her better, Sofia able to move her feet freely along the ground while she moved around.

And, perhaps most importantly, Sof absolutely loved it. Adorned in her helmet and knee pads, she hadn't gotten off the bike ever since they got out here, his little girl's giggles able to be heard through the crowd that always seemed to be around her as everyone wanted to spend some time with the birthday girl. Even if she was only interested in her bike, and Jemma.

"Ah yeah, okay." Kelly answered, while Jemma continued to help the little girl go around in a circle. "I'm gonna go and check it out… Make sure she doesn't go too fast on that thing." He explained further, Casey's eyebrows furrowing slightly while an entertained look crossed his face.

"It's a balance bike, Kelly." Matt reasoned, hearing a slight huff come from his friend. "It can only go as fast as she can move her feet."

"And she's with a paramedic. So I wouldn't be too worried." Marcus chimed in, Casey nodding in agreement before a smug grin started to appear over his features.

"...Still." Severide replied after a moment, Casey scoffing lightly as it still caught him off guard sometimes how overprotective he could truly be when it came to the girls. "I don't want to risk my goddaughter getting hurt." He added on, before continuing his walk towards Sofia.

"You remember she's also Jemma's goddaughter too, right?" Casey called after him after a laugh, Severide waving him off before he jogged the rest of the way towards Sofia and Jemma.

"Does he really think anything bad is gonna happen?" Marcus asked lightly as he moved to stand beside Matt, Casey looking his way with a gentle smile on his face.

"No, I don't think so.. He's just being Kelly." He answered, Marcus nodding as the two men glanced back out towards the party, a comfortable quiet falling over them until Casey eventually spoke up once more. "Oh, and I meant to say this earlier before things got so hectic, but thank you for all your help setting up the party." He told him, Marcus shaking his head a bit in response. "I know you kind of got dragged along with Jemma, but Gabby and I appreciate it."

"It was no problem." The younger man assured him with a genuine grin. "I don't mind helping out, and besides it was good for Jemma to get some time with the girls before everyone got here." He spoke, Casey nodding knowingly before he glanced back over towards his daughter, where he saw Jemma still being that secure presence for Sofia while she rode her bike.

"...How's she been doing? With everything?" Matt asked after a moment, hearing Marcus intake a deep breath once registering the question. "I've been trying to keep an eye on her, I think everyone has… He and Gabby both." He finished, earning an understanding look from the man beside him.

"Yeah, I've noticed some people checking in. But she's hanging in there." Marcus answered with a sad smile, Casey nodding slowly. "I think that call shook her up a little more than she wants to admit, and there's been some good and bad moments these last few days, but she's alright."

"Good, good… I'm glad she's okay, all things considered." Matt breathed out. "All of that was pretty bad, I wasn't sure how either of them were gonna handle it. But I'm glad she's doing fine."

Marcus nodded in agreement, the man glancing around for a few seconds before speaking up yet again. "What about Gabby?" He questioned, earning Casey's attention. "How's she doing?… She seems to be alright."

"Yeah, she is. She's about the same as Jemma." He explained, knowing those words were best to help Marcus understand the state of his wife. "Some times are hard, others are better. But overall she's okay, she's working to get past all of it. It's just gonna take some time." He told him, Marcus nodding once more with a weak smile.

"Yeah… they just need some time." He echoed, Marcus' gaze moving back towards his girlfriend. "But you let us know if you and Gabby need anything?"

"Of course, we will. As long as you two do the same." Casey countered, earning another smile from his friend before he nodded.

"We will." He replied, before glancing back towards Jemma. "I think I'm gonna head down there, and see how Sofia's bike is doing." He added on, Casey giving him a knowing nod before the two men went their separate ways, Marcus heading off towards Jemma while Casey stayed put just outside the garage.

And while he was contemplating whether or not to head back out towards the group, movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention as he turned just in time to see Caitlyn running past him.

"Hi Daddy!" She yelled while she ran, Caitlyn not even giving him a chance to respond before she was gone, the little girl hurrying back over towards her sister as that was where she had left her bike as well, before she'd pulled Gabby inside a few moments earlier.

"Hi honey." He spoke, despite the fact that he knew she couldn't hear him as mere seconds later he felt a familiar hand rest over his back, Matt turning to see his wife now by his side with her soft brown eyes looking up at him. "Hey babe."

"Hi."

"She okay?" Matt questioned first as he nodded back towards Caitlyn, her abrupt exit earlier still on his mind as Gabby stifled a laugh, before she answered.

"Yeah, she's fine… Just wanted some company while she went to the bathroom." She answered, Casey chuckling back at her. "I think with everyone here in our house, it just made her feel better to have someone with her." She added on, Matt nodding knowingly as Gabby's eyes looked back towards their girls, Sofia still playing with Jemma while Severide had shifted his attention to looking after Caitlyn. "How's Sof doing?"

"Let's see," Matt started, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he glanced towards his baby. "She's the center of attention right now, so she's doing great." He told her, Gabby laughing softly before she nodded.

"Well, as the birthday girl I'd say that's how it should be." She responded without missing a beat, as she rested her cheek against the side of his arm. "And between all the presents, and her cake we're gonna do later, she'll probably spend the rest of the day being the center of attention… Which, speaking of, I was thinking we'd head in in about half an hour or so for that? To have cake and everything."

"Sounds good to me, whatever you wanna do babe." He answered, Gabby nodding in agreement before she smiled softly. "I'm just glad we went ahead and did presents, because once she gets all that sugar in her system she's gonna be bouncing off the walls." He added with another laugh, his wife mimicking his actions.

"You're not wrong about that." She mused, scrunching her nose up slightly as the parents continued to stand and watch the party happening around them.

And that was where they stayed for the next few minutes, Matt and Gabby happy to just watch all their friends and family have a nice time with one another. But the longer they stood there, the more Gabby could tell that Matt's mind was drifting away a little bit, her husband not entirely present to what was going on around them as he stared blankly in the direction of their girls. And the more time that passed without him saying anything, Gabby couldn't help but wonder what all was going on in his head as she gave his arm a gentle squeeze.

"You okay?" She asked him, Matt's spine straightening slightly before he glanced down towards her.

"Hmm?"

"I asked if you were alright… You seemed far away just then." She elaborated, Matt giving her a nod before a small smile graced his lips.

"I'm fine baby, just thinking." He replied, Gabby angling her head up towards him just before he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"About?" She pushed, that small smile returning to his lips before he responded.

"Sof." He answered simply, those words bringing a similar grin to her face. "And Caity… Our family, I guess. I'm just thinking about everything." He spoke, Gabby giving him a slow nod while waiting for him to continue. "It's just crazy to think about us being here now, with both our girls… I never imagined this when Sofia was born."

"Yeah, me neither." She agreed, Matt giving her a gentle smile before he nodded back at her.

"I mean Sof, she was our miracle." He said with an almost amazed tone in his voice. "She really is, I will always believe that. Our first baby, she's our miracle.. And it's insane that she's two already." He continued on, Gabby watching him with a loving look in her gaze while he spoke. "And then with Caitlyn, it's like… she's another miracle to us. She absolutely is. Just in a different way." Matt told her, as he knew Gabby would understand exactly what she meant.

"Both of our girls are so incredible, but it's still surreal to me sometimes to know that a few years ago we had no babies, and now we have two." He spoke, while he caught her eyes. "And something Caity said the other day got me thinking, that I'm just so glad she's been able to be here for both of Sofia's birthdays." He finished, Gabby raising her eyebrows slightly before she spoke up.

"I hadn't really thought about that, but I guess you're right… She has been here for her sister's birthdays." She repeated, Casey giving her that gentle look before she continued. "Though even that, so much has changed since Sofia turned one."

"Yeah it has. There's been a lot of change in our lives since Sof was born, but especially in this past year. I mean, this time last year things were so different… We were going back to DCFS, cause we were only fostering Caitlyn." He told her, the words tasting bitter when they left his lips as neither of them liked to think back to that time in their lives. "But now we have two beautiful, amazing daughters. Two girls who are ours, and always will be.. We have our babies."

"We do." She agreed with a soft smile, Matt matching her look before he pressed another kiss to her head. "No matter what we went through to get here, we have our perfect girls. And I wouldn't change a thing."

"Me neither." He echoed, Gabby nodding slowly before she lifted herself up to give him a slow, soft kiss. One that didn't last nearly long enough when she had to pull back, as the sound of Caitlyn calling for them disrupted their moment.

"Mommy! Daddy! Come watch Sof!" Caitlyn said from her spot down by their friends, Gabby laughing softly when the two of them separated.

"We're coming, baby." Matt called back, Caitlyn smiling happily before she went back to riding her bike, the husband and wife sharing a soft look as Gabby stepped back.

"Well, I guess we shouldn't leave our girls waiting."

"Never." He agreed with a chuckle, Matt lifting her hand up to press a kiss to her knuckles before the couple made their way down to their daughters, both parents wanting to get as much time with them as they could while they spent the rest of their day celebrating Sofia.