Hello there everyone, and Happy New Year! I hope you all are doing well, and having a good start to your week so far.

I'm back here with the next chapter for you all, and I hope you all enjoy it. We're gonna get into some cute Casey family moments as we get closer to Caitlyn starting school, which you all always seem to enjoy. And this one also starts circling back to some of the things happening at 51 that I think at least a few of you have been curious about. So I hope you like it!

That's pretty much all I've got for you all, except to say thank you for reading! And I'll see you all next time. Have a great Monday, everybody.

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty One

Matt jogged up the steps to the second floor of their home with a sippy cup full of milk in his hands, the man shaking it slightly as he got the landing before heading off in the direction of Sofia's room. Though while he moved down the hallway, his steps slowed when he passed his oldest daughter's room, Casey seeing Caitlyn sitting in the middle of her floor playing with some of her dolls, the little girl exactly where he'd left her just moments ago before Gabby needed his help.

"Hi Daddy." She spoke with a beaming grin once she noticed him, while shifting around on her legs that were underneath her. "Can we get ready now?"

"In a minute baby, I've gotta go give this to Sof." He told her, holding up the cup in his hand before Caity gave him an understanding nod.

"Okay. I'm gonna keep playing." She explained, Casey chuckling softly as he took a slight step forward.

"Alright honey, have fun." He responded, earning another bright smile from his daughter before he continued on towards Sofia's room.

He could hear the sound of Gabby's voice before he even got there, his wife currently singing to their baby girl who hadn't woken up in the best of moods. But when he came around the corner and saw Gabby walking around with Sofia in her arms, Casey could immediately tell that the two year old was in better spirits than she had been earlier. Even if just a little bit, as she wasn't fussing anymore, those big tears now replaced with a content look on her little face while she cuddled into her mom.

"Here you go, babe." Matt spoke up once Gabby had stopped her humming, the sound of his voice gaining her attention as Dawson turned back to look at her husband with an appreciative smile on her face.

"Thank you." She responded softly, rubbing her hand along Sofia's back once more before reaching out to take the cup, Matt watching on with a soft gaze as Gabby adjusted their daughter in her arms before the toddler started to drink her milk.

"You think she's feeling alright?" Casey asked after a moment, earning a quick glance from Gabby before she nodded.

"Yeah, she's fine… I think she may just be a little tired." She answered, Matt's gaze flickering back down towards Sofia as her bright blue eyes were shining up at him from the comfort of her mom's hold.

"Hi princess." He murmured while reaching out to lightly rub over the side of her head, the father brushing back her curls as she continued to watch him, before she let out a heavy yawn from behind her cup. "Oh yeah, you really are tired, huh?" He continued on, Gabby smiling at the gentle voice he always used with the girls. "I'm sorry sweet girl."

Matt continued to whisper soft, soothing words to his daughter while he would occasionally lean down to press kisses to her head, the man giving her his complete focus while Gabby stood there holding her quietly.

"Yeah, being tired is no fun… Although maybe it would help you sleep better if we finally got you out of that crib and into your big girl bed."

Gabby's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke, those last words clearly not for Sofia as she glanced over to see a proud, goofy grin on his face, Matt evidently pleased with himself before she reached out push against his arm.

"What? I'm just saying." He defended, his attempt to lighten the mood surely working as an audible laugh left Gabby's lips.

"You're not gonna give that up, are you?" She questioned, her words more rhetorical than anything else as an easy grin stayed on his face.

"It's what we talked about, babe." He reminded her, Gabby shaking her head lightly despite the small smile he could see her wearing. "We said when she turned two, we'd move her into a toddler bed. And by my math, she's been two for over a week now." He carried on while continuing to rub Sofia's head. "So I'd say it's time to start thinking about transitioning her into an actual bed… Cause I think she's ready." He finished, Gabby breathing in deeply before she nodded.

"Yeah, yeah- I guess you're right." She conceded, Casey leaning his head to the side with an amused gleam in his eyes.

"What was that?" He asked quickly, Gabby rolling her eyes in response.

"I'm not saying it again." She replied, earning a laugh from her husband. "I know we're kind of busy today but tonight, after the girls go to bed, we can start looking around online for some beds… See if we find anything we like." She gave in, Matt never losing that proud grin before he gave her a nod.

"Sounds good, baby." He responded, before leaning towards her to steal a quick kiss from her.

But their moment was soon interrupted by the sound of their other daughter calling from down the hall.

"Daddy!"

Gabby smiled softly against him before he slowly pulled back, her eyes moving between him and the door until she spoke up.

"I think that's your cue." She told him, bringing her free hand up to cradle his cheek for a moment.

"Yeah, I think so too. Can't leave my other princess waiting." Matt said with a content look in his eye as his words earned a soft laugh from his wife. "I'm gonna go help her get ready, are you good with Sof?" He added on, Gabby nodding back at him as he started heading for the door.

"Mhmm, we're good." She assured him, Matt's eyes moving from her to his baby for a few lingering seconds, before he gave her a nod.

"Alright."

"Daddy?" Caitlyn called again when she had gotten no answer, Gabby laughing once more as Matt started to shake his head.

"I'm coming, baby." He called back, the couple sharing one last knowing look before he stepped out into the hallway, Matt moving towards Caitlyn's room while Gabby stayed back to help Sofia.

It took him no time at all to get back to his oldest daughter's room, and when he did he found her waiting for him with a soft smile on her face, Caitlyn's body leaned up against the side of her bed while she stared at the door.

"Hi Daddy." She spoke once she saw him, Matt chuckling softly as he continued into her room.

"Hi sweetheart… You ready to get dressed?" He asked her, the girl nodding strongly before she scurried over towards her closet.

"Yeah!" She replied happily, earning another laugh from her dad before he followed in her path. "I wanna wear a dress." She continued on, while her eyes looked around at all of the clothes she had hanging up.

"I think a dress sounds perfect, honey." He spoke before coming to stand behind her, his hand resting on the top of her head gently as she thoughtfully looked over her choices. "Do you remember what your mom and I said you're doing today?" He questioned after a moment, mostly to make sure she knew what she was getting ready for as his daughter soon began to nod her head.

"We're going to school." She responded with a giggle, the excitement in her voice making him smile before he leaned down to kiss her head, Matt beyond glad to see how much she was looking forward to starting first grade.

While the actual school year didn't start until later next week, today they were having an orientation of sorts for all the students today. A chance for them to meet their teacher, and see their classroom; just enough for them to get used to their new surroundings before school starts. Though he figured it wouldn't be entirely new for her, as she'd be going to the same school she went to for kindergarten.

But it was still an adjustment nonetheless, and Gabby and Matt hoped today would be a good thing for Caitlyn. To let her have time to get used to the new aspects of school this year, as they both knew she still sometimes got overwhelmed with too much change happening at once. And they didn't want that to happen with this. Not when she was so excited to start back at school.

There were sure to be some nerves, especially today and going there for the first time. But they wanted to make sure she felt comfortable there, and that she was all ready for her first day of school next week. Which is exactly why they'd made it a priority to go to her orientation today.

"Yeah, that's right. We are." He said after a moment, while Caitlyn's eyes continued to scan her closest before ultimately finding the dress she wanted.

With Matt's help, she was able to get it down off the hanger and take it over to her bed, before getting together everything else she'd need and starting to change into her clothes. And while she did, Matt stayed back to let her get herself dressed, the father only stepping in if needed as he knew she'd basically mastered this task a long time ago.

By the time she was done, Caitlyn was wearing a yellow sundress, with pink and white accents covering parts of the material, along with a pair of matching pink shorts underneath her dress to complete her outfit. And she looked absolutely adorable.

"Daddy, look!" She said with a bright laugh as she began to twirl around, Matt chuckling softly with a gentle smile on his face, as a rush of warmth ran through his system from seeing his daughter so happy and carefree.

"You look beautiful, baby." He told her, Caitlyn continuing to spin around for a couple more seconds before she stopped, the six year old looking up at her dad with a wide grin on her face.

"Thank you." She responded while reaching out for his hand. "You look pretty, too." She added on, Casey laughing once more before she started to lead him towards the door. "Now you can do my hair."

Shaking his head lightly, Matt let his daughter pull him towards the bathroom, Caitlyn then getting up on her small stool to help her be a little taller before looking at Matt through the mirror.

"Do you know how you want it?" He asked her while reaching for the comb, Matt grabbing a few other things he'd need before he carefully started to brush out her bright blonde hair.

"Hmm." She hummed thoughtfully, Casey biting back another laugh while he waited for her to give him an answer. "Can you do two braids?" She asked, while holding up the number with her fingers. "Like Mommy does."

Matt nodded softly, the smile never leaving his face as he reached out to grab a few hair bands. "Yeah, I think I can do that… Like Mommy does." He repeated.

"With bows!" She added on, Casey chuckling lightly once more before he nodded.

"We can do bows, baby." He told her, earning a happy smile from his daughter before he began to work on her hair, the process going smoothly enough as Matt did well to take care of his girls' hair.

He wouldn't say he was as skilled as Gabby, but he felt confident enough in his abilities to know he did well managing not only Caitlyn's hair, but Sofia's too, as it was something he'd made sure to know how to do ever since Sofia was born. Simply because it was a basic need for his girls, and he'd never want to not know how to do something like that for them. And he also didn't want to leave it up to Gabby to be the only parent who could take care of their hair properly.

But on top of all of that, he also liked the one on one time he got with them whenever he would do their hair, as it gave him a few extra moments to bond with his girls. And that was something he'd never take for granted.

"Daddy?" Caitlyn spoke up after a couple moments, abruptly pulling him from his thoughts while he finished up her braids before moving to put in her bows.

"Yeah baby?" He asked her, finding her gaze through the mirror.

"Are you coming with me and Mommy and Sof?" She asked him, his eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion as he moved his gaze back to her hair.

"What do you mean?" He questioned, placing the last bow in place before he could give her his complete attention.

"To school." She told him, Casey no less confused than he was a moment ago as he wasn't entirely sure why she was asking him this, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Of course I am, baby." He replied, catching a glimpse of the small smile that appeared over her face. "I wouldn't miss this for anything."

"Okay." She responded, seemingly content with his answer. But that didn't stop her from continuing to say what was on her mind. "Mommy said you might work, but I'm glad you're here."

Realization slowly settled in as a sad smile appeared over his features, Matt coming to understand exactly what she was asking, or rather why she was asking it as he paused thoughtfully for a moment.

When they first found out about this orientation, there was a day or so when they weren't sure if Casey would be able to make it, as he had a previous work commitment that was a little hard to get out of. But with some pure stubbornness, and his refusal to miss anything having to do with his baby's school, Matt had been able to move some things around so he could be here.

He just hadn't known Caitlyn was aware of any of that.

"I like when you're here, Daddy." She continued on when he had yet to say anything, Matt meeting her eyes through the mirror once more as she smiled at him, his voice catching in his throat momentarily before he eventually responded.

"I like when I'm here too, sweetheart." He replied, her smile widening before she nodded at him. "But you know, I would've never missed today. Not for anything." He assured her, those words making her even happier as she giggled softly.

"I love you." She told him, Matt matching her grin before he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head.

"I love you too, princess." He told her, seeing her smile widen before she carefully turned around on her stool. "Now, how about we go see if your Momma needs any help getting Sof ready?"

"Okay!" She spoke excitedly before hopping down onto the ground. "I can show her my dress!"

"Yeah, you can honey." He replied while rubbing over her back, the two sharing one last smile before Caitlyn hurried out of the bathroom towards her little sister's room, Matt hanging back for a moment to clean up a little bit before turning off the light and heading in that same direction.

"Alright, come here baby." Casey spoke as Caitlyn unbuckled herself out of her seat in Gabby's SUV, the little girl sliding down until her feet hit the floor before she reached out towards her dad, with her arms up in the air. Letting out a soft chuckle, Matt put his hands underneath her arms before lifting her out of the car, the father making sure he had everything they'd need before he shut the door, while Gabby was following a similar routine with Sofia.

Soon enough they had managed to get both their girls ready to go, the family of four standing outside of Caity's school as Matt locked up the car, before making his way around to the sidewalk where his wife was standing.

"You good?" She asked, Matt nodding with a soft smile while adjusting Caitlyn's weight on his hip, before sliding the keys into his pocket.

"We're good, aren't we Caity?" He spoke back lightly, Caitlyn smiling softly before she nodded.

"Yeah? You ready to go inside and see your class? And meet your teacher?" Gabby asked her with a gentle grin, reaching her free hand out to rub over her back while Sofia was clutching onto her shirt.

"Mhmm." She hummed somewhat shyly, the reality of their visit slowly starting to sink in for the six year old as Casey felt her hold on him tighten a bit. "My new teacher." She said, while the parents shared a knowing look.

"Yeah, your new teacher." Gabby replied with a wide smile, Matt doing what he could to look just as excited while Caitlyn glanced between her parents. "And you're gonna meet some of your new friends in your class, it's gonna be a lot of fun." She continued to encourage, as both parents were well aware of how even with the excitement Caitlyn felt for starting school, she also held onto a bit of nervousness with going into a new environment. Though that wasn't unusual for their daughter, given how she was always apprehensive when going into unfamiliar places. She had been that way since they met her.

And today would be no different, especially considering how Caitlyn had been a little more clingy than normal to her parents. Which was something else altogether, that the family was doing their best to navigate through.

They had noticed it after Sofia's birthday, that Caity wanted to be around them more than usual. That she was certainly more clingy to them- especially Gabby, than she usually was. How it seemed like the only thing she wanted was to just be with her parents, and with all the changes happening around their family lately, it wasn't entirely surprising to them. It was just something they were helping her work through, by being there for her as much as they could, while also supporting her and encouraging her to put herself out there even when she was unsure.

"Remember how excited you were for today?" Casey continued on after a few seconds, Caitlyn pulling back from him slightly to meet his eyes, seeing the gentle look waiting for her as he patted her side softly. "Like your Momma said, you're gonna have a lot of fun. And we'll be right here the whole time."

"And Sof?" She asked, Gabby laughing softly in response before she nodded.

"Yeah baby, and Sof. She'll be here, too." Matt answered with a chuckle of his own, his words seeming to soothe any worries she may have had before she gave him a sturdy nod.

"Okay.. Let's go to school." She told them, Gabby and Matt sharing a look before they made their way towards the crosswalk.

It took a few moments for traffic to clear, but eventually they were able to make their way across the street and up towards the elementary school, Caitlyn holding around her dad's neck securely while she looked at all the kids coming and going with their families.

They easily made their way through the crowds, Gabby and Matt keeping their girls close while they followed the signs towards Caitlyn's classroom, the first grade hallway in a different part of the school than their daughter was used to. But they knew, with their help, she'd figure it out in no time, the parents slowing their steps when they got closer to the room.

"Alright honey, I think we're here." Matt spoke, his voice breaking through the noise of all the children hurrying around while he slowly put her on the ground.

"To meet my teacher." She repeated once more, Gabby smiling softly while she shifted Sofia's weight to her hip.

"Yeah, to meet your teacher." Casey said once more. "And I think I see her right there, she's gonna be so excited to meet you." He continued on, seeing a somewhat shy smile start to form over his daughter's face before she nodded.

"Me too." She replied, Matt rubbing his hand along her shoulder before he glanced up towards Gabby, seeing her watching them while continuing to shift with Sofia in her arms.

"Here, I got her babe." He spoke as he reached out for their two year old, the little girl's eyes widening when she saw her dad before she all but launched herself into his hold. "Yeah, hi baby. You're gonna come hang with Daddy for a little bit, so Momma can get a break." He told her while adjusting her shirt that had gotten messed up in their hand off, Matt then sparing a quick look back at his wife to find an appreciative look covering her face. "Alright, now I think we're ready." He finished, earning a nod from Gabby as they slowly started making their way towards the door.

There was a bit of a line that had formed, with each parent wanting the chance to introduce themselves to their child's new teacher, but it wasn't anything too bad as Caity appeared to have a rather small class. Maybe just a bit bigger than her kindergarten class, which Gabby couldn't help but feel grateful for as she knew their girl was able to learn better in smaller groups. And, from what the parents could tell, her first grade teacher appeared to have some assistants as well, which they knew would only help too.

"Well, hello there." The young woman standing by the door greeted them when they got to her, her warm smile infectious as she looked between them before her eyes landed on Caitlyn. "I'm Miss Michelle, and you must be one of my new students." She continued on, while squatting down to meet Caity's height.

"She is." Casey answered for his daughter while resting his hand along her back, Caitlyn's soft gaze focusing on Miss Michelle before giving her a small smile. "This is Caitlyn."

A look of realization flickered in Michelle's eyes before her own grin widened. "Ah, so you must be Caitlyn Casey." She said, Matt and Gabby both feeling Caity slowly starting to warm up to this woman as she nodded somewhat excitedly.

"I am." She replied. "I'm in first grade."

The teacher laughed softly, catching Gabby's gaze for a moment before she responded. "Well, since I'm a first grade teacher I'm glad to hear that." She responded, watching the young girl continue to smile at her. "But it's very nice to meet you, Caitlyn."

"You too." The young girl replied, her shyness started to lessen with every passing second as Michelle slowly stood back up, her attention moving towards the parents.

"I'm Matt, and this is my wife Gabby." Casey introduced, while Gabby reached out to shake the woman's hand.

"You must be Caitlyn's parents."

"We are."

"And that's Sofia." Caity chimed in while her head was angled up towards them, the six year old reaching up to lightly tap against Sofia's leg while their dad held onto her. "She's my sister."

"She is?" Michelle asked with the same level of excitement, her ease and comfortability around Caitlyn hard for Matt and Gabby to miss as they were beginning to see more and more of how good of a fit she'd be for their daughter.

"Yeah! She just turned two!"

"Wow, that's so cool." The woman continued, Caitlyn nodding happily. "I'm so glad she came with you all today, and that I got to meet all of you."

"Me too." Caity said back, while bouncing on the balls of her feet, Michelle giving her another soft grin before she returned her attention back towards Casey and Dawson.

"Thank you all for stopping by today, this is always really good for the kids." She told them, her voice a little closer to normal as she looked between them. "There's not too much going, but still it's nice to just have a chance to meet everyone… And for some of the children to get to know one another." She said, Michelle going through her spiel of what she told all the first time parents. "Our classroom is right in there, you all can go and check it out if you'd like. Caitlyn's name is already labeled on her desk, and her cubby, so if you all wanna go and let her see everything that's perfectly fine… Just so she gets comfortable."

"That would be great, thank you." Matt responded.

"Of course, yeah. And my room also has a door that leads out to the playground in the courtyard… Have you all been to his school before?"

"We have. Caity went to kindergarten here." Gabby answered, earning a soft nod from the younger woman as she smiled at both of them.

"Ah, okay that's good. So she'll already know her way around some. But yes, I have access to the playground, and even though she's already been on it, feel free to go out there with her, let her get used to everything again… I know it's been a while since she would've been here, so just whatever you all want to do is fine. Today is really for the kids, and letting them see everything."

"That sounds good, thank you." Casey echoed, watching as she nodded once more before stepping back towards the wall, giving them room to walk inside.

"There's also some snacks, for the kids and you all if you want. Help yourself." She explained, before looking back down towards the six year old. "And Caitlyn, it was really nice to meet you. I'm so excited I get to be your teacher this year."

"I am, too!" She responded happily, while Gabby rubbed a hand over the top of her head before she slowly began to guide Caitlyn into the classroom, the little girl waving goodbye to her as she stepped inside, with her dad and sister right behind her.

Over the next hour or so, Gabby and Matt let Caitlyn get familiar with her new class and where she'd be going to school for the next year. They figured out where her desk was, and her cubby, as well as letting her get used to the walk from the classroom to the playground, the parents wanting her to be as comfortable as possible on her first day that was fast approaching.

And while they looked around, Caitlyn had also begun to meet a few of her new classmates, the energetic girl eager to get to know all of her new friends, even if she'd still been a little shy at first. But overall, all the kids she met throughout the day were nice. And they all seemed to get along well, the time spent at Caitlyn's class only helping to get rid of any nerves they all had, as the family now was looking forward to her first day of school even more than they had been before.

"Oh my God, Dawson she is so precious." Kidd spoke as she stared at the picture on her phone, the photo of Caity before her visit to the elementary school yesterday being passed around the table as they were all eager to see any pictures of their favorite kids. "And everything went okay? At school?" She pressed while handing her friend her phone back, Gabby admiring the photo one last time before she nodded.

"It went great, yeah." She answered, her eyes looking between Kidd, Severide, and Jemma as their small group sat together at the table in the common room. "She was a little shy at first, but she loved it. Her teacher is incredible, she spent so much time with Caity yesterday just getting to know her. And Caitlyn absolutely loves her." She continued on, seeing the soft smiles she was getting from all her friends. "Then the kids she met were great, too. All of it went better than I could've expected, I really think she's gonna love her class."

"Aw, that's great to hear." Jemma replied, Gabby giving her a soft nod in response.

"Yeah, I was a little worried at first. Just cause Caitlyn doesn't always warm up to new things very easily, which is understandable. But she fit in great. And now she's even more excited for school to start than she was before." She added on while shoving her phone back into her pocket.

"That's great, Dawson." Severide echoed.

"And it should make the first day a little easier." Kidd spoke up, Gabby's eyes widening slightly before she began to nod.

"Definitely… Well, for Caity at least." She corrected herself, Severide chuckling softly as Jemma shook her head in amusement.

"Yeah, we all know the Chief will still cry." Stella joked, the four of them laughing as Dawson leaned back in her chair.

"For sure." She agreed, just as she saw Matt walk in through the side door to the common room, the soft look on his face immediately telling her he couldn't have been too busy as he'd finally pulled himself from his office for the first time today.

"Speaking of." Severide snickered, Casey's eyebrows furrowing as he came around the table, standing in between Dawson and Jemma.

"You all talking about me again?"

"All the time." Jemma replied without missing a beat, Matt scoffing lightly as he reached out to place his hand over Gabby's back.

"Yeah, that's not surprising." He huffed out, tracing a mindless pattern over his wife's shoulder before his eyes found Stella's across the table. "Kidd, can we talk for a minute?" He asked suddenly, his voice sounding a bit more serious as her spine straightened, the woman glancing around before she nodded.

"Sure, Chief."

"In my office." He added on, Kidd nodding slowly as Matt moved his attention back towards Dawson. "Hey babe." Casey told her, his demeanor shifting completely as he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head, Gabby smiling softly before looking up at him. "How's your day going?"

"It's been fine… Not too busy." She replied, as he kept rubbing her back. "What about you?"

"It's alright, considering." He answered vaguely, Gabby giving him a slight nod before he leaned down to place another kiss to her head. "I'll see you later." He spoke against her before he walked away, Matt nodding at Stella to follow him as the two firefighters made their way back out into the hall.

"Uh Dawson?" Severide spoke up almost the second they were out of sight, Gabby turning towards him to find a curious look in his gaze. "You know what that's about?"

A sly grin appeared over her face as she picked up her cup of coffee, the woman merely shrugging before she took a sip, her actions telling everyone left at the table that while she did know exactly what Casey wanted to talk to Stella about, she wouldn't be sharing it with them.

Across the firehouse, Kidd followed her Chief silently as they made their way to his office, Matt walking in first before she came behind him.

"Everything alright, Chief?" She asked after shutting the door behind her, the two coming to a stop in the middle of his office when Casey gave her a nod.

"Everything's fine, Kidd. I just wanted a chance to speak with you about something." He prefaced, the woman drawing in a deep breath before she nodded. "About you possibly becoming the next Lieutenant on Truck 81."

He saw an almost immediate gleam of excitement in her eyes, before she tried to mask it, Kidd keeping her face as blank as she could before she nodded.

"Alright Chief." She spoke after clearing her throat, Matt giving her a soft smile as he leaned his body weight back against his desk.

"Now, obviously there's a position to be filled on Truck… Herrmann's been doing a great job, but it's not permanent. And you, just passing your exam and already having strong relationships here at 51, are an obvious choice for the position. But I just wanted to talk to you first, before I made any final decisions and talked to headquarters." He began to explain, waiting for a nod of understanding before he continued. "And, I'm not sure if Severide mentioned anything about it to you, but he did bring it up to me a few weeks ago…"

"He told me." She replied, clasping her hands together in front of her. "He told me what all you talked about, and some of your concerns about me and this job. And I was wanting to come talk to you about it, but that was when everything with Dawson and Norris happened." He began to explain, Casey wincing slightly before he nodded. "He told me the next day, and it just didn't feel like the right time to come to you about this. I know you were worried about Dawson, and Norris… We all were. So I just figured I'd wait a little bit until that all smoothed over." She finished, earning a respectable look from her boss in return.

"I appreciate that, Kidd. Truly, I do." He told her, while his arms crossed over his chest. "There was certainly a lot going on that day, and the few days after, so thank you for that. But it's been a few weeks, and they're okay… So I think it's time we sit down and figure this out." Casey spoke with a firm voice, Kidd drawing in a slow, steadying breath before she nodded.

"I'd like that, yeah." She replied, as they began to move over towards his couch. "Cause, like I said, Kelly did tell me some of what you were hesitant about… And I understand it, I do." She continued on, Matt nodding slowly in response. "But I can handle this job, Chief." She spoke with a strong determination, the strength of her words nearly impressing him. "I can handle it, and Severide and I would be able to handle it." She assured him, Casey breathing in deeply before he nodded.

"I know why you have the concerns you do. That you're speaking from experience, and now that you're a Chief, it's pretty much your job to worry about all of this stuff. I get that… But I want this job, Casey. I really do. I want it, and more importantly I can handle it. I am ready for this, and I'm willing to do whatever I need to to prove that to you." She spoke firmly, seeing the small, yet proud smile that began to form over his lips before he nodded a few seconds later.

"...That's exactly what I was hoping to hear, Lieutenant." He spoke, the two sharing a wide smile before they continued on with their conversations about her possible new title.

And even though nothing was official today, and there were still people above him that needed to sign off on this, the longer he spoke with Kidd, the more sure he felt in his decision that she was the perfect person to run Truck 81. That she had the skills, and the respect, to do this type of job, and do it well.

All they could do now was hope that his bosses agreed with him.