Hello there everyone! I hope you all are doing well, and having a great week so far.

I'm back here with the next chapter for you guys, and I hope you all like it. I really enjoyed writing this, so hopefully you enjoy reading it as well. But I don't have much else to say with this one, so just thank you for reading!

Also as a reminder, to those of you who read Whatever Comes Next, I just wanted to tell you that there won't be an update for that story this week. I explained it all in the update posted last week, but I just wanted to mention it again in case you all forgot or hadn't seen it. But I should be back with regular updates next week.

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

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Nine

Heavy pants and moans were flowing through the air as Gabby's body collapsed down against her husband, Matt's warm breath hitting her skin while his hands dug into her hips, the two fighting to regain their composure after experiencing that familiar high together. He could feel her bare chest moving against his, her teeth sinking down into his shoulder while her body tightened around him, the movement causing his breath to catch in his throat before they finally started to calm down.

Neither one of them moved for a moment, his hands roaming hastily over her skin while her lips moved gently across his collarbone, the two helping one another before they finally separated, Matt letting out another long breath as they disconnected when she rolled off of him.

"Damn." He breathed out, hearing his wife laugh as she got comfortable on the mattress beside him, pulling the bed sheet up to cover her chest before she glanced his way. "We should fight more often."

Another deep laugh left the back of her throat, Casey's own grin widening while Gabby began to shake her head, the two soon locking gazes as he shifted to lie on his side.

"You think so?" She asked him, Matt's eyes tracing over her features as he took in the thin layer of swear over her skin and her unruly hair, before he leaned forward to kiss the smirk off her lips.

"If the makeup sex is anything like that, then yes." He murmured against her lips, Casey kissing her once more before he laid back against the bed, Gabby stifling an eye roll while giving him an unimpressed look.

"Yeah, I don't know about that." She answered back, Matt raising his eyebrows almost challengingly before that sly grin returned to his features.

"What, you're saying that wasn't good? It was some of my best work." He teased, earning a playful scoff from her while she lightly shoved his chest. "And from what I could tell, you enjoyed every second of it." He added on with a prideful gleam shining in his eyes.

"Oh, I definitely did… But I think I could do without the fighting part." She replied, scrunching her nose up a bit in response. "Now the sex, yeah that should happen all the time."

"All the time, huh?" He questioned back quickly, Gabby letting out another laugh while he reached out to rub his hand along her stomach over the thin bed sheet.

"Within reason." She was fast to correct herself, Matt giving her a displeased look before he let his head fall back onto the pillow. "But more times like that, yeah. I wouldn't be opposed." She continued, Casey offering her another smile as he rubbed her stomach once more, the air around them shifting as a soft, genuine smile formed across her lips. "And more times like yesterday would be nice, too."

There was a lightness to her voice as she spoke, Matt unable to stop his grin from growing as well while he thought over what her words were referring to. And that was the day they'd spent together as a family.

After their talk the night before last, where they cleared the air about what happened and apologized for all that had been said, the following day they did nothing but make up for some of that lost time and spend as much of their day together as possible. From the moment they woke up, to the minute they went to bed, the family of four hadn't really spent any time apart as they were all eager to get some quality time with each other.

Their nice morning started by going out for breakfast, something that had been Caity's idea, before Gabby and Matt decided to take the girls to the park to play once they'd finished. And they had stayed there for a good chunk of the day, Caity and Sofia both making some new friends with some of the other kids there before their parents had to all but drag them away from the playground, the family then going to go do a bunch of shopping for some needed essentials for the girls before ultimately making their way back home later in the afternoon.

Overall, they'd just had a really nice and easy day together, Matt and Gabby both making more of a point to get that quality time with everyone as they were not only doing what they could to make up for those couple days spent upset with one another, but to make up for what their arguing had done to the girls, too.

Especially Caity, as they both knew how affected she was by what happened.

Once the smoke had cleared, Matt didn't wait long to tell Gabby about his talk with Caitlyn. About how worried and confused she was with everything going on, as that was something Gabby needed to know. But the second she found out, it all but broke her heart as the last thing she or Matt ever wanted was for Caity to be concerned about them. For their daughter to be worried about them not loving one another. So in an attempt to make things right, Gabby and Matt had taken their oldest child aside yesterday morning before leaving for breakfast and talked everything over with her. They had assured her that despite their fight, her mom and dad were okay now and she had nothing to worry about. That her parents were happy again, that they still loved each other very much and always would.

They promised her over and over again that everything was fine, and eventually, it seemed to do the trick.

It took some time, as Caity tended to worry more than most six year olds would. But eventually their assurances seemed to sink in, as by the time they had finished their breakfast Caity was back to her normal self, their little girl just once again proving how resilient she was.

And even though Matt and Gabby hated that they'd put her in this position in the first place, they were glad to see that she was okay. That she'd managed to move on from what happened, just like they had, and that all four of them were alright. Because that was all they ever wanted for their family.

"Yeah…" Casey started after a thoughtful moment, sliding his hand around to her hip while her hair splayed out across the pillows. "I definitely think we should have more days like that." He agreed before she nodded. "And the girls seemed to love it."

"They did." She replied, Gabby turning to her side as well with her arms curled up to her chest, their bodies mere inches apart while she met his gaze. "Though I think it's just cause they got to spend time with us."

"Yeah, you're probably right about that… But it was still fun. We should definitely do it more often." He repeated her earlier statement, Gabby offering him another nod before she leaned in to kiss him.

"We should." She said with her lips against hers before stealing another kiss, Casey smiling into the movement while his hand slid up to her bare back.

But before they could get too lost in one another, the sound of their alarm going off pulled apart, Matt groaning softly before he reached back to shut his phone off while Gabby tightened the sheet to her chest.

"Guess it's time to get up." She commented while he messed with his phone, Matt letting out another unimpressed sound before she reached out to run her hand over his back, the movement causing him to smile as he turned around to face her. "We've got work, and we'll have to get Caity up for school."

"Yeah, but that's not for another hour." He reminded her, Gabby's eyebrows rising before her head fell to the side a bit.

"Uh huh." She told him, her bottom lip falling between her teeth for a moment or two while her eyes traced over his face. "I guess we could let her sleep a while longer, if you want it to be just us for a little while longer… Is there something you had in mind?" She asked teasingly, Casey immediately grinning before his hands were on her body once more.

"I was thinking a shower sounds nice right about now." He suggested, seeing her eyes glisten at the idea before she tried to mask her immediate reaction. "If you'd like to join me."

"Sounds like a nice offer." She mused, Casey chuckling while he continued to glide his palms over her. "Though I'm kind of surprised you didn't get enough this morning… And last night." She added on with a smirk, Matt scoffing a bit before he leaned forward to kiss the look off her face.

"I could never get enough of you." He replied, feeling her smile a bit gentler as his hand traveled its way to her cheek, his warm skin resting against hers while her brown eyes shined brightly.

"Smooth." Gabby murmured, earning another laugh from him before she silenced him with a kiss. "I guess I could be persuaded to join you in the shower." She eventually continued, Matt grinning wide as he leaned in to kiss her once more. But a hand on his shoulder stopped him, Casey halting for a second before pulling back to look at her. "As long as the girls are alright." Gabby finished, a knowing look crossing his features as he nodded, Matt pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before he reached back once more to grab the monitor.

"Looks like they're both out." He replied after a moment, while hitting the button to move the screen back and forth from the girls' rooms. And, like he had said, once she got a look Gabby could tell both their girls were fast asleep, just as they had been all night.

"Well, then I guess it's time for that shower." She responded with a sly grin, Matt's body tightening with want as he gave her a nod, the man placing the monitor back down onto the nightstand before his lips were on hers yet again.

There was a strong feeling of desire in his movements, Gabby content to let him take the lead as the second his hands disappeared underneath the bed sheet, she wasn't entirely sure he hadn't ditched the idea of their shower completely. But somehow, after some time had passed he'd managed to stop himself, Casey giving her one last heavy kiss before he reluctantly pulled back when air became an issue.

While sucking in deep breaths, Gabby looked up to find Matt watching her, his gaze moving between her eyes and her mouth before he began to smile, the look on his face nearly giddy until he moved to give her one last kiss.

"I'm gonna go ahead and get the water going, so it can be scalding hot just like you like it." He told her, Gabby matching his grin while he started to get up, her husband moving to sit on the edge of the bed before stretching out his back. "But I'll come and get you once it's ready, then I'll show you some more of how great makeup sex really can be." He joked, Dawson shaking her head lightly before she started to sit up as well, her hand clutching the bed sheet over her chest while she looked over him.

"Believe me, after all these years together I know how good it is." She responded after a second, seeing his body move slightly while he laughed in response. "But you know I was serious before, yeah?"

Something in her voice made him stop for a moment, Casey angling his body back towards her to find her soft gaze already on him, with an almost unsure look in her eyes. Like she needed that reassurance from him.

"No more fighting… Not like that."

As soon as those words left her lips, he nodded, Matt immediately reaching back to rest his hand over her arm before squeezing gently.

"I don't want it to ever get that bad between us again. Not for us, and not for the girls."

"I don't, either." He agreed, watching her breathe in deeply before she gave him a small smile. "I know I was teasing you just now, but I meant everything I said the other night. I don't want anything like that to ever happen again, I won't let it happen." He promised her, the look on her face softening a bit as she gave him a nod.

"Okay." She almost whispered in response, the two sharing a longing look while she reached out for his hand. "I knew you were only messing around, I guess I just… needed to hear it again, I don't know." She breathed out, his features relaxing as he gave her palm a squeeze.

"I'll reassure you as many times as you need to hear it, baby." He said, Gabby smiling softly before nodding yet again, the two sharing one last look before she kissed him.

Their movements were slow, yet loving, neither one of them wanting to pull away just as Matt lifted his hand up to lightly grip onto her hair. But eventually they did, Gabby running her teeth along her lip as they separated before their eyes met one another.

"You okay?" He questioned after looking her over, Gabby nodding while she felt his hand cupping the back of her neck.

"I'm okay." She assured him, offering him another soft smile while she tapped his leg gently, the movement prompting him to match the look covering her face before she took one last kiss from him.

"Now go get that shower going."

"Well, good morning sunshine."

Dawson glanced up at the sound of her partner's voice when she made her way into the locker room, the PIC's steps slowing a bit once she registered Jemma's words before a questioning look replaced the smile that had been resting over her face.

"You seem cheery today." She kept on, Gabby continuing towards her locker while Norris stood in front of her already open one, the paramedic finishing tucking her shirt into her pants while turning to face her partner.

"What makes you say that?" Dawson asked lightly, letting her shift bag fall down off her shoulder before she started to get her locker open.

"The smile on your face when you came here." She answered, Gabby pursing her lips together while she looked back towards her, only to find an amused gleam shining in Jemma's eyes. "And the hickey on your neck was a dead giveaway, too." The younger woman added on, Dawson's eyes widening slightly before she adjusted her gaze towards the small mirror on the door, where she was trying to see what Jemma was talking about.

Although it didn't take her very long to find it as within seconds she noticed the mark Norris mentioned, the obvious blemish over her skin hard to miss as that small smile returned to Gabby's face while she looked in the mirror, Dawson remembering fondly exactly what Matt had been doing when he put it there.

What she hadn't realized, however, was how visible it was, Gabby still not sure how she hadn't noticed it this morning before they left. But with as hectic as their mornings typically were, she figured she shouldn't be surprised.

"So, I take it things with you and Casey…" Jemma started when her friend had yet to say anything, Gabby's fingers lightly tracing over the mark on her neck before she glanced back towards Norris. "You guys are doing better?"

"We are." Dawson answered her, Jemma's words not necessarily shocking to her as despite the fact that Gabby had mostly kept to herself last shift, she was aware that the house knew of the tension between her and Casey. "Things with us are good. We talked everything through, and moved on."

"Good." Jemma responded with a soft smile. "I know all of that was pretty rough, but I'm glad things are alright now… I can't handle you two being mad at each other." She finished lightly, Gabby suppressing a laugh while she shook her head.

"Yeah, I can't say I loved it either." Dawson breathed out, as Norris reached out to rub her shoulder. "But everything's fine, and that's what matters."

"It is." Norris agreed, just before someone else walked into the room as the two paramedics turned to see Kidd step around the corner.

"Well, hello there Ms. Lieutenant." Dawson spoke up suddenly, the topic immediately shifting as Kidd smiling brightly in response, while Jemma started to cheer for their friend.

"Alright, alright, calm down." Stella spoke, though the smile on her face showed how much she was enjoying the greeting as Gabby stepped forward to give her a hug.

"Yeah, that's not happening." The paramedic replied, rubbing over her back for a moment before they separated while Jemma stepped towards her. "You should just be happy we didn't bring balloons."

"Oh yeah?" She asked with a chuckle, Gabby nodding in response as the three women stood in a circle in the locker room.

"I was tempted, yeah." Dawson joked, while reaching out to squeeze her arm. "Cause today's a big day, how are you feeling?" She asked her, seeing Kidd take in a deep breath before offering up a soft grin.

"I'm alright, I'm feeling good." She told them, Jemma and Dawson both nodding. "It's pretty nerve wracking, but I feel ready… I was able to do all those shifts filling in, and I know I work well with all the guys. There might be a bit of a learning curve, but I think it'll go well. I'm just excited to get started." She finished, Gabby giving her a bright grin before rubbing her hand over her shoulder.

"Well, I know you're gonna do great." She spoke assuredly, earning a thankful glance from her friend while Jemma nodded in agreement.

"Thanks girl." Kidd responded, the two hugging once more before the new Lieutenant began to head towards her locker. Though she didn't get very far before Dawson spoke up once more.

"Kidd, do you work at Mollys tomorrow?" She questioned, Stella glancing back in her direction before shaking her head.

"As far as I know, I don't." She told her, her eyebrows raising a bit while she opened her locker. "Why?"

"Well I was just thinking, if Casey's able to watch the girls, how about tomorrow night, you, me, and Jemma have a girls night out at the bar?" She suggested, Kidd's ears perking up at the idea while Norris smiled. "If you're good with that, Jemma-"

"I am, yeah." She cut her off, Stella laughing softly while she ducked her head.

"So what do you say, Kidd? Wanna have a night out tomorrow? To celebrate your incredible first day?" She offered, Stella mulling over her words for a moment before she responded.

"It hasn't been incredible yet." She tried, but Dawson merely waved her off.

"But it will be." She promised, Kidd gnawing on her bottom lip in thought before she eventually nodded.

"Alright, yeah… Let's do it." She agreed, Gabby's grin widening as she clapped her hands together.

"Perfect." She replied, glancing towards Norris who gave her another nod. "So as long as Matt's not doing anything, we should be good." She added on, Jemma cocking her head to the side a bit before a sheepish look appeared over her face.

"Well, even if he is, I'm sure you could persuade him to stay home." Norris countered, Gabby pressing her lips together as her hands came to rest on her hips. "Just do what you two were doing this morning, and I'm sure he'll say yes to whatever you want." She joked, Kidd now wearing an expectant look on her face as she turned her whole body towards Dawson, the PIC feeling her chest start to get hot under the stares from her friends.

"Ah, you and the Chief have a nice morning there, Dawson?" Stella asked her with a laugh, Gabby waving her off while she started to take a step backwards. "Oh, wait- Never mind, I can see it on your neck. You two definitely did." She spoke shamelessly, Jemma and Kidd both chuckling again at Dawson's expense before she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She played it off, before she continued on towards the exit. "Just clear your calendar for tomorrow night." She reminded them, Jemma giving her a little salute while Kidd nodded, both women still laughing while Dawson made her way from the locker room.

"Herrmann said you wanted to see me, Chief?"

Casey looked up from the stack of paperwork in front of him when he heard Severide's voice, the Chief soon catching the sight of his Squad Lieutenant standing in the doorway before he waved him in.

"Yeah, Severide. Come in." He greeted, Kelly taking that as his sign to step further inside as he walked into the office. "I was just wondering if you had those reports from last shift finished." He prompted, Severide leaning his head to the side before he nodded. "Given everything, sending a paramedic inside and all that happened afterwards, Headquarters is kind of after me for them." He continued to explain. "They want everyone's version of events as quickly as possible. I've gotten mine and Dawson's already, I just need yours."

"I'm almost done with them." Severide replied, his hand coming up to rub along the back of his neck before Casey gave him a nod. "I should be able to get them done this morning, if that's alright."

"That's fine, just get them for me when you can." He responded, Kelly nodding once more in response.

"I will."

"Alright, thank you." He told him, nodding back towards the door as a silent way to tell him that he was excused, before Casey went back to work.

But despite the gesture Severide didn't move too far, his attention lingering on Casey as he continued writing away on the paper in front of him, Kelly breathing in deeply while his mind moved over everything from the past few days.

Their last shift together left things tense between them, for a couple reasons. And though Casey didn't seem to be upset with him anymore, nothing had really changed in the days that had passed since then either. There were at least no conversations that had been had, nothing to clear the air, as neither of them had spoken to each other since leaving the firehouse a couple days ago. And Severide didn't necessarily like that, as he knew it couldn't hurt for them to talk things through now that they'd had some distance from the situation last shift.

But before Severide had a chance to figure out where to start, Casey glanced up back towards him, the Chief feeling his stares along with his presence still in the room as it was apparent to him that Kelly had yet to leave.

"...Everything alright, Severide?" Matt questioned after a moment, his words very crisp and professional as he straightened out his back in the chair.

"Yeah, everything's fine." Kelly responded softly with a weak smile before he continued. "I was just thinking, and wondering if we could talk.. For a second, if you've got time." He added on, Matt glancing around before he eventually nodded.

"What's up?" He prompted, Severide breathing in deeply before he stepped back towards the desk.

"I, uh… I just wanted to apologize to you, Casey." Kelly started, Matt pursing his lips together in response. "For everything last shift, and how it went down on that call… I'm sorry." He told him, Casey pausing slightly before he met his eyes.

"Severide…"

"I know you're pissed at me. Or you were." He continued on. "For leaving Dawson behind in that building, and you have every reason to be." Kelly spoke surely, Matt taking in a heavy breath of his own before he nodded slowly. "I messed up. I know the protocol, I know she was my responsibility on that call and I didn't take care of her in there. I should've made sure she was with us every step of the way, and I didn't. That's on me… I know I fucked up, and I'm sorry." He finished, Casey tightening his jaw a bit while thinking over his words before he ultimately shook his head.

"It's alright, Kelly." Matt responded, Kelly opening his mouth to interject but Casey stopped him. "Really, it is. It's fine… You're right, you did mess up. You should have made sure she was with you, but it also wasn't your fault she wasn't… Dawson made her own choices inside that building, too. It's not just on you, it's not one person's fault." He continued on, Severide taking another breath before he nodded. "There was a lot that happened on that call, too much for one person to take the blame… All we can do now is learn from it, and not let it happen again. So really, I appreciate your apology, but it's alright."

"Okay, good." He mused, Casey giving him a soft nod. "I still wanted to tell you, though. Since you are my Chief and everything."

"Thanks, Sev." He replied a bit lighter, the ease of his words causing Kelly to give him a small smile before he took another step forward.

"So, since you're not upset with me anymore I can ask, I take it you and Dawson made up too?" He prompted, Casey raising his eyebrows a bit while they looked at one another. "How are things with you two?"

"We're alright, too." He replied to him, Severide smiling softly before letting out a soft breath of air.

"Good, that's good." Kelly told him, Matt watching him curiously when he saw just how relieved he was to hear that he and Gabby had made up, his questioning look evidently easy to see as Severide continued on without saying anything. "I'm just glad to hear it, cause I saw how upset Dawson was last shift." He added, Casey starting to frown a bit in response. "So I wasn't sure if you two would've smoothed things over by now, it was pretty bad there for a minute."

"Yeah, it was… And, admittedly, a lot of that was on me." Matt spoke with a grimace. "I was kind of a dick, even when I wasn't meaning to be. But we're fine now, Severide." He promised, Kelly huffing a bit before he nodded. "We talked about everything, and figured it all out."

"That's good, I'm glad you and Dawson made up." He responded easily, before a wry grin appeared over his face. "...You probably made up in more ways than I wanna know about." He teased a bit, Casey letting out a chuckle before he held his hands up for a second.

"Yeah, I have no comment on that." He answered with another laugh, Severide matching his look while shaking his head. "But we're doing really well now, I'll leave it at that."

"Uh huh." Severide mused, resting his weight down on the edge of the desk. "But I guess that's not even surprising… Yeah, things were hard last shift, but you two can never stay mad at each other too long. You're such a boring, old married couple, anytime you fight it's over in like five seconds." He continued on, Matt wincing a bit while mulling over his words.

"Usually, yeah… Unfortunately, this one was a little bit different. It took us some time to get past it, but we did." Casey repeated himself, earning a nod from his friend. "So we can go back to being the boring, old married couple you love so much." He told him softly, Severide chuckling once more in response.

"That's for the best." He joked, Matt shaking his head lightly while Kelly glanced down towards his watch. "But now that I know you and Dawson are good, we should probably head out there… It's almost time for shift change, and it's kind of a big one." He spoke with a proud grin, Matt's own smile widening a bit while he pushed himself up from his seat.

"Yeah, it's an important day for 81." He replied, his eyes flickering out of the office before he looked back to Severide. "...How's Kidd feeling?"

"She's excited. Ready." Kelly told him, Casey nodding assuredly in response. "Maybe a little nervous, but overall she's just ready to finally be running that rig."

"I think we all are." Casey replied while Severide offered him a bright grin, before the two firefighters made their way out of the office and towards the conference room.

The firehouse was pretty empty considering, as everyone had already made their way into the briefing room where they were waiting for their Chief, and preparing for the day ahead. But Casey arrived soon enough, him and Severide walking in through the back door as Matt headed to the front of the room, while Kelly stayed back by the wall beside Kidd.

"Good morning, everyone." He spoke, letting his hand run lightly along Gabby's back as he passed her in her seat, the smile on her face widening a bit while she watched her husband move towards the center of everyone.

"Morning, Chief." Cruz replied, his words soon being echoed by similar greetings throughout the room as Matt gave them a nod, before starting on with their meeting.

"Now, we have some of the usual notes to go through, and some things we need to discuss, but before we start any of that, I believe there is one important personnel change on the agenda today." Casey started, his proud gaze moving back towards Kidd as a bright smile began to form across her face, while Severide reached out to rub her arm. "So let's welcome our newest Truck Lieutenant to 81."

As soon as those words left his lips, loud cheers and applause filled the room, just like they had at the end of last shift when Kidd's new position had been announced, as Severide started to lightly push Kidd forward towards Casey.

"I know we've all known this was coming today, but the day is finally here Kidd… Today's your first day on Truck 81."

"Let's go, Kidd!" Herrmann called, before a few more cheers were heard while she got beside Casey.

"It's a big day, but I know I speak for everyone when I say we couldn't be more proud of you, and to have you running 81 for us," Casey continued on, Stella nodding strongly with her hands clasped together behind her back. "There is no one better for this position. It's been a long time coming, and-"

The Chief's words were cut off by the sound of the bells ringing out above their heads, everyone pausing while they listened to all companies being called out to a house fire before Casey looked back towards Kidd.

"Well, looks like the speeches will have to wait, let's go everyone." He ordered, the entire room getting to their feet before they made their way out to the garage, Casey and Kidd bringing up the back of the group while they walked out of the double doors.

But before they went to their respective rigs, Casey reached out to touch her arm, the movement stopping his new Lieutenant before he gave her a sturdy nod.

"This is all you, Kidd." He told her, those words bringing a smile to her face before she nodded back at him. "You're running things out there."

"I won't let you down, Chief." She promised, Casey smiling softly before the two firefighters headed their separate ways to go and help the people of Chicago.

"Kidd, you were amazing out there." Cruz voiced while they all sat gathered around the common room, the group at 51 having just returned from their fourth call of the day while Gabby sat in the chair beside Jemma, a soft smile gracing her features as she listened to everyone in the room talk up her friend. "I thought the first call was impressive, but that last one, with you finding that kid… You did a hell of a job out there."

"Cruz is right, Kidd. You're a natural." Otis added on, the woman smiling wide while she sat next to Severide, Gabby continuing to watch her friendly proudly while they praised Kidd for her first day on the job.

And it was more than justified, as on just the few calls they'd been on throughout the day, she'd more than proved herself and why she was deserving of this job. Especially for as hectic as some of the calls had been, she was essentially thrown into the deep end on their calls, being put to test more than once out there. But she'd handled it all incredibly well, only further proving why she was the perfect person to fill Casey's shoes on 81.

And everyone- Matt maybe more than anyone, was beyond proud of her, the house now feeling a sense of contentment as everyone was where they were meant to be.

"I think you even impressed Casey out there on that last one Kidd, which isn't easy." Herrmann added on, Gabby chuckling softly before she spoke up.

"You definitely did." She chimed in. "I could tell, Matt is so impressed by you out there, Stella." Dawson assured her.

"Well, I'd hope so." Severide spoke up with a knowing look in his eye. "He's the one who trained her, so if she sucked it would be his fault." He continued on, Kidd giving him a look while Herrmann nearly bursted out laughing.

"Yeah, I don't think that came out the way you thought it in your head, Severide." Mouch joined in, the man furrowing his eyebrows before he glanced towards his girlfriend, only to find an unimpressed glare waiting for him, the two of them causing the room to laugh once more as Kelly began to shake his head.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Mhmm." She hummed in response, Severide opening his mouth to try and retract his statement.

But he never got a chance when one of the doors to the garage suddenly opened, before little feet started running inside.

"Mommy!"

Gabby's head shot up when she heard the familiar child's voice, her eyes moving to the entrance of the common room just as Caitlyn and Sofia ran into the room.

"Hi Mommy!" Caity greeted yet again, her body colliding into Gabby's just as the mother had turned around to face her, while Sofia hurried over to Severide as he was the first familiar face she saw.

"Hi baby." She replied, kissing her head softly before the six year old climbed up into her lap, Dawson holding onto her tightly despite the confusion filling her system. "What are you doing here?" She asked lightly, brushing Caitlyn's hair down a bit while her eyes moved over towards Sofia, seeing her happy in Severide's arms while she messed with his hat, before Dawson glanced towards Becca, the nanny having followed in behind her daughters.

"Caity wanted to come and see you guys, that's all she would talk about after school." She answered Gabby's question, a knowing look covering the mother's face before she nodded. "She was pretty persistent about coming here, I think she missed you and Matt."

"I did." Caity spoke up, with her arms around Gabby's neck. "I missed you and Daddy lots." She added on, Dawson smiling softly before she pressed another kiss to her forehead.

"We missed you too, honey." She responded, rubbing along her back gently while Caity's wide eyes began to move around everyone watching them.

"Where is Daddy?" She questioned after a minute.

"He's in his office."

"Working?" She was quick to ask, Gabby chuckling softly before she nodded.

"Mhmm." She hummed, Caitlyn loosening her grip a bit on her neck before sliding down off Gabby's lap.

"Is it okay if I go say hi?"

"Of course, baby. He'd love to see you." Gabby assured her, watching her daughter's smile widen even further. "Why don't you take Sof and go surprise him?"

"Okay!" She replied happily, while Severide took the cue to place Sofia down on the ground. "Sof, come on sissy! Let's go see Daddy."

"Dada!" Sof screeched, her loud voice earning a few laughs as Caitlyn grabbed her hand before hurrying off down the hallway, Gabby shaking her head lightly while getting up to follow after them.

"They're so damn cute, Dawson." Kidd told her, Gabby nodding in agreement with a soft chuckle.

"They definitely are." She agreed before getting out to the hallway, following in Caitlyn and Sofia's footsteps.

They weren't too far ahead of her, Gabby able to see Caitlyn all but pulling Sofia along as her smaller legs couldn't move quite as fast. But it was an adorable sight regardless, as both little girls were just beyond excited to see their father.

Inside the office, Casey was working diligently on paperwork as he so often did, before the sound of small and hurried footsteps hit his ears, Matt looking up to see both his daughters running towards him, with Gabby a few steps behind them. And while he was surprised to see them, their visit wasn't at all unwelcome as a huge smile started to form over his face.

"Daddy!" Caitlyn spoke up first when they got into his office, Matt moving away from his desk to give them room to come to him as she and Sofia hurried around his desk.

"Dada! Dada! Up Dada!"

"Hi my princesses." He greeted, Matt lifting them both up in one swift movement and setting them into his lap. "What are you two doing here?"

"We wanted to see you." Caity spoke happily, her legs swinging in the air while Sofia cuddled into his chest, Matt pressing a kiss to the top of her curly haired head before giving Caitlyn a similar kiss as well. "So Becca brought us here after school."

"Well, I'm so glad she did… Me and your Momma missed you guys." He told her, Caity smiling brightly while Gabby came around to stand in front of them, leaning her body down into his desk before reaching out to run her hand lightly through Caitlyn's hair.

"That's what Mommy said." She replied, Gabby nodding softly while Matt caught her gaze.

"Well, your Momma was right… She usually is." He added on lightly, Dawson laughing a bit while Caity looked between them.

"And she said you're working?" The six year old continued on.

"I am."

"Is work okay?" She asked him, Matt glancing at her once more with a curious look on his face.

"It's fine, honey. Why?"

"It's not making you sad? Or mad? Like last time…"

When those words left her lips, Gabby and Matt both looked at each other, a heavy feeling settling over them as they were beginning to understand what Caitlyn was asking them. And likely why she wanted to come here in the first place, that realization not sitting well with either of them.

If Gabby had had a chance to really think about it, she would've figured that Caity's insistence to come and visit had more to do than with just missing them. That it was more about wanting to come here and see them, and see that they were alright being here, their little girl clearly still holding onto a bit of worry about what all had happened the last few days.

Even though Caitlyn had accepted what they told her, and believed they were alright, their first shift back evidently brought back some of those hard feelings, and she just needed to see for herself that everything was fine before she could completely let that all go.

"No, sweetheart. It's not." Casey eventually replied, those words soothing her concerns as a soft smile formed across her face. "Everything's fine, your mom and I are alright." He promised her with a strong nod, while Gabby continued to rub over her back. "Remember what your Momma and I told you? We were upset, but everything's okay now."

"I remember." She replied gently. "I just wanted to see if it was okay still." Caity added on, Matt breathing in softly before he gave her a nod.

"I know, baby." Gabby responded, before Caitlyn looked up towards her. "But we are. Like your Daddy said, we're okay."

"Okay… Then I'm okay." She promised them, Matt and Gabby nodding back at her once more as Matt gave her a kiss.

"Good."

"And Sof's okay." She continued with a bright grin, Caitlyn clearly not letting those lingering uncertainties affect her much longer as now that she'd gotten some assurance from her parents, she truly was okay. Just like she always was.

"That's good, honey. That's all me and your Dad want, is for you all to be okay." Gabby reminded her, as Caity looked between her parents.

"We are." She responded easily, before finding Matt's gaze. "But now that you and Mommy are happy, can I tell you about my day?" She asked somewhat abruptly, Gabby suppressing a chuckle at the excitement in her voice while Matt was unable to stop his soft laugh. "School was so much fun."

"Of course you can." He replied, before securing both girls in his hold. "How about we go out to the common room, and you can tell me all about it?" He prompted, Caity giving him a quick few nods before he started to get up.

"Okay!" She told him as he got steady on his feet, Matt giving both his girls another kiss to their heads before they started out of his office, the family of four moving slowly as Caitlyn went on to tell them all about her day at school, which Casey and Dawson were more than excited to hear about as they were just grateful to get this extra time with their girls, the parents determined to spend as much time with them as they could before eventually having to get back to work.