Hello there everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all. Man, has it been a crazy week since the last update but luckily I was able to get this one out to you all, and we're gonna get to see some of the Casey's at Career Day, which I think you all will enjoy.
I don't have much to say this time, just once again I'm sorry for the shorter chapter. But I'm so grateful for your all's understanding and patience. Some of the reviews and messages you all left for me were so sweet, they truly made my week. I appreciate all of you so, so much, so thank you for that.
Before we get into it though, I want to let you all know now that there won't be an update for this story next week. I've got an insanely busy week ahead, and I know I won't have enough time to give you all a good chapter. I just wanted to let you know that now, so you're aware of it instead of having to wait. But I'll be back the Monday after next, and hopefully by then things will be a little bit more calm.
That's pretty much all I've got, thank you so much for reading this one. I hope you enjoy it, and I'll see you next time!
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy One
"Hey Dawson."
Gabby looked up from her spot in the back of the rig when she heard Jemma's voice, her friend walking towards the open doors with a gentle smile on her face while the PIC sat her clipboard down in her lap.
"Working already, huh?" Norris continued on with an easy grin, lifting her foot up onto the back step as Gabby matched her look. "How long have you been here?"
"Casey and I got here a little early today." She started, earning a knowing glance from her partner. "He had a few work calls and some meeting over the phone, I think… Stuff about the fundraiser tomorrow night." Dawson continued on. "So I just decided to come in with him and get some work done while I was here, and from what I could tell first shift didn't seem to mind when I offered to do inventory for them." She added with a chuckle, Jemma matching her laugh as her hands rested over her hips.
"Well, that's why you're the best PIC." Norris replied, Gabby scoffing lightly in response. "You never stop working."
"Yeah, I don't know about that. But I figured getting this done now couldn't hurt, and it would save us some time during shift… Especially seeing as how I have to bail on you for a few hours." She told her with a slight scrunch of her nose, while Jemma laughed once more as they were both aware of why Dawson, and Casey, would be leaving work for a while later this morning, given how their Chief explained it all to the house last shift. How they had an obligation to their daughter and would be off shift for a few hours, leaving Norris in charge of the rig and Severide temporarily in charge out on calls until they got back to the house.
"Fair enough." The younger paramedic responded after a moment. "Although it's for the best reason… You can't miss Career Day." She continued on, Gabby smiling once more while she angled herself more towards her friend. "I'm sure Caitlyn's so excited to show off how cool her parents are."
Dawson let out a chuckle, crossing her leg over her knee before clasping her hands together in her lap. "She's really excited, yeah… Mostly because I think for a minute or two, she wasn't sure if we'd actually be able to come."
"Didn't you tell her you'd be there?"
"We did. But you know how she is… She worries." Gabby spoke, as Jemma's face softened. "And she knows how important Matt's job is, that a lot of times he can't get away from work. She experienced that when he first became a Chief, and I think some of it stuck with her. So even though we told her we'd be there, she was worried something might come up."
"That makes sense." Norris mused with an understanding look in her eye. "Though I hate that she worries so much, that poor baby."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Dawson breathed out, after slightly shaking her head. "But she can't help it, and Matt and I promised her again just this morning before we left that we would be there, so hopefully she isn't worrying too much." She told her, watching as Jemma nodded back at her. "We know how important today is to her, we wouldn't miss it."
"I know you wouldn't… And I know that why Casey is having Anderson back on the rig with us." She responded, Gabby smiling knowingly just as Jemma's head turned to the side. "Speaking of, there is she… Hey Anderson!" Norris greeted, her voice carrying across the apparatus floor while she spoke to what Dawson could only assume to be their third paramedic, even though she couldn't see her from her position in the back of the rig.
"Hey Norris." The woman greeted back, Gabby sitting up a bit straighter just as the younger paramedic came around the back doors. "Hey there, Dawson."
"Hey Claire." Gabby replied with a soft grin while taking in the woman she hadn't seen in a few months.
Anderson had worked with them for a while, when Dawson was still getting back into the swing of things after her accident back in February. But once she was cleared for full duty, they'd taken Claire back off the rig, and as far as Gabby knew she never got placed anywhere. But she was one hell of a paramedic, and she was happy to have her for a shift.
"It's great to see you guys." Anderson continued on as Jemma nodded in agreement.
"You too, it's been too long. We're glad to have you back… I'm just sorry things didn't work out, with you staying on 61." Norris told her with a sympathetic look, while Claire merely waved her off.
Though there had been some chatter a while back about the department expanding to three medics on every rig- mostly after Dawson was 61's third paramedic with Foster and Brett, but ultimately it never went anywhere. Whether it was a budget issue, or there just weren't enough paramedics, Dawson wasn't sure. But since they took Anderson off 61, the PIC hadn't heard anything else about it as all she knew is it wasn't happening right now.
"It's alright, I knew coming in I probably wasn't gonna be here long." She responded with a small smile, while adjusting the strap of her shift bag over her shoulder. "But I'm excited to be back here today, even if it's just for a shift."
"We are, too." Dawson agreed.
"Even though I'm not really sure why I'm needed." Anderson continued on with a laugh. "I thought I would be covering for one of you, but you're clearly both here… They didn't tell me anything when I got the call, just that Casey requested me on 61 this shift."
"Ah, yeah it's cause Dawson here has to step out for a bit." Jemma began to explain, Claire glancing towards Gabby before she nodded. "Her and Casey both do, actually. But you remember Caitlyn? Their oldest daughter?" She asked, getting another confirming nod from Anderson before she continued. "She's having a Career Day at her school, and Dawson and Casey are gonna go be there for it."
"Aw, that's so sweet." She spoke softly, Gabby giving her a smile before nodding. "And I guess it explains why they suddenly wanted me back here for a shift." She added on, her voice light as Jemma grinned.
"Yeah, that's why. They aren't sure how long they'll be gone, and Casey didn't want 61 out of service too long. So he called in for you." Norris finished, both women watching as Anderson crossed her arms lightly over her chest before nodding.
"Well, it's nice that I was his first choice." She joked lightly, earning laughs from the other paramedics. "But really, it's nice to be back here for a bit. I've missed this house."
"Have they got you anywhere permanent yet?" Gabby questioned, before Anderson shook her head.
"No, not yet." She replied, earning a sad yet knowing smile from Dawson. "I'm mostly just floating around… Some places I've been there a few weeks, or a month. Other times I'm just there for a shift or two, it really depends. But so far, nothing permanent."
"Well, I hope that changes soon." Gabby told her, Jemma nodding in agreement while Claire gave them both a smile.
"Hey Norris?"
Their conversation was halted by the sound of Casey's voice filling the garage, Norris and Anderson both glancing back to find their Chief standing in between two of the rigs with his hands in his pockets. But from Gabby's spot on the gurney in the back of the rig, she wasn't able to see him.
"Yeah Chief?"
"Have you seen Gabby anywhere? I can't find her." He asked, Dawson doing what she could to stifle a laugh in the back of the ambulance while Jemma smiled towards Casey.
"She's in here." Norris replied, nodding back towards the ambulance as Matt's eyebrows furrowed a bit before he glanced towards the rig.
"Oh, thanks." He responded, Casey starting to make his way over to them as Jemma and Claire parted a bit to give him room.
"You know Casey, it's funny you came out here because we were just talking about you." She continued, Matt's head tilting to the side a bit as he managed to get to them, Gabby watching as he came into her view before she shot him a soft smile, one that he easily reciprocated with a wink.
"Yeah?" He pressed, his eyes lingering on Gabby for another moment or two before glancing towards Norris.
"Uh huh… Talking about the old man in charge." She teased, Casey huffing lightly before he rolled his eyes, while Gabby did what she could to hide her growing smirk.
"I'm sure." He replied, shaking his head a bit before turning towards the third paramedic. "Anderson, it's nice to see you again." He greeted, the woman smiling a bit as he reached out to shake her hand. "Thanks for coming in as relief today."
"Of course, it wasn't a problem." She told him. "Norris was telling me how you and Dawson were needing to leave, to go to your kid's school. So I'm happy to be here and help out, thanks for requesting me." She added, getting a strong nod back.
"Well, you're a great paramedic. We all saw a lot of that in the short time you were with us, and I know you and Norris work well together so I figured it would be the best fit." He explained, as Anderson matched his nod.
"I appreciate that, Chief." She told him, before offering him a friendly smile. "Which, speaking of… Congratulations on that, by the way. Getting a promotion." She told him, Matt doing his best to hold back the grin trying to form over his face while he looked towards Gabby, finding nothing but a proud look waiting for him. "That's awesome."
"Yeah, it's been great. But thank you, Anderson." He told her, the woman nodding once more before taking a slight step back, while Casey checked the time on his watch. "Well, looks like we're getting close to shift change… Jemma, you mind to go and refresh Anderson on where everything is? And help her get settled?"
"Sure thing, Casey." She responded, tapping his shoulder lightly as she walked past him while Claire followed after her, the two paramedics soon disappearing around the rigs leaving Casey and Dawson out here alone.
Matt glanced back to the ambulance when he heard movement, seeing his wife hunched over walking towards him as she was about to get down onto solid ground, Casey holding out his hand for her to grab ahold of until she was firmly on her feet.
"Thank you." She murmured, Casey offering her a soft grin while she situated herself beside him. "Did you need me for something?" She then questioned with her head fallen to the side. "When you came out here…"
"Oh, no I didn't. Not really." He replied, seeing her nod before he reached out to wrap his arm around her shoulders. "I just wanted to see you before shift started."
The smile on her face started to widen before she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, Gabby still far enough back to see him while she stood at his side.
"Well, I'm glad you did." She responded, turning to press a light kiss to the inside of his arm. "How'd all your calls go?"
"They were alright." He began to explain. "Nothing too exciting, mostly just going over the goals and everything for tomorrow night… They're all looking forward to this fundraiser." Matt told her before she nodded. "But overall it was just the usual stuff. Though I reminded everyone that I'm gonna be off duty for a few hours.. And to not bother me unless it's urgent." He added, while a soft grin began to form over her face. "I don't want to be getting constant calls while we're with Caity, not when I know how important this is to her."
He was barely able to get the words out before Gabby had pushed herself up to kiss him, the action catching him a little off guard. But he'd caught up nonetheless, Casey soon kissing her back while she rested her hand over his chest, it taking a few good seconds before they were pulling away.
"...What was that for?" He asked her, nearly breathless.
"No reason." She replied with a shrug. "Just cause you're such a great dad."
That familiar goofy grin spread across his face, Matt soon ducking his head a bit while tightening his hold over her shoulders.
"Well, you're an even better mom." He told her, Gabby shaking her head before reaching up to kiss him once more.
"I'd say we're pretty even." She countered, Casey letting out a soft chuckle while he nodded.
"Deal." He agreed, the two sharing one last kiss before they turned to make their way into the firehouse, his arm staying around her shoulders while hers wrapped around his back, the two content to stay together while they headed inside and got ready for the start of shift.
Caitlyn's leg was bouncing up and down quickly while she sat at her small desk, her eyes moving over the busy room while all her friends and classmates sat with their parents, there not being a single first grader here without at least one of their mommy's and daddy's here with them.
Except for one. And that was her.
She didn't know what time it was, or if her parents were supposed to be here yet, but from the announcement her teacher made a few minutes ago she knew they'd be starting Career Day soon, and her parents weren't here. And with the more time that went by, the sadder Caitlyn started to become, as she was worried they wouldn't be able to make it.
The six year old knew her parent's promised they'd be here. They told her a lot that they wouldn't miss this, and Caity believed them. But she also knew they were working, and sometimes their work kept them busy. That was something Caitlyn had come to learn a lot of over the last few months, no matter how much she didn't always like it.
But she was trying not to get too sad yet, the little girl just holding onto the hope that they'd come soon, as all she wanted was for her parents to be here with everyone else, Caity resting her head in her palm dejectedly while missing the sympathetic look from her teacher before she walked over to the child.
"Hey Caitlyn?" Her teacher, Miss Michelle, spoke while she crouched down beside her desk, the six year old not looking away from the door as she didn't want to miss her parents coming in. "Do you know if your Mom and Dad said anything this morning about being able to come today?" She asked softly, not really wanting to make a scene with the other parents around. Though some of them had already noticed how no one was here with Caitlyn.
"They told me they were coming." Caity spoke, her bright brown eyes still peeled to the door. "They promised, so they're gonna come." She added one, missing the small smile from her teacher before the older woman nodded.
"Alright sweetheart… I know they're very busy, so they must just be late. But we'll-"
Her words were cut off when the classroom opened, the woman turning back just in time to see Caitlyn's parents walk in through the door, the sight of them causing Caity to smile wide as she quickly scrambled up from her desk and ran across the room to them.
"Mommy!" She yelled happily, her voice gaining the attention of the entire room as all the other parents looked over to see the firefighter and paramedic step further inside, their appearance a telltale sign that they had just likely been at a fire.
"Hi baby." Gabby greeted just as the little girl slammed into her for a hug, Matt holding his hand over his wife's back to keep her steady while Caity tucked her head into her stomach.
"You came." She said quietly as her voice was muffled a bit by Gabby, squeezing her mom tightly before she stepped back and went to greet her dad in the same way. "Hi Daddy."
"Hi princess." He told her, rubbing his hand along her back while she clung to him before he reached down to pick her up and rest her over his hip, Matt then smoothing down her shirt that had ridden up a bit while she wrapped her arms around his neck. "And of course we came, we promised, remember?" He assured her, Caity nodding strongly as Matt reached up to brush some of her hair from her face. "We wouldn't miss this for anything, I just hope you all haven't had too much fun without us." He added lightly, his daughter letting out a soft giggle before shaking her head.
"Nope! We were waiting for you." She replied lightly, Matt matching her smile before he gave her a quick kiss, Gabby watching them while resting her hand over Caitlyn's back, before she noticed Caitlyn's teacher making her way towards them.
"Mr. and Mrs. Casey." Michelle greeted, Gabby taking a slight step away from her family to speak with the woman. "I'm glad you could make it."
"Of course, yeah. We wanted to come, I'm just sorry we're late." Dawson told her, but the woman merely waved her off. "We were out on a call, that turned into a lot more than we were expecting. But we got here as soon as we could."
"It's fine, Mrs. Casey." She promised her, while glancing back to the room, her movement prompting Gabby to do the same. And it was then she noticed just how many of the parents around them were still watching them, the mother only now realizing how they must've made quite the scene when they first came in. "You're not too late, and we just extended snack time a bit so everything worked out fine.. But if you two would like to maybe go stand over there," Michelle prompted, holding her arm out towards an open space over against the wall. "We'll get started."
Dawson gave her a nod in response before turning back towards her husband, seeing him completely focused on Caity as she finished up telling him all about her day so far, the image causing Gabby to smile before she silently started to lead them both over towards the wall. Though the rest of the kids were in their seats, Caity stayed put in her father's arms as he leaned his weight back against the wall, the small child happy there while she leaned her head against his.
"You smell like fire, Daddy." She whispered, Matt smiling softly before he nodded.
"I know." He mused, rubbing his hand along her side while his other was supporting her weight. "But I'm okay." He promised, Caity nodding back before they both turned their attention up to the front of the room as the first grade teacher began to address the class.
"Hello there, everyone." She greeted, earning a few similar responses while she smiled out at the group. "Since it looks like all of our parents are here, I figured it would be a good time to start. I know you all are very busy, and it took a lot for you to get away from your jobs and be here today, but I hope you know how much all of us appreciate it. Especially the kids." She continued on. "Now, I know you all aren't here to listen to me talk, so how about we get things started? Today is really just about letting our class here learn about some different jobs, and how there are endless opportunities out there for them as they grow up… So, unless you all have any questions I believe we'll get started. Declan, do you and your mom wanna come up first?" She offered to the little boy sitting in the front row. "I know everyone would love to hear all about where she works."
The small boy smiled before he gave an excited nod, Declan then getting up from his desk and leading his mom to the front of the room.
"Hi, my name's Declan. And my mom is a nurse." He started proudly, before he began to explain everything he knew about her job.
And that was how the day continued on, each child getting the chance to go up to the front of the room with their parent, or parents, and talk about their job, before the adults would then explain a little bit more once their kid was done. It was the same for everyone as they went around the room, Gabby and Matt listening intently while each kid spent some time talking about their moms and dads and their jobs.
Some of the parents were nurses that Dawson and Casey had both seen a time or two in their line of work, others were police officers- one of which Gabby recognized from her brother's district. There was one parent who was a doctor, another who was an accountant. There were a couple teachers, as well as one who was a painter. For such a small class, they'd managed to cover a wide area of different jobs. And as far as Gabby and Matt were concerned, it was great for the kids to be able to see how many options there were out there in the world.
"Alright, and last but certainly not least, Caitlyn would you like to come up with your parents and talk a little bit about what they do?" Her teacher prompted, Caity nodded eagerly before Matt put her back on the ground.
After grabbing both her parents' hands, the six year old led them up to the front of the room, Matt and Gabby paying attention to nothing but her as she gained the courage to start speaking.
"This is my Mommy and Daddy." She started, Gabby suppressing a smile as she could tell their daughter was a bit shy, at least at first, as there were a lot of people she didn't really know watching her. But she continued on anyway. "They work on firetrucks."
Gabby and Matt both laughed lightly, while a few of the kids throughout the room started to become eager to hear about what they do for a living. "My Daddy is a firefighter, in charge of all the other firefighters." She told them, seeing some excitement from all her friends in her class, which gave her the push she needed to speak a bit more. "He's a Chief and he goes into fires!"
"Wow." One of the kids said in awe, Casey biting back a grin while Gabby gave him a knowing look.
"Yeah, it's awesome!" Caitlyn agreed, causing some of the other parents to laugh in amusement while Matt squeezed her hand. "And my Mommy is a paramedic." She added, the little girl looking up towards her mom with a beaming grin. "She's in charge of the paramedics, too."
"That's so cool." Another kid said, as all the attention in the room was on Caitlyn and her parents.
"It is!" Caity agreed. "They work at a firehouse, and it's so much fun. There's lot of trucks and an ambulance, and all their friends work there, too! And my Uncle Kelly and Aunt Jemma, they work there with Mommy and Daddy. I love going to the firehouse, I go there lots after school. My dad has a big office, that me and my sister Sofia play in sometimes." She continued to ramble, Matt and Gabby both letting her as they knew how happy she was to talk about their jobs.
"It's all really fun. Especially in the truck with the horns… though it can be scary, too." She spoke thoughtfully, shaking her head a bit as some less than pleasant memories began to surface. "It's been scary sometimes, but they always promise to be safe when they help people. Because that's what they do, they save everyone." She continued on, while Gabby stroked the back of her little hand supportively. "They help people all the time, just like they help me and Sof."
Casey smiled on proudly at his daughter while she looked up at him, Matt nodding once more before she continued.
"So even with the scary stuff, I'm glad they help people. And that they get to ride around in cool firetrucks." She finished, her last words earning a few laughs from around the room while Gabby shook her head lightly.
"Well, thank you Caitlyn." Michelle spoke after a soft chuckle, the small girl grinning widely as her teacher looked between Matt and Gabby. "Anymore either of you would like to add?"
Casey gave a slight shrug after glancing towards his wife. "I think Caity pretty much covered it." He spoke, while his daughter continued to smile happily. "She's right, Gabby and I work at Firehouse 51, downtown. I'm the Chief there, so like Caity said I oversee all of the firefighters at my house, as well as do all the other jobs of a firefighter. And Gabby here, she's the PIC- which means Paramedic in Charge. So we both have a lot of responsibility, and have to work hard to keep people safe. Just like a lot of the other parents here." He spoke, looking out towards a few of the other first responders in the room, earning nods from most of them. "But we love what we do, even when it is a little difficult. We wouldn't want to do anything else." He said, Gabby nodding in agreement as she had nothing else to add to what her husband had perfectly said.
"Well, thank you for that Mr. Casey… Now, I believe we do have some time for a few questions, if anyone…" Her words trailed off when she saw almost every little hand in the room shoot up in the air, Gabby and Matt sharing a knowing grin before Michelle called on the first student.
"Anna, what's your question?"
"Do you only save people from fires?" She asked, Casey glancing towards his wife before she answered.
"That's a great question, but we help people with a bunch of different things. Sometimes it's fires, like earlier today we were helping people out of a fire. But other times it can be anything- whether it's a car accident, or someone's gotten hurt. Paramedics especially, we're called out to help with a bunch of different things."
"Wow." The little girl, Anna, breathed out in wonder. "That's so cool, I wanna be a paramedic." She spoke, Matt grinning proudly towards Gabby who was still maintaining eye contact with the little girl.
"You definitely could, if that's what you want. It's hard work, but from my experience you can do anything as long as you put your mind to it." She told her, Anna smiling happily before she nodded.
"Austin, go ahead." Michelle prompted after a moment, the little boy beside Anna having had his hand up the whole time.
"Are fires cool?" He asked, Matt letting out a soft laugh before he responded.
"They can be, when no one's gotten hurt." He answered simply, while also trying to be mindful of what all he said, given this was a room full of little kids. "But most of the time when we're at work, we're just focused on helping whoever we can. And when it's a fire, that can make that pretty hard… So sometimes they can be cool, but a lot of times it might be a little scary. But we're trained to know how to deal with that, and do the best we can to make sure everyone gets out safely." He told him, the little boy nodding before Michelle moved onto the next question.
"Lily."
"Is being a firefighter fun?"
Casey took that question, answering it as best he could before the teacher let a few more kids ask them things, their questions all pretty harmless as they mostly just wanted to know what it was like to work in a firehouse, as well as some of the more interesting calls they'd been on. But overall, it went great, every child in the room seemingly interested in what they were saying as they spent the next ten minutes or so answering whatever questions the children had, until it was time for them to stop.
"Okay, well I think that's all we have time for." Michelle told them.
"Thanks for your questions guys, they were great." Casey replied, seeing a few wide smiles shining up at him. "Although before we finish, Gabby and I did bring something for you all." He added on, seeing the little faces perk up while his wife walked back over towards the wall where they'd left a CFD duffle bag.
"What is it?" The little boy, Declan, asked first, Casey laughing softly while Gabby got back over to them.
"We brought some Chicago Fire Department badges for you all." He told them, hearing the immediate gasps and excitement from the kids in front of them, while Gabby started to pass them out to the children. They were the same plastic badges they kept at the firehouse to give out to kids doing tours, but they figured today was a great opportunity to give some of them to Caitlyn's class, as aside from the fact that they were plastic they looked exactly like their real badges.
"That's so cool!" Austin spoke after Gabby handed him one, similar responses being heard from the rest of the kids as Dawson finished giving them out. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome, bud." Casey responded. "We hope you guys like them." He said as Gabby came to stand back beside them.
"Everyone, tell Mr. and Mrs. Casey thank you for stopping by today, and for the badges." The teacher prompted, leading to a chorus of 'thank you's' similar to Austin's as Gabby and Matt nodded before heading back over towards the wall with Caitlyn. "I'd say that was the perfect way to end our Career Day, thank you to all the parents who were able to make it today. Though the day's not fully over yet." She reminded the kids. "For those who can stay, we've arranged for a little picnic outside by the playground, if you all would like to follow me."
Gabby and Matt glanced towards each other while the other kids and parents began to get up and head for the door, neither one of them aware of the lunch that was taking place. And, after checking the clock, Casey knew they'd already been here longer than he maybe expected them to be.
"Can you stay?"
Caitlyn's voice pulled them from their silent conversation, Matt glancing down towards his daughter to see her wide, hopeful eyes watching him.
And with just that one look, he already knew what their answer would be as even though they typically would've been wanting to get back to work by now, being here with their daughter was important. Today, and spending time with her and her class, that was the priority. And neither of them had forgotten that.
"Of course we can, honey." Matt answered after a nod from Gabby, his words causing Caitlyn to cheer happily while bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Yay!" She clapped, before reaching for both of their hands. "We can play on the playground!" She added, Matt and Gabby both laughing softly while they let her lead them outside, the small family following everyone else out to the yard as they were ready to spend just a little bit more time with their daughter before getting back to work.