Hello there everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all and I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you next time.

Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Five

"Alright Sof, come here baby." Matt spoke as he sat beside the bathtub, the father holding up a full container of water while his other hand shielded her eyes. "Let's get this shampoo out then you can keep playing." He explained to her, the little girl merely babbling away to herself while she moved the plastic truck in her hands in and out of the water, Casey checking one last time that his hand was positioned correctly before he began to wash out the product in her hair.

After having done this all throughout her young life, Sofia had gotten good at knowing when to sit still during bathtime. And this was one of those moments, the two year old letting her father finish helping her while soft giggles continued to leave her lips, likely from the feeling of water rushing down her back. The sound made Casey smile, the dad going over her hair one last time before he pulled his hands away.

"There you go, baby." He told her, Sofia looking up at him with that big, toothy grin before she began to splash around excitedly. "Yeah, yeah you can keep playing now… Just trying not to get me too wet." Matt instructed now that he had finished bathing her, while Sofia splashed around some more, clearly likely the little waves she was creating around the bubbles.

But it was only a second later when she'd hit the water too hard and it went flying, the soapy water effectively soaking Matt's arm and a bit of his shirt, before the little girl started to laugh.

"Sof.." He said playfully, one look at his daughter telling him she knew exactly what she was doing. And he guessed he shouldn't be too surprised, as his youngest had always been the mischievous type. "You think you're funny, huh?" He asked with a chuckle before he reached out to tickle her, Sofia immediately squealing in amusement as loud giggles left her lips.

He was careful with her, given their surroundings, Matt making sure to keep a steady hand on her so she didn't accidentally fall over into the water. But he didn't let up his light movements either, Sofia's happy laugh continuing to filter through the air while her hands kept splashing around. Enough to where a few droplets of water were being flung up towards Casey's face, a playful gasp leaving his lips as the two year old only laughed harder.

"Sof, what did I just say?" He asked lightly, though his words were more rhetorical than anything else as a beaming grin appeared over his daughter's face. "I said not to get Daddy wet."

"Dada… Wet." She got out through her laughs, Matt chuckling deeply before he stopped his tickling and began to rub over her back.

"Uh huh." He replied with a smile, shaking his head a bit before he leaned over the bathtub to press a kiss to the top of her curly wet hair. "You're lucky you're cute." He teased, kissing her once more before returning to his previous spot.

But before he could say much else he heard the sound of little feet hurrying up the steps and going through the gate, Matt biting back a smile as he turned just in time to see Caitlyn run around the corner into the bathroom. She had that usual happy smile on her face, the little girl still wearing her pink leotard and tights from her dance class, while her hair up in a bun.

"Hi Daddy!" She greeted excitedly, her movement only stopping after she all but crashed into his side, Caitlyn clearly misjudging the distance a bit. But he caught her anyway, Matt keeping one eye on Sofia in the water while he wrapped his arm around his oldest daughter's back.

"Hi baby." He replied with just as much enthusiasm, after pressing a kiss to her temple. "How was dance?"

"Good!" Caity responded, as Gabby stepped around the corner moments later, Casey looking up towards his wife with a gentle grin before he winked softly, the action causing her to smile as well while she rested her weight against the doorframe. "I did a lot of spins." She continued to explain, the gratified look on her face evident even though 'spins' were really just her twirling around in a circle. But still, she was proud of herself regardless.

And her parents were just as proud, too.

"You did?" He asked brightly, Gabby's own smile growing as she watched her husband give their oldest daughter the attention and response she was looking for, while also keeping a hand on Sofia to make sure she was alright too. "That's great, honey."

"And I know my steps, too! Miss Rachel said I did a great job." She continued to boast, Matt smiling as he looked up towards Gabby once more, finding a knowing look waiting for him before she nodded.

"I'm sure you did, I'm just sorry I couldn't be at your class to see it." He responded, rubbing his hand along her side while Caity leaned closer to him.

"That's okay, you were with Sof." She replied easily, Matt swallowing back another laugh while tapping her hip. "And Mommy was with me… She took lots of pictures."

"Oh she did?"

"Mhmm." She hummed, Matt looking up to meet his wife's eyes once more just as she nodded.

"And videos." Dawson added on while stepping further into the bathroom. "Lots of videos."

"Well, I can't wait to see those." He replied, while Gabby sat down across from him on the closed toilet seat, Sofia letting out a few excited squeals when she saw her mom sit next to the bathtub.

"Yeah, me neither. She did great… Yes, hi baby." Gabby shifted her attention to their youngest when Sofia reached one of her little arms out towards her mom, Dawson leaning down to rub her hand across her cheek gently while placing a kiss to her now damp head. "I missed you."

"Mama." She cooed before reaching down for her toy once more, her demeanor having settled considerably in Gabby's presence while the mother continued to stroke her cheek.

"How were things here?" Dawson asked, letting her eyes linger on Sofia for a moment longer before she turned back towards Matt and Caitlyn. "I didn't think we'd be getting back this late."

"It's fine, babe.. And things here were good." Matt answered her, as Caity climbed into his lap. "Sof and I really just hung out, watched a movie. I made dinner, and put some plates for you two in the oven… I can heat them up for you guys once we get back downstairs." He spoke, earning a thankful smile from her before she nodded. "And let's see, what else… Oh, Sof didn't have any accidents." He told her, Gabby's eyebrows raising while she grinned. "She went to the bathroom twice, and was able to tell me both times she needed to go."

"Wow, that's great." Gabby breathed out, feeling a sense of pride wash over her while she looked towards Sofia once more. Who, granted, had completely tuned them all out now and was focused on nothing but the toy in her hands while she continued to play in the bath. "She's doing really well with all this."

"She definitely is." He agreed, while his arms were draped over Caitlyn. "Pretty soon she might be exclusively ready for pullups."

"I hope so." Dawson replied, letting her hand run over Sof's cheek one last time before she pulled away.

"That was pretty much everything you missed here, though.. Except Sofia's singing along to Frozen." He said with a laugh, Gabby matching his look while she shook her head. "But what about you two? Anything else exciting happen while you were gone?" He asked, while he and Gabby continued to catch up as the couple hadn't seen much of each other today.

"Not really, no." She answered with a shrug. "I took her to dance, we stopped at the store to pick up a couple things. Nothing too exciting… Though I did talk to Jemma for a bit." She added on, seeing Matt's eyebrows raise questioning while he leaned his body back against the wall.

"Yeah?" He pressed, before Gabby nodded.

"Mhmm. She called me before I had to take Caity into dance." She explained further, Matt glancing over to check on Sofia once more before he continued.

"How's she doing?"

Gabby moved her head back and forth, quickly mulling over his question before she answered her. "She's doing alright, considering what happened." She settled on, earning an understanding look from her husband. "The whole thing definitely messed with her a bit, so I think having the shift off tomorrow will be good for her." She finished, as Casey drew in a deep breath.

After what had happened to their friend last shift, where Jemma had gotten stuck with that needle, Casey all but required her to take their next shift off. As her Chief, he didn't think it was in her best interest to work tomorrow. Not when it was no secret that this entire thing had rattled the young paramedic more than she wanted to admit. So he gave her the day off, because that's what was in the best interest of his first responder.

"Even though she was a little reluctant at first," Gabby started once more, while Matt gave her a small smile. "But now that all of this has kind of settled, I think what happened is hitting her more than it did before."

"But she's okay?" He asked softly.

"She is, she's alright babe." She assured him, knowing how worried Casey always got when something happened to one of his people. Then especially with Jemma, and how close she was to their family, it made all of it a little harder. "I told her to call either of us if she needed anything, but Marcus is with her. And as long as she's ready, she said she'll be good to go the shift after tomorrow."

Matt nodded once more before smiling up at his wife, the man just glad to hear that their friend was doing well after the incident on their last call. "Good." He replied simply, Gabby sparing another glance at their girls before she continued on.

"Though, uh.. While we're on the subject of work." She said, regaining her husband's attention as their gazes found one another. "Do you happen to know anything about this floater I've got with me tomorrow while Jemma's out?" She questioned, as an amused smile began to form across Casey's face. "Kellan, I think is his name."

"Jason Kellan, yeah." He elaborated. "But no, I don't… I'd never heard of him until they sent me his name. I guess he's a pretty young paramedic."

"That's what I've heard, but no one really seems to know much about him." She continued on, letting her hands clasp together in her lap. "I'm sure it'll be fine, though."

"It will." He promised. "You're able to work well with anyone, and even if he is a little young, everyone at headquarters knows how busy our house is.. That it's important to have people on our rigs who can do their jobs, so I'd say he's probably good." He continued on, Gabby nodding in agreement just as she was about to open her mouth to say something. But before she could, Caitlyn spoke up.

"Mommy?" She asked softly, Gabby and Matt both looking down her way as a small, yet excited smile started to appear over her lips. "...When you're done, can Daddy see my pictures?" She requested, the hesitance mixed with hope in her voice causing Dawson to laugh a bit before she looked towards Matt once more.

Both parents knew she was trying to be patient. That Caitlyn knew her mom and dad were in the middle of a conversation and didn't want to interrupt that, but she was also excited for her dad to see what all he missed from her class. And the parents didn't want to discourage that either, knowing the rest of their talk could wait as Gabby started to pull out her phone.

"Of course baby, he can see your pictures." She responded, seeing the way her daughter's face lit up before she began to bounce happily in her dad's lap.

"Yay! She cheered, Matt suppressing a laugh as he placed a kiss to the back of her head, before Gabby held out her phone to him.

"There's a lot of pictures, and some videos of her dance… She did so well." She encouraged, Caitlyn grinning proudly while she and her father began to look through the pictures Gabby took.

"Wow, look at you! That's so good." Matt praised once they got to the first video, Caitlyn only getting more and more excited as she got the adoration she needed. "I can't wait to see it in person."

"I can do my dance for you!" She suggested eagerly, Gabby letting out another chuckle while Matt gave her a strong nod. "Mommy has the music."

"Then we'll definitely have to do that.. After you all eat dinner, you can show me." He compromised, as Caitlyn gave him a happy nod.

"Okay!" She replied, before the two continued to look through each of the videos, Caitlyn relaxed back against her dad's chest while he kept his arms around her. And that was the position they stayed in over the next few minutes, their eyes focused on Gabby's phone while Dawson moved her focus towards Sofia, who was still content to play in the bathtub. And, after checking the temperature of the water, since it didn't feel too cold Gabby didn't mind letting her stay in for at least another minute or two.

"That's so good, Caity." Casey spoke up once more as they finished the last video, the blonde haired child nodding quickly while Matt handed Gabby's phone back to her. "You look like you're having so much fun."

"I am." She responded easily, while Gabby laughed. "I love dance."

"I'm glad, honey." He told her, placing another kiss to her head before he looked up towards Gabby once more, who was still looking between them and Sofia.

"Oh, and before I forget." Dawson started suddenly, like the thought had just occurred to her. "We finally have a date for her dance recital." She said, Matt raising his eyebrows knowingly as they both had been waiting to hear about when Caitlyn's Christmas recital would be. "It's in about a month, on December 11th. We're not on shift that day, so we shouldn't have any problems being there."

Casey nodded with a soft smile, letting his hand rub over Caity's stomach. "Good, that'll be good… We'll have to make sure and tell Ramon, and Antonio. And Severide and Jemma probably, they'll all want to be there." He spoke, Gabby chuckling a bit in agreement before she nodded. "And that's around the time your mom is coming into town, right?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure yet." She replied, while watching Matt reach up above him to grab Sofia's towel off the hook, his silent motions telling her it was time to get their girl out of the bath. "Last I heard she didn't know any exact dates, just that she wanted to be here for a while… But if we tell her about the recital, I bet she'll make it work." Gabby added, offering to take the towel from her husband before she reached in to start draining the water.

As soon as she did that though, Sofia began to whine, clearly understanding that her time playing in the water was coming to an end.

"I know, I know… But it's time to get out." Gabby murmured before Matt adjusted himself and Caity to help her get Sofia out of the tub. Even though Dawson didn't think it was necessary, Matt still made an effort to help carry and lift the girls whenever he could so his wife wouldn't have to. "Thanks babe." She told him, Caity now standing beside her father while he lifted the two year old out of the bath and placed her onto the rug.

"You're welcome." He told her, Casey getting to his feet before placing his hand on Caity's shoulder, while Gabby started to dry off their toddler. "And with the recital, I hope your mom can make it." He restarted their conversation, Gabby glancing up at him while she wrapped Sof up in the animal-shaped towel. "It would be nice to have her there."

"It would be, yeah." She replied, eyeing him for a moment before she cleared her throat, and brought up the one thing she was curious about. But hadn't asked him in a few days. "And, um… What about you?"

"Hmm?" He hummed in question.

"Have you talked to Nancy?" She asked him, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he shook his head.

"I haven't called her yet, no." He told her, Gabby mulling over his words before she simply nodded, not wanting to push the issue any further. "I probably need to… I guess I should listen to you, and give her a call."

"It's up to you, babe." She responded supportively, before standing up from her seat. "I just wasn't sure if you'd thought anymore about it, and I figured since we were already talking about my mom and everything… But it's whatever you want to do." She assured him, Matt nodding with a soft smile as Gabby reached over to rub her hand lovingly over his chest. "I'm gonna go get this little one ready for bed."

"Alright, I can help Caity." He replied, as while the six year old had mostly mastered getting dressed by herself, the one thing she still struggled with was getting in and out of her tights for dance. "And then we'll head downstairs and I'll get your dinner ready." He added, Gabby smiling gratefully before tapping his chest once more.

"Sounds good, thanks baby." She replied, Matt nodding softly in her direction before he looked down towards his oldest daughter.

"Alright Caity, let's go pick out which nightgown you want to wear." He spoke, the girl starting to bounce on her feet excitedly before she hurried towards her bedroom, the parents sharing a laugh as Matt went after her while Gabby led Sofia to her own room, the couple going their separate ways for a moment as their focus right now was to help their daughters get ready for bed.

Casey straightened out his back as he made his way through the hallways of 51, the man walking purposefully towards his destination while saying a few pleasantries to their civilian employees. But when he got closer to his office his steps slowed, Matt seeing a man waiting for him just inside the door as Casey immediately had a good guess as to who this was.

"Chief Casey?" The man spoke first just as Matt stepped through the door, Casey offering him a welcoming smile before reaching out to shake his hand. "I'm your relief paramedic on 61 today,-"

"Kellan, yeah." Matt greeted, seeing the paramedic's own grin widen as he nodded back.

"Jason Kellan, sir. It's great to meet you." He said, as Matt continued to move inside towards his desk, the young man following after him.

"It's nice to meet you too. Thanks for coming in here at the last minute, we didn't know until a few days ago we were gonna need a relief this shift, but I appreciate you getting here."

"Of course, Chief." He replied easily, while his hands clasped together behind his back. "I heard about what happened to your paramedic last shift, but I'm glad she's okay… And I'm looking forward to working with Dawson." He added on with a soft smile.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah… She's sort of a living legend within the department. Especially for us paramedics." He boasted, Matt unable to stop his smile from growing while Jason spoke of his wife. "She's one hell of a PIC, from what I've heard. And I'm looking forward to getting to work with her, even if it's just a shift."

"Well, I agree with you there… Dawson's the best paramedic I've ever worked with." Casey agreed, Kellan's smile widening before he nodded. "I think you'll be able to learn a lot from her."

"I sure hope so." He said eagerly, Matt able to feel his genuine excitement at the idea of being here on 61. And that made him hopeful for today, as he knew him and Gabby would get along well. "I just hope I can keep up."

"You'll be fine." Casey assured before he glanced over towards the door, seeing the woman they'd just been talking about coming this way. "And speaking of…" He stated, causing Kellan to turn around just as Gabby came to a stop in the doorway.

"You wanted to see me?" She questioned towards Matt, Casey giving her a nod before gesturing towards the man across from him.

"This is Jason Kellan, your partner on 61 today." He responded, Gabby soon offering him a bright smile before she came over to introduce herself.

"Ah Jason, it's nice to meet you." She greeted, shaking his hand for a moment while noticing the enthusiastic look coming from the paramedic.

"You too, Dawson." He replied, Gabby nodding back at him before turning to Casey.

"Do you still need Kellan for anything, or can I go ahead and show him the ropes?" She asked, Matt grinning her way before he nodded towards the door.

"He's all yours."

"Thank you." She responded, Casey winking softly at her before her and Jason started towards the door. But Gabby only got maybe a step before she stopped. "Oh, by the way I heard back from the dentist." She spoke suddenly, Matt giving her a nod as the parents had been waiting on that call for a day or so. "They were able to squeeze Caity in for an appointment tomorrow morning. So she'll have to miss school for a bit, but we need to take her."

"Yeah, that's fine… We'll just drop her off late." He agreed, Gabby nodding at him one last before her and Jason left the room, Dawson leading him back towards the common room.

"Sorry about that." Dawson told the younger paramedic. "I just didn't want to forget to tell him."

"It's fine." He replied with a wave of his hand. "So I take it Caity is your…"

"Daughter." She answered with a grin. "Well, one of our daughters." Gabby added, seeing the realization start to settle in across the man's face.

"So you and the Chief are married?" He questioned, Dawson picking up on no judgment or surprise from her partner for the day. Just that he was truly interested in learning more about her.

"We are." Dawson responded, earning another nod from him. "Have been for a couple years now."

"That's really nice, that you get to work together."

"Yeah, it's helped a lot. With the hours and everything, and it's good for our girls." She told him, Kellan nodding just as they got to the hallway. "Well Kellan, are you ready for today?"

"As ready as I'm gonna be." He said lightly, Gabby letting out a laugh before she nodded towards the common room.

"Then let's go." She said before leading the younger man into the common room, where he could meet everyone and become officially acclimated to the firehouse.

Matt tapped his hand against the edge of his desk while sitting in his office, the man blowing out a soft breath as he looked around. It was nearing early afternoon, Casey having been cooped up in here for most of the morning while he went through his usual phone calls. But he had finished those up a few minutes ago, leaving him with nothing chaining him to this desk. At least not right now.

But something kept him from getting up, Matt staying firmly in his spot while his thoughts continued to focus really on just one thing.

And that was his mom.

He'd been thinking about her a lot since the conversation first came up, and even more so since Gabby mentioned her again last night. But he still hadn't taken the time to actually reach out and give her a call.

And he couldn't figure out what was stopping him.

There was no reason not to call her. Nothing had happened, there had been no fallout between them. There was nothing keeping him from calling her, except the bit of hesitation he felt in his gut. Hesitation he couldn't even figure out.

Blowing out another sigh, Casey pushed all those feelings aside and reached into his pocket for his phone, the man dialing the number he still remembered and putting the device up to his ear before he could second guess his decision.

It rang a few times, Matt tapping his finger impatiently while he waited for her to pick up. Which, thankfully, she soon did.

"...Hello?" She spoke, Casey smiling softly at the sound of her voice while he leaned back into his chair.

"Hey Mom." He greeted, Matt practically able to feel her own smile through the phone before she replied.

"Matthew, hi sweetheart… I wasn't expecting you to call today, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I'm good, the girls are good.. I was just calling the check in. It's been awhile." He breathed out, hearing her pause before she spoke up.

"It has." She spoke almost regretfully. "But it's so nice to hear from you, you said you're doing alright?"

"We are, we're all great… Caity's loving first grade, and Sof's, well… She's keeping us on our toes at all times." He told her, hearing her laugh before he continued on. "But they're doing great, and Gabby's doing well too."

"That's nice to hear, honey. What all's been going on with you lately?" She questioned, Matt thinking over her words before he continued to explain some of the bigger things she'd missed in the past few months.

And over the next fifteen minutes or so, Matt worked on catching his mother up on anything he could. Whether it was more about the girls and what they were up to, or Gabby, or his work; he was doing his best to update her on any and everything she might've missed in the recent months. While Nancy then also gave him some updates of her own, Casey listening intently while she went over how her own life was going, with her work and her friends.

Overall, from their brief conversation, it sounded like she was doing well. And he was glad to hear it, as that was all he wanted for his mom.

"That sounds great, mom. I'm glad you're enjoying your job." He spoke once she finished, Nancy stopping for a second before speaking up once more.

"Thank you, Matthew. Me too… So, is there anything else going on?" She asked him somewhat pointedly, as his head fell to the side. "Or were you just wanting to catch up?" She added on, Matt letting out a soft laugh while relaxing into his seat.

"Well, I was wanting to catch up… Gabby and I both had been wondering how you've been, and Camila asked about you too."

"Oh, is Gabby's mother back in town?"

"She's not, no.. But she's coming to visit here in a few weeks." He explained, Nancy pausing momentarily before she hummed in response. "She wants to come see the girls, and spend time with Gabby… Which I guess is part of why I called." Matt began, letting himself take a breath before he continued. "Gabby and I were talking, and we thought it would be nice if you wanted to come for Thanksgiving again this year, like last time."

"...Really?"

"Yeah, really." He reiterated. "I know it's coming up pretty soon, but we'd love to have you if you want.. That way you can get some more time with the girls, and see them a bit more. I know they'd love it."

"I'd love that, too." She answered without much thought, Matt's smile growing before he nodded. "As long as you're sure it's alright."

"Of course it is." He assured her. "Just let us know when you'll be here, whenever you figure out when you want to come… Everyone's gonna be really excited to see you."

"I'm excited too, honey." She replied, Matt breathing in deeply.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to all be together again." He reiterated, quickly thinking over the next words on the tip of his tongue before he spoke up. "But, uh… And you might not know yet, but will it just be you? Or is Henry coming along?" Casey questioned, feeling his neck involuntarily tighten at just the mention of that man.

"Oh-" She started, before cutting herself off. Almost like she was surprised by the question. "...It'll just be me."

"Okay."

"Yeah, Henry and I… We broke up a while ago." She explained, Matt raising his eyebrows a bit as he hadn't been expecting to hear that from his mom. Though he'd be lying if he said he wasn't relieved by the news.

"Oh, really?" He questioned, earning a soft yes in response. "I didn't know."

"Well, that's my fault.. I should've called sooner. But him and I aren't together anymore."

"What happened?" Matt pressed, hearing his mom sigh before she gave him a response.

"A lot of things… I loved him, but our relationship wasn't good for either of us anymore. And he would…" She trailed off, Casey's back straightening as his protective instincts and concern started to take over.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" He asked with venom in his voice, while silently praying that his mom hadn't gone through something like that again.

"No, no sweetheart. He didn't. It was nothing like that." She said, Casey pausing to take a breath before he nodded. "He was just a little controlling, it made me uncomfortable. And it was getting worse… That wasn't the only thing, but I just wasn't happy anymore. And I know you didn't like him, so it just felt like it was time to end things."

"Well, it was hard to like him after the things he would say about Gabby and Sofia… I can't help that I didn't want him around my family." He reminded her. "But I am sorry he treated you like that."

"I know, honey. Me too. And I don't blame you for feeling the way you did about him. You had every reason to hate him, what he said about your girls wasn't right." She agreed. "I just wish I had seen all of it sooner, and maybe listened to you a little more… But I can't change any of it now, all I can do is move on."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best." He spoke softly. "But I'm glad you're alright, and you got out of that relationship… You deserve better than him."

"Thank you, Matthew." She said, things going quiet between them for a second before she spoke up. "So yes, it'll just be me… But I'd love to come and see you guys."

"Alright, then it's settled." He responded with a soft grin. "I'll see you in a few weeks, mom."

"See you then, Matthew." She replied, the two sharing a few more goodbyes before they hung up.

Dawson shoved her hands while she walked through the firehouse, the woman making her way towards her husband's office for the second time that day as when she got closer she could see him sitting at his desk, his door closed while he worked on whatever was in front of him. And while she didn't know what it was, she hoped it wasn't anything too important as she was eager to get at least a few moments alone with her husband before they got busy once more.

Coming to a stop outside his door Gabby lifted her hand up to knock softly, hearing him call her in before she pushed the door open. Matt hadn't looked up from his papers, Gabby taking another step inside just as he glanced up, his face softening almost instantly.

"Hey beautiful." He greeted, waving her further in before dropping his pen down onto his desk, Dawson taking the invitation while she shut the door behind her.

"Hey yourself… How's your day going?"

"It's not too bad, I've missed you though." Matt said sweetly, as she scrunched her nose up a bit. "How about you, how have your calls been going?" He asked while Gabby made her way around his desk, coming to sit against the furniture while he angled his chair towards her.

"They've all been fine, nothing too crazy." She replied, as his hand came up to rest over her thigh.

"And Kellan?"

He saw her smile a bit, Gabby giving him a nod before she replied. "He's doing really well."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm. I mean, you can tell he's pretty new. He's a little green, and doesn't completely know his way around. But he's a damn good paramedic, and he's had my back out there. Any house would be lucky to have him."

"That's great, babe. I'll definitely let headquarters know." He replied with a soft smile, while Gabby nodded.

"And how are things here?" She questioned, earning a mere shrug from him. "You finish up all your top secret Chief stuff?" She teased, Casey chuckling deeply while giving her leg a squeeze.

"Yeah, hardly anything's a secret around here… And definitely not between us." He countered, Gabby grinning smugly as she knew he had a point. "But no, my calls were fine. Everything's been pretty easy, it's all just the usual boring stuff." He started, tracing his thumb along the side of her leg while his head leaned to the side. "Although I guess there is one thing I should tell you."

"What's that?"

"I called my mom." He said, seeing the look of surprise that covered her features almost immediately. "We talked for a bit- a while, actually. I caught her up on the girls, and you. How we've been." He explained, as Gabby nodded.

"And how'd it go?"

"It was good." He replied, seeing his wife smile back at him. "It was nice to talk to her, and she's doing pretty good, from what I can tell. Her life seems to be going well… I extended the invitation for Thanksgiving, she wants to come."

"That's great, babe." Gabby spoke with a beaming grin. "It'll be good to see her again."

"Yeah, it will be." He answered, seeing Gabby pause for a moment before she kept on.

"...Will it just be her?" She questioned, Matt's face softening as he knew immediately what she was asking him. How she wanted to know if she'd have to deal with Henry once again in just a few weeks, and Casey couldn't blame her at all. Because for as much as he hated that man, the things he'd said were about her, and that always would hit a little deeper.

"Just her." He clarified, before Gabby let out a soft sigh. "I wasn't sure either, but Henry's not coming… I guess they aren't even together anymore." He added on, as her eyebrows raised in shock.

"They aren't?"

"Not according to her, no… Which I'm certainly glad about." He breathed out, while continuing to mindlessly rub his hand along her leg. "We didn't get into too much of it, just that they broke up. That he was a bit too controlling and she didn't like it… I'm sure there's more to the story there, but that's really all I know so far."

"Well… I hate that she went through that, but I think that's probably for the best they've broken up." Gabby spoke, Matt soon nodding in agreement. "And I'm glad she'll be here, so she can see the girls and everything."

"I'm glad, too." He spoke lightly just before the bells went off above their heads, the two listening to Ambulance 61 being called out yet another time.

"I guess that's my cue." She groaned, Matt smiling a bit as he squeezed her thigh one last time before she got up.

"Be safe out there." He told her while she made her way to the door, Gabby giving him a bright smile in return before she left.

"Always."