Hello there everyone! I'm here with the next chapter for you all. With the last update being family centered, this one is definitely more work-oriented. So I hope you all enjoy it! Also, I know this one is a bit shorter, but I have a reason for that which you'll see at the end.

I won't keep you much longer, so let me just say thank you for reading and I'll see you next time!

Chapter One Hundred and Eighty One

Casey took long strides down the hallway while he made his way towards the common room, the empty coffee cup in his hand part of the reason for the destination he had in mind as after his long morning, he was in desperate need of more caffeine. It was only a little after ten, their shift having just barely started, but for as slow of a day as it had been thus far for the rest of the house, he'd been on nonstop calls ever since he got here. And now that he had a break, he was eager to get out of his office a little bit and check on the rest of the house, as well as get himself more to drink.

"Hey there, Chief." Cruz greeted just as he stepped in through the side door, Casey offering him a small nod while continuing on in his path towards the counter, where his wife just happened to be standing.

"Hi baby." Gabby spoke with an easy smile as she filled up her cup of coffee, Matt matching her look while he came to a stop just shy of her, his side leaning up against the counter before he held up his mug in her direction. She cocked her eyebrow, Casey merely widening his grin while clinking his cup against hers, Gabby letting out a playful scoff before she started to refill his coffee.

"Thank you… And hi babe." He replied, watching her nod before placing the coffee pot down.

"How'd your calls go?"

"They were fine." He responded with a shrug. "I've got more later, which is always something to look forward to."

She smirked at his sarcasm, Gabby reaching out to rub her hand along his arm before she stepped back to head around the counter. "Well, that's what comes with being the man in charge." She teased, Matt seeing her wink before she turned away from him, his smile growing a bit as he followed after her, both of them in need of adding some adjustments to their coffee.

"Hey Casey." Severide called a minute later from his spot at the round table, Matt and Gabby glancing up in that direction to find an amused gleam in their friend's eye.

"What's up, Sev?"

"He was telling us about a certain dance recital the other night." Otis answered for him with a knowing grin, Gabby swallowing down a laugh as Matt shot them an unimpressed look.

"Yeah, you're just in time, Kidd was about to show everyone your dance." Kelly added on while Stella pulled out her phone, the entire room erupting into laughter at Matt's expense. "Or what was supposed to be Caity's dance."

"Mhmm." Matt hummed with a smile of his own, not at all phased by their joking while Gabby reached out to place a light hand over his back.

"Yeah, Severide mentioned how Caitlyn had a special guest during her performance, and we were wanting to see the footage." Herrmann continued on with glee, Casey shaking his head a bit before he responded.

"Well, he's right about that. She did have someone out there with her, and she did a great job." Matt spoke proudly after taking a sip of his drink.

"So you really did go out on the stage?" Cruz called from across the room, before pushing himself up from his seat to come over and watch the video as a small group began to form around Kidd.

"Of course I did. Caity asked me to." Their Chief responded without a thought, Gabby looking up at him with a gentle look in her eyes while everyone else was focused on the video Stella started playing.

Gabby and Matt could both hear the music from their daughter's dance- the same music they'd heard a lot over the last few months, as well as the laughter and amusement from their coworkers, everyone evidently enjoying the clip while the Casey's stayed back by the counter.

"This is too good." Otis said with a chuckle.

"Caity really is a little spitfire, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she reminds me of Dawson." Herrmann spoke, Gabby raising her eyebrow a bit as it was Matt's turn to try and hide his laughter, the older firefighter looking up with a smirk before he shook his head. "Respectfully, kid."

"Uh huh, I'm sure." Dawson played along, while her hand slid around the back of her husband's waist.

"Oh wait- This is my favorite part." Kidd spoke as they got towards the end of the video, the married couple unsure of exactly what she was referring to. But given how the music was nearing the end, they had a pretty good idea. "Look how cute." She mused, as they heard the crowd start to cheer through the video.

"Aw, that kid looks so happy." Herrmann replied, his words a bit more genuine than they had been moments prior while he watched Matt pick up his daughter and spin her around.

"She was." Jemma spoke up from her spot on the other side of Severide. "And I know you all like to tease him, but Casey going out there really was so sweet. He was like a superdad out there… I don't think Caity could've danced without him."

"See? Thank you, Jemma." Matt responded, the paramedic offering him a knowing smile while Gabby chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah I guess you all have a point." Kelly conceded with a wave of his hand. "But our Chief still is just a big softy."

"Oh, there's no denying that." Herrmann agreed, while Matt shook his head once more. "He is when it comes to those girls, anyway."

"Well, how could I not be?" Casey continued on, the energy in the room light as they went back and forth. "Our girls are perfect, and deserve all the love and support possible." He added while wrapping his arm around Gabby's shoulders, effectively pulling her closer into him and pressing a kiss to the side of her head, the display of affection earning a smile from Dawson before she relaxed into him.

"Yeah, you do have some great kids… But no matter how cute those girls are, we're gonna mock you for this for a while." Cruz circled back, the room erupting into laughter once more as they all started to nod in agreement.

"I'd expect nothing less." Casey gave in while Gabby rested her head against his shoulder, a few of the first responders smirking and laughing before their attention returned back to the finished video.

"Kidd, I'm gonna need you to send that to me." Herrmann spoke up.

"Yeah, me too." Cruz added on.

"Me three." Gabby replied, Casey narrowing his gaze before he turned to look down towards his wife with an expectant look in his eyes, only to find an amused grin waiting for him. "What? I want to have it for Caity." She explained, his face softening a bit before he nodded. "And Antonio and Papa asked me for it, too." She added on with a chuckle, Matt scoffing lightly as he tightened his hold on her.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised by that." He muttered, pressing another kiss to her head just as the bells rang out above them, instantly shifting the mood in the room.

'Battalion 25, Truck 81, Squad 3, Engine 51, Ambulance 61. Structural Fire, 1657 South Calhoun Avenue'

"That… Does not sound good." Jemma spoke first as they all started to move from their seats, Matt nodding in agreement as they all knew that whenever the entire house was called, it was best to expect a bad scene.

"Let's go, 51." Casey instructed, dropping his arm from his wife before he and Gabby started to head around the counter, the rest of the firehouse following his lead as they all hurried out to the garage, mentally preparing themselves for whatever scene was waiting ahead.

Sirens blared through the snow covered streets of Chicago while Firehouse 51 drove into the residential area, the slick roads causing their arrival to be just a minute or two delayed as they could already see the house that was up in flames, even though they were at least a street away.

Thick black smoke was billowing into the air, the bright yellow and orange flames not far behind it as the closer they got, the more they could see this home being overtaken by fire. And while it was too soon to know what caused it, from all their years on the job the first responders had a feeling this was more than just a usual house fire. But as they pulled up outside the burning building, they weren't able to focus on that right now, Casey putting his rig in park before jumping out and heading towards the building.

"Does anyone live here?" Casey shouted in the direction of a few bystanders, who he could only assume were neighbors.

"Jason Vaughn." One of them replied almost instantly, while the woman beside him watched on in horror. "He's lived there for years, that's his car right there." The neighbor spoke, pointing to the vehicle parked across the road.

"So he's inside?"

"He should be, he works from home." The man answered, Casey sucking in a deep breath while he held his mask in his hands.

"Squad 3, 81!" He shouted back towards the rigs, those few words enough to tell his men that he wanted them over him with him before he looked back to the bystanders. "Does anyone else live here? Any family, or kids?"

"No, just him."

"Alright…"

"What's the plan, Casey?" Severide asked as he jogged up to him, the rest of the firefighters right behind him while Matt took in the burning building.

The structure was already unstable, he could tell that before he even stepped a foot inside, but there was someone inside who needed their assistance. And right now, they had a window where they'd be able to help him. Though with every passing second, that very window was slowly closing.

"Neighbors say there's one occupant inside, but we're gonna do a complete sweep of the house just to be sure. I want 81 on the top floor and Squad 3 you take the main level, and if there's a basement search down there as well… I'm not sure where the owner is inside, but hopefully we can get him out."

"Alright, you heard him.. Squad 3, with me." Severide shouted before he started to mask up.

"Engine 51, I want you with your hoses ready!" Casey called back to the rig. "As soon as we're clear of the building, we need to get that fire out."

"Got it, Chief!"

Casey nodded before looking back towards the building, a deep grimace settling in across his features while he watched his men and women head towards the front door, which was completely covered by a wall of flames. The entire front of the house was completely ablaze, Matt's mind racing as he was beginning to realize that whatever caused this house to go up likely started in the front.

"Wait, Severide! Kidd!" Casey called out to his Lieutenants before they could breach the door, the nagging feeling in his gut not going away as the group of firefighters turned to look at him. "Let's go in through the back." He instructed, seeing Kelly and Stella share a quick glance. "The front seems too dangerous, we might have better luck in the back."

"Okay Casey… You guys heard the Chief, let's go." Severide called out before he and the other firefighters headed around the side of the home, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he turned back to the road searching for one person inparticular.

It didn't take him long at all to find who he was searching for, Casey seeing his wife and Jemma standing at the back of their rig out in the street, clearly waiting for any sort of instruction or victim to help.

After clearing his throat Matt grabbed the radio strapped to his chest, knowing Gabby was too far away for her to hear him. "Dawson?" He asked, seeing the second she registered his voice as she looked over to him before reaching for her radio.

"Yeah?" She asked back, before Matt nodded towards the house.

"I want you and Norris in the backyard with us." He told her, seeing her nod before she and Jemma began to grab everything they'd need. "I'm not sure what we're dealing with, but I want you all close by."

"On it, Casey." She replied back, dropping her radio to then grab the rest of what they'd need while Matt started jogging towards the back of the house.

The snow slowed him down a little bit, but eventually he was able to make it around back just as Truck 81 started into the building and headed for the top floor where they were told to begin their sweep. And Squad 3 wasn't far behind them.

"Tony, Capp.. I want you two in the basement. Cruz and I will take the main floor." Severide instructed, while Casey walked over to them. "Let's make this quick, it's not looking like we have much time." He added on, the building creaking almost a second later as if to prove his point.

"Severide, I'm gonna sweep the main level with you all." Matt said, Kelly glancing towards him before he gave him a quick nod, the two men sharing an understanding glance while Casey picked up his radio and spoke through it. "Engine, I'm headed inside… Keep an eye on the smoke."

"Understood, Chief." They replied back, while Matt grabbed for his mask once more.

Movement out of the corner of Casey's eye caught his attention, his gaze moving over towards the side of the house just after Gabby and Jemma came around the corner. He looked at Dawson instantly, his wife then giving him a quick, yet supportive nod before he refocused his attention on the house in front of him, Matt finishing up getting his mask on before he followed squad into the building.

As soon as they stepped inside, it was like a wall of smoke hit him, their masks thankfully protecting them and their lungs from any possible damage. But for anyone left in here unprotected, Matt knew how deadly just the smoke could be, the firefighter shaking his head a bit before continuing on further into the home.

Visibility was low, worse than he was expecting as he listened to all that was going on around him, Casey able to hear the faint sounds of 81 searching the upstairs while half of Squad 3 went for the basement, leaving him, Severide, and Cruz alone on the main floor to search for the owner of this home. Despite all the smoke, luckily Casey had been right in the fire being localized to the front of the house; at least for now, as it gave them a bit more time to do their sweep.

"I'm gonna head east with Cruz, Casey you go west and we'll meet in the middle." Severide told him, Matt merely nodding in response as he knew this was Kelly's call on how to run this. And he had no objections before he continued on through the kitchen, his eyes moving around as much as possible while he slowly made progress through the home.

For as old as the building was, the house was a pretty decent size, which meant there was a lot of ground to cover on just the main floor alone, Casey checking every nook and cranny, as well as every door and room he passed on his way towards the living room, the smoke getting thicker and thicker with each step he took.

"Kidd, we're clear up here in the office." Casey heard Otis' voice come through the radio, soon followed by a few other members of truck as they searched.

"Okay, Otis come back east and we'll finish up the rooms."

"On it, Lieutenant." The firefighter replied back, just before Herrmann's loud voice came through the radio.

"Kidd, I found him!" He shouted over what sounded like flames, Matt pausing his steps for a moment while looking up to the ceiling in the direction of the second floor. "Master bathroom, by the tub.. He's unconscious, but I've got him."

"Alright, I'm on my way! Everyone else, finish up looking for any other victims then get out of here." Kidd's voice crackled through, Matt forcing himself to take a slow breath before he kept on with his sweep.

He wasn't sure if it was even necessary at this point, given how they found the only person who was supposedly in this house. But he didn't want to leave anything to chance, not when bystanders and neighbors had been wrong before, Casey pushing on as he finally made his way to the living room.

There was fire crackling on the outside wall, the curtains almost completely up in flames while fire continued blazing out in the hallway by the front door. But aside from the obvious destruction, it looked like a rather normal living room. One that might belong to a man living alone as Casey took a few quick glances around the room.

"Severide?" The Chief spoke into the radio after a moment, while feeling heat start to creep up his neck. "You all see anything?"

"Not over here, Casey… Capp? Tony? Anything down there?"

"Negative, Lieutenant… Just some appliances and old clothes down here." Tony answered back, Matt's eyebrows furrowing a bit as he stepped closer to the wall over by the couch.

"Alright, I'm calling it. There's no one else in here… Kidd, do you need any help?" Severide asked, getting no response for a second or two before Stella replied.

"We're good, we're heading down. The rest of the upstairs is clear."

"Okay, then everybody out. This house is empty." Severide ordered, as Matt heard the march of boots all throughout the building while they made their way to the exit.

"Chief?" Herrmann's voice came through a second later, the questioning edge to his tone almost like he was wanting to know if that was what they were supposed to be doing.

"Severide's right, everyone get out." Casey replied, his eyes moving over the room one last time before he started to walk away from the couch.

But after taking one step, he stopped quickly when he felt something give underneath his foot, Matt's eyebrows furrowing before he looked down towards the ground, trying to figure out what he'd stepped on. It was hard to make out much, the smoke around him only getting worse, but after a moment he realized what was underneath his foot, Casey moving back a bit to see what was half of a kid's toy sticking out from under the couch.

It was a plastic doll, one that typically came with a bunch of different outfits and accessories to put on, Matt recognizing the toy rather easily as it was something he'd bought a few of for Caitlyn and Sofia, the confusion he was feeling only deepening as he bent down to pick it up. Though his uncertainty wasn't coming from the toy itself, but rather why it was here, Matt pausing for a moment before he looked further under the couch, only to find a few more toys hidden away underneath the furniture.

"What the hell…" He breathed out, Casey pushing himself up from the ground before looking around the room once more, for any other signs that kids lived here. But he couldn't find any.

There were no other toys, no photos. No highchairs, or games. There was nothing, not anything that would've been in a home with kids. Nothing except the few toys stowed away underneath the couch, like they weren't meant to be found, the unsettled feeling in his gut slowly beginning to get worse as he reached for his radio.

"Wait, 51-" He called, clutching the button tightly while his eyes kept moving around the smoke-filled space.

"What is it, Casey?"

"Everything okay?"

A few voices came back, Matt knowing them to belong to Severide and Kidd as he drew in a deep breath.

"Did anyone see any children in here?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"What?"

"Kids. Have you found any kids?" He repeated himself, needing clarification from his firefighters before he went any further.

"No, no kids, Casey."

"There was no one else upstairs."

"We cleared all the rooms."

Letting his eyes fall closed for a moment, Matt nodded despite the fact that no one could see him before he slowly started to walk to the middle of the room, unsure of what to do.

Logically, he knew he needed to get out of here. That even if there were children that did live here, there were no signs of them. His men couldn't find anyone, which meant they weren't here right now.

But in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but think of how from his own experience, he knew how sneaky kids could be. They were small, and could fit into tiny little spaces where a grown adult would never think to look. There were ample places for them to hide in a house this size, especially when they were scared. And that thought caused his stomach to sink like a rock, Matt silently hoping that that wasn't what was happening now.

"Casey… You need to get out of there, man." Severide's voice came through, the noise around him telling Matt that his squad Lieutenant had already gotten back outside. "The smoke's getting bad."

Pursing his lips together, Casey forced himself to keep walking out of the room and back towards the exit, the Chief picking up his pace until he was out of the burning building.

Once he was safely on the back porch, Matt ripped his mask off before looking at everything going on around him. His firefighters were bunched around in the backyard, while a few of them were helping to get the victim on the gurney. There were more paramedics here now, Gabby and Jemma letting them take over as the man was loaded onto their gurney, before Norris started to help with treatment.

"Is he alive?" Casey asked as he walked down the steps, snow crunching underneath his boots before he came to a stop by Severide.

"He is, but barely… A lot of smoke inhalation, they're gonna have to get him to the hospital soon." Kelly answered, Matt drawing in a deep breath before grabbing for his radio. "What was that in there?"

"What?" He pushed back, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked between Severide and the man on the gurney.

"The thing about there being any kids… Why'd you ask that?"

"Oh, uh.. There were some toys in the living room. Children's toys." Matt responded, a similar look of uncertainty flashing in Severide's eyes before he glanced back towards the house currently up in flames. "Looked like they were hidden underneath the couch, so I wasn't sure if he had any kids here. I mean, his neighbor said he didn't, but you never know…" Casey trailed off.

Kelly nodded slowly back at him, both officers looking to the unconscious man resting on the gurney while the medics from another house worked on him. "Well, there wasn't anybody else in that building." Severide ultimately spoke up. "So if he does have children, they must be somewhere else right now. Or maybe he's just an Uncle or something, I don't know… There's any number of reasons for him to have those kids toys." He finished, Casey drawing in a deep breath before he nodded.

He wasn't sure if Severide's words were true, but he hoped to God they were as he pressed down the button on his radio before speaking into it.

"Engine, we're all clear… Get those hoses going." He instructed before dropping the radio back down to his chest.

"On it, Chief.. You heard him, 51!"

With the building behind them now being taken care of, Casey began to walk closer to all the commotion happening in the backyard, the snow falling down around them making the medics job all that much harder while they continued to try and help this man.

"We've gotta get going, now!" One of them shouted, firefighters nodding while Norris stayed up by his head.

"I'll help you guys get him to the rig.. Guys, can you help too?" Jemma asked a few of her coworkers that were near her.

"Of course. Let's go." Kidd told them, firefighters now surrounding the gurney before they all started to push it through the path they'd already made in the snow.

"Casey, can you hold this?" Mouch asked, holding up the halligan in his hand that was preventing him from helping as much as he wanted, the Chief nodding before he took the tool from his firefighter.

"Go ahead." He replied, earning a grateful nod from Mouch while he jogged after the group to aid in getting this man to the ambulance.

Since they had plenty of help, Gabby decided to stay back with a few of the other firefighters, knowing her presence would just get in the way more than anything else as Casey and Severide came up to them.

"Hey Herrmann?" Matt spoke, his eyes still focused on the guy they were wheeling away while he stopped next to Gabby.

"Yeah Chief?"

"When you were upstairs, did you see anything that looked like children lived here?" He questioned, Christopher's eyebrows furrowing before he glanced back towards Severide, who just simply nodded, that silent gesture telling him to answer.

"Uh, no I didn't." He responded, missing the grimace that appeared over Casey's features. Though Gabby didn't. "There weren't any kids' rooms or anything. Just the master, and one room that looked like an office… Rest was storage."

"Okay." Matt replied, his tone showing everyone that he wasn't entirely convinced. But neither firefighter questioned him on it.

"Herrmann, let's head out of here… See if Engine needs help." Severide suggested, the older man nodding before he and Kelly, as well as the few remaining firefighters back here, began to head up front, leaving Gabby and Matt on their own.

They were both silent for a moment or two, Matt keeping his eyes on the building as he took a few slow breaths, like his mind was trying to work something out.

"...You have a weird feeling about this, don't you?"

Gabby's sudden words pulled him from his thoughts, Casey's face softening as he turned to look at his wife before he shrugged.

"I- I don't know, honestly."

"Well, I do." She answered him, seeing his eyebrows raise before she nodded. "Something about this place feels… Weird, I guess. I don't know."

"Yeah, that's kind of where I'm at." He breathed out, while trying to work through the rational thoughts in his head. "I can't put my finger on it, but something about the house and those toys. This guy… It all feels off." He confided, Gabby offering him a strong, supportive nod before she reached out to rub her hand along his back.

"Were there a lot of toys?"

"Enough." He replied with a wince, prompting Dawson to look back to the fiery home.

"...Do you think there are kids inside?"

"No, I don't think so, I just- I dunno, I'm probably being paranoid." He settled on, shaking his head a bit to gather his thoughts while she rubbed her glove-covered hand along his back, a deep frown soon etching into her skin. "We cleared all the rooms, there was no one here… It's probably nothing."

"Yeah, probably." She repeated quietly, forcing in another breath before she put a little bit of pressure against his back. "Let's get out of here, yeah?"

"Yeah." He agreed, his voice somewhat unsure before they started to follow in the similar path their friends had taken.

But they only got a few steps before Gabby heard what sounded like someone crying.

It was faint and quick, the sound stopping almost as soon as it started, but it was there, Dawson's steps halting abruptly as she turned around to try and locate whatever- or whoever, had made that noise.

"Matt…" She spoke quietly, getting him to stop as well before he turned around.

"What is it?"

"Did you hear that?" Gabby asked him, his eyebrows furrowing while he made up the distance between them.

"The wind?" He questioned, seeing her shake her head quickly before she walked deeper into the backyard.

"No, it was… It sounded like something, but it wasn't the wind." She replied while her eyes continued to move around the yard, until they stopped on the small shed sitting in the back corner of the property.

It was somewhat difficult to find, hidden behind a few branches and piles of snow, but she'd seen it, the unsure feeling in her gut only growing before she carefully began to make her way across the yard.

"What is it, Gabby?" Matt asked, following directly behind her while her eyes were trained on the shed.

"I don't know, I thought I heard crying." She replied, Casey drawing in a deep breath just as they got to the structure, the uncertain feelings deep within them only getting worse when they found three sets of padlocks on the door to the shed.

"...Is that normal to you?" Gabby asked him, Matt slowly shaking his head while gripping the halligan in his hand that Mouch had given him.

"You're sure you heard a noise?" He asked after a beat of silence, Gabby nodding strongly before Casey took a step forward and brought the halligan up to break the locks.

"Is this legal?" She asked, Matt glancing back to her before he used the tool to snap open the first lock.

"We'll find out." He responded while moving to the second one, Gabby's throat tightening as when he broke off that one, she heard the unmistakable sound of a whimper from behind the door.

"Matt, there's someone in there." She whispered, Casey nodding before he started to move faster, the Chief breaking the last lock in record time and reaching for the door to pull it open, his movements a bit slower now that he was working against the snow. But eventually he got it open, a sharp gasp escaping Gabby's lips as soon as they looked inside.

"Oh my God…"

They knew something felt off about this place, it had from the moment they got here. But nothing could've prepared them for the painful sight in front of them, as once the door had been opened and they stepped in, they came face to face with two small children sitting in the corner of this shed.

Two children that were currently chained to the ground.