Hello there everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all, and I hope you enjoy it. The response to the last one was incredible, you all seemed to love Caitlyn's gesture just as much as I enjoyed writing it. And now in this one we're gonna see what's coming next with that, and how Gabby and Matt handle what Caity was wanting to do.

But before we get into all that, I wanted to quickly say thank you all so much for 4000 reviews! When I started this story a few years ago, I never imagined it would continue on this long or have as many readers as I do. I'm so beyond grateful to everyone who still reads my stories, and who has left me a review. It means the world to me, so just thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

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

Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Five

"Alright, let's see here." Matt spoke as he stood at the counter in their kitchen, the island currently covered in uniquely wrapped Christmas gifts while Gabby was across from him with their baby monitor in her hands. "I'll get these few, and then come back for the rest." He added, packing up a few boxes and bags into his grasp before taking a step backwards.

"I wanna help." Caitlyn piped up when she suddenly appeared beside her dad, Matt halting his steps immediately as he didn't even know she was there. The last he saw her, she'd been in their bedroom playing games on Gabby's phone, but clearly that wasn't the case anymore, Casey smiling softly before glancing down towards his daughter.

"Yeah, you can help me, baby." Matt told her, Caitlyn matching his grin before she scurried around him towards the counter.

"But you need to finish getting dressed first." Gabby added on, stopping Caity in her tracks before she looked down to her outfit.

"I am dressed, Mommy." She said matter-of-factly, her tone causing Matt to bite back a chuckle while Gabby herself was trying to hide her smile, Caitlyn not noticing their reactions as she was still looking over her clothes.

She was wearing one of her usual outfits for going on in the winter, which consisted of a thick pair of black leggings and a long sleeve shirt, finishing off with a pair of heavy floral socks that went halfway up her shin. The clothes were enough to help keep her warm outside, while not too much to have her burning up inside; but with the amount of snow currently dumping from the sky outside, she wasn't wearing enough to walk out their front door.

"I know honey, but you need to get your boots on, and your coat… And probably some gloves and your hat." She reminded her, Caity's eyes glazing over in recognition before she started to nod.

"Okay." She agreed rather easily, before turning back to look at her dad. "I'm gonna get my boots and stuff on then I'll help you, Daddy." She instructed, like he hadn't just heard the conversation with Gabby, another laugh leaving Matt's lips before he nodded.

"Alright baby." He agreed, shooting Gabby a knowing wink before he headed over towards the door to their garage, Gabby and Caitlyn walking that way as well to help Caitlyn to finish getting ready.

When Matt stepped out through the door, a rush of freezing winter air came into their home due to their garage door being open, Casey quickly making his way outside before pulling the door closed behind him in an effort to keep his family warm.

Once he was outside, Gabby sat down on the bench across from their laundry room, the seat just inside the door there to help them in moments like this as Caity climbed up beside her.

"Here you go, sweetheart." Gabby told her as she sat her boots down in front of her, knowing Caitlyn would want to do as much as this task by herself that she could.

"Thank you, Mommy." She replied while starting to slide her boots on, Dawson moving her eyes between her oldest daughter and the baby monitor in her hand, which showed Sofia sleeping peacefully in her room upstairs. "Mommy." Caity repeated, Gabby glancing down to see that Caitlyn had gotten as far as getting her boots on the right foot before she needed help.

"I got it, sweetheart." She responded, leaning down to tie up the long laces on her snow boots. Caity had mastered getting on just about every type of shoe by herself, but her winter boots were a bit more difficult as she struggled with the thick laces. So Gabby, or Matt, would always finish it for her, the mother quickly tying them up before carefully dropping her leg back down.

"Thank you." Caitlyn told her, Gabby hunching over to press a quick kiss to the top of her head before she stood up.

"You're welcome. Now let's get your coat on." She told her, Dawson looking over the different hooks on the wall to try and find Caitlyn's winter coat, while the little girl slid down off the bench. "Do you know where your jacket is, baby?" Gabby questioned when she couldn't find what she was looking for, Caity pausing for a moment before she lifted her head up towards her mom.

"In my room." She answered simply, Gabby smiling down at her before she nodded over towards the stairs.

"Do you mind going to get it for me?"

Caitlyn nodded before running over towards the stairs without a word, Gabby watching her go until she was out of sight before she walked over towards the kitchen. Keeping the baby monitor in one hand, she picked up one of the gifts with the other before heading back over to the door to the garage, Gabby pulling it open and stepping outside.

The intense cold hit her once more, Dawson doing what she could to tighten the jacket around her body while she walked down the steps and over to the back of their car, where her husband was still loading up gifts.

"The snow hasn't slowed down a bit, has it?" She asked somewhat rhetorically, Matt glancing up with a soft smile as she came to a stop next to him. "How's it looking?" She pushed on, nodding down towards the trunk that was slowly filling up with presents.

"We have plenty of room." He answered, while taking the present from her grasp that she held out to him. "We just need to make sure we don't forget the wagon, or we'll never get all these gifts inside." He added on, Gabby giving him a knowing nod as Matt's gaze moved towards the baby monitor in her grasp. "...Is Sof still asleep?"

"She is." She replied, her husband standing up straight after placing the last box into the trunk. "She's been asleep for a few hours now, so I'd guess she'll wake up soon. And if not, we might just have to wake her."

Casey nodded back at her, his focus moving out to the snow covered driveway between all the townhouses before he spoke up. "Do you want to just see if your parents can come over and watch her?" He suggested, glancing back towards his wife as she bit down on her bottom lip. "I know we talked about it last night…" He trailed off, prompting Gabby to draw in a deep breath while she thought over his words.

During all their planning for today and what it entailed, the parents had discussed a few separate times if they should bring Sofia or not. If it would be in her best interest to just keep her home with Ramon and Camila where she'd be more comfortable, as they knew going to a busy hospital wasn't exactly the best thing for their two year old. But despite that, every time they talked about it they came to the same conclusion; that it would be better to have Sofia come along.

This was an important thing they were doing, and they wanted Sofia to be a part of it. Even if she was too young to remember it, they wanted to do this as a family.

"I think she should come with us." Gabby finally responded, Matt giving her an understanding smile before reaching out to rest his hand over her arm. "We can still go see my parents once we're done like we were going to, but I'd like Sof to go."

"Alright, then we'll bring her… I can go wake her up once we're ready." He told her, squeezing her arm gently before his eyes moved towards the direction of the door. "Where's Caity at?"

"She had to get her coat."

"Ah, got it." He answered with a soft chuckle, Matt then turning around and heading over towards the wall of the garage to grab their folded up wagon, before carrying it back to the trunk. "Think this'll fit all the presents?" He added on lightly while lifting it up into their trunk, Gabby playfully pretending to mull over his words before she responded.

"Eh, it can fit both our girls and all their toys. So I think it'll work." She said, Matt nodding with a wide grin as he finished up his task.

"Mommy!" They heard the familiar sound of their daughter's voice after the door opened, Gabby and Matt stepping around the back of their car to see Caitlyn slowly making her way down the stairs with her coat clutched in one hand, and a smaller present in the other, the box pressed up between her chest and forearm so she wouldn't drop it. "I got my coat." She added on happily while jumping off the last step, the sound of her boots hitting the garage floor hard to miss before she hurried over to her parents. "I came to help Daddy."

"That's great baby, but let's get your coat on. It's freezing out here." Gabby chastised gently, taking the coat from her daughter while Caitlyn handed her father the present.

"Here Daddy."

"Thank you, baby." He responded, placing the box in the trunk while Gabby got Caitlyn's coat on, the mother securing the fabric quickly while trying to shield the six year old from as much of the cold around them as possible. "You think you can help me get the rest of the presents out here?"

"Yeah!" Caitlyn told him, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet while clapping her hands together. "Then can we go?" She questioned, her eagerness evident as she looked up between her parents.

And after all the excitement she'd been feeling ever since they decided to do this today, neither Gabby nor Matt could say they were too surprised by it.

Since they'd made the decision last week that they would take the girls' presents to Morgan and Macy, Caitlyn had been off the walls with enthusiasm, to the point where she wanted to be involved every step of the way. She'd been there when they decided what day they were going, she was there when they went out to go pick out a few extra gifts specifically for Morgan and Macy, and she'd made sure to help them wrap every one of the presents they were taking to the girls. Caitlyn was there for all of it. And Sofia was too, though with her being so little she didn't understand much of what they were doing, and all she was interested in was playing with the toys. But they'd let her help where they could, her and Caitlyn both. And they were so glad they had.

Though through all the excitement what had impressed Matt and Gabby the most during this process, is how Caity hadn't second guessed her decision to give away her gifts. Not after she brought it up, or even once she saw all the presents meant for her, she never thought about just keeping everything for herself. She'd only been focused on making sure she was able to give as much to Morgan and Macy that she could, this entire thing just once again proving how big of a heart their little girl had.

And because of that, Matt and Gabby only became more and more proud of her.

"Can we go now?" Caity asked once more, Matt shaking his head a bit while reaching down to place his hand over her cheek.

"We'll go soon, sweetheart. Once we get the presents, and I get your sister then we'll go."

"Okay." She simply agreed, before running back towards the door. "I'll get more presents!" She called while climbing up the steps, Gabby and Matt sharing one last laugh before they followed after her into their home to finish getting everything together for their trip to the hospital.

The Casey family stood outside the entrance of Chicago med, Caitlyn close to her father while holding tightly onto his hand, his other clutching the handle of the wagon while Gabby was on the other side of the six year old with a bundled up Sofia in her arms. Their youngest daughter was still pretty tired from being woken up during her nap, so for now it seemed best to just have Dawson carry her, Sofia having no objections while she stayed curled up against her mom's chest.

"Okay, I think we're ready." Matt told them after finishing brushing off the last of the snow from the top of Caitlyn's head, the awning protecting them from anymore snowfall while the cold winter winds blew around them. "Are you guys good?"

"Mhmm." Gabby spoke as she held Sofia's head a little closer to her neck.

"I'm cold." Caity commented, earning a knowing nod from her father before he regained his grip on her hand.

"I know baby, we're gonna head inside." He told her, Casey sparing a quick glance towards his wife before they started into the hospital.

It was a little different for them, coming in the main entrance as they were just so used to arriving through the emergency room. But they knew the building well enough to find their way, Casey leading his family over towards the closest set of elevators knowing that would lead them to the correct floor.

"Are they far away?" Caitlyn asked after he pressed the button, Matt glancing down towards his daughter before shaking his head.

"They're not too far, sweetheart. We just have to go up a few floors." He explained to her, seeing the somewhat unsure look that flashed across her face before she nodded, Caitlyn then moving another step closer to him while they waited for the elevator. Her little body was pressed up against the side of his leg, Matt letting out a soft sigh while Gabby watched on at the two of them, neither her nor Matt missing the slow shift in their daughter's demeanor. One that started as soon as they got to the hospital.

As excited as she'd been all day for this, once they arrived in the parking lot those eager feelings began to fade just a little bit, Matt and Gabby able to see how the reality of this situation was beginning to sink in for their six year old. How not only was the reason they were here not a good one, but with her own troubled history with hospitals, Caitlyn was certainly feeling a bit more nervous than she wanted to be.

But, to her credit, she was pushing through, as Dawson and Casey both knew how badly she wanted to be able to do this for Morgan and Macy.

"Are you feeling okay, baby?" Gabby asked her softly, Caitlyn looking up towards her mom before nodding slowly.

"I don't like it here." She verbalized what they already knew she was feeling, Dawson's face falling before she nodded.

"I know, honey." Gabby comforted, securing Sofia's weight in one arm before she reached out to run her hand along the side of Caity's face, her daughter soon leaning into her touch. "It can be scary here, it's okay to feel that way." She assured her, prompting a quick nod from Caitlyn before she spoke up.

"But I'm brave, I can do it." She assured them, Matt's heart tugging in his chest while he listened to their daughter.

"You are, you're very brave." Gabby agreed, causing their girl to smile up at her. "But remember what we told you, we don't have to be here very long." She reminded her, as during all their talks about this they'd made it clear to their daughter that they weren't coming here to visit. That they were doing all of this anonymously, meaning they wouldn't be able to see the girls. But with Caitlyn so focused on these gifts being from Santa, she didn't care so much about that. "So we'll go up there and drop these presents off with one of the nurses, and then we can go… But you just need to let us go if you need to leave before then, alright? We can go whenever you want." She reminded her, Caitlyn giving her one last nod back as the elevator doors opened.

It took a few seconds for everyone to clear out, Caitlyn staying close to her father while people rushed past them, but soon enough the Casey family was able to load up and continue on towards their destination. The elevator was a bit cramped between all the people, and their wagon, though with every stop they gained more and more room, until it was just their family left by the time they made it up to the seventh floor where the Whittaker girls were.

"Alright, we're almost there." Matt told Caitlyn, the girl following in step beside him while they walked out onto the floor, the four of them moving around various people as they headed for the closest nurses station.

They'd gotten a few odd looks along the way, as walking through the hospital with a wagon full of presents must have been unexpected to some of these people, but they weren't focused so much on everyone else right now, Matt slowing his steps as the nurses station finally came into view.

"Hey April." He called, Matt grateful to see a familiar face when the nurse looked up to see the Casey family coming towards her.

"Hey Caseys." She greeted back, placing down the tablet in her hands before giving them her complete attention. "What brings you all up here?" She pressed, her eyes moving between the family and the abundance of Christmas presents they had with them.

"Well, we're actually here to drop off these presents for two of your patients." Casey started, April's eyebrows raising in interest. "Morgan and Macy Whittaker, these are for them." He added, recognition soon flickering in her gaze as she glanced back towards the gifts.

"Oh, right… You guys found them out there." She murmured, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded.

"You heard about that, huh?" Gabby asked her, causing April to nod back at them with a deep grimace etched into her features.

"I did… The whole thing is so sad, what happened to them."

"It is, and that's part of why we're here." Matt continued on softly, feeling Caitlyn move a bit closer to him while people continued walking around them. "We know the girls have to spend Christmas in the hospital, so we wanted to do a little something for them… Caitlyn actually came up with the idea, she wanted to do this." He explained, April glancing down to the six year old who was now hugging her dad's leg, the lack of distance between them helping to ease some of her nerves.

"Really?" April asked, Gabby nodding while adjusting Sofia's weight in her arms.

"Mhmm, she wanted to bring them presents."

"But they're from Santa." Caitlyn added on, the adults around her all smiling while Matt placed his hand on the top of her head. "Well- They're not really from Santa, but tell them they're from Santa… We didn't know if he'd know where they are cause they're not at home, so we're helping him." She rambled out, their daughter gradually beginning to feel more and more comfortable in her surroundings the longer she spoke.

"Wow, that's really nice of you Caitlyn." April replied, seeing the small grin that came from Caity before she reattached herself to her dad's side. "I'll make sure we get these to them, and that they know they're from Santa."

"Thank you." Caity replied, tightened her arms around Matt's leg while April glanced back up towards Matt.

"We know it's a few more days until Christmas, but if there's some place you could keep these.. So the girls are able to get them on Christmas Day."

"Yeah, of course. We can put them in the doctor's lounge and just put a note on them, and what they're for." She told them while coming around from the nurses station and leading them over towards the lounge. "Thank you all for doing this, I know those girls are gonna love it." She added on as they walked inside the empty room, April leading them over to the corner where they could set the gifts up. "I haven't spent too much time with them, but I know they're great kids. Very strong and resilient. This is gonna make their Christmas."

Caitlyn smiled as she listened to the nurse's words, before helping her dad place another present down onto the ground.

"Yeah, it's honestly the least we could do." Gabby responded after placing Sofia down onto the ground, the toddler awake enough now to where she was intrigued by her unfamiliar surroundings. And with the door shut, Dawson didn't mind letting her wander around. "This doesn't even begin to undo any of what they went through, but it might help make their Christmas feel a little bit more normal, even if just for a second." She breathed out, April nodding knowingly before they finished setting up the presents.

It didn't take them too long, the gifts down on the floor with a note attached to them after just a few minutes, making it clear that no one was to touch these presents and what they were for, before the family and April were heading back out of the doctor's lounge.

"Thank you again, for all your help."

"Of course, thank you for doing this." April replied, Matt and Gabby both nodding while they stood there with their girls. "I hope you all have a really nice Christmas."

"You too." Casey told her, the friends sharing one last goodbye before the four of them headed back towards the elevator.

Now that Sofia was completely awake it was a little harder to keep her settled, Matt opting to carry her once he'd folded up their wagon, Caitlyn staying close to her mom while they walked down the hallway.

"Well, I think that went well." Casey voiced, Gabby nodding in agreement before she looked down towards Caitlyn.

"Yeah, it did.. What about you, Caity? How are you feeling?" She asked her, the small grin on their daughter's face reaching her eyes as she tightened her hold on Gabby's hand.

"I feel good." She answered honestly while glancing between her parents. "It was fun giving presents, and I'm glad they're gonna be happy. Everyone should be happy on Christmas."

Her simple words caused a rush of warmth to flow through Dawson's system, the mother grinning down at her before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I love you, my sweet girl." She murmured, kissing her once more before standing back up straight.

"I love you too, Mommy. And Daddy.. And Sof." She added with a soft giggle, Matt grinning in response as they got to the elevator, letting Caitlyn press the button.

"We love you, too… Now, are you ready to get out of here and go see your Abuelo and Abuela?" Matt questioned just as the doors opened, the family stepping aside so the few people on the elevator could get off.

"Yeah!" Caitlyn answered, lifting her free hand up to grab ahold of her father's jacket. "I can't wait to tell them all about the presents, and that I was like Santa. I just hope Morgan and Macy like them."

Caitlyn's last words caused one of the women exiting the elevator to stop abruptly in her tracks, neither parent noticing her as she turned around to face them, her eyes focused intently down at the little girl talking to her father.

"I'm sure they will, baby." Casey responded as the last person came off the elevator, Matt holding his hand out to stop the door so he and his family could get on.

But right as he nodded towards Gabby to step inside, the voice of that woman stopped them.

"Are you talking about my girls?"

Matt and Gabby turned around quickly when they realized they were being spoken to, Dawson's eyebrows furrowing slightly while a deep look of recognition flashed over Casey's face. With one glance towards her husband, Gabby could tell he knew exactly who this woman was. And after the next words that came from her mouth, Dawson knew who she was, too.

"My daughters… Morgan and Macy," Their mother started wearily, Gabby's face softening while this confused woman continued looking over their family. "You know them?" She pressed, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded further down the hallway, knowing they needed to get out of the way of the people trying to come and go from the elevator.

Before saying another word, Matt and Gabby led their girls back down the hallway, this woman following them as it was clear she wanted answers from them. And given what all her girls had just gone through, they understood it.

"Are you doctors here?" She pushed as they came to a stop, gripping the coffee cup in her hands tightly while Gabby took another glance over the clearly exhausted woman.

"No ma'am, we're not." Matt was the first to reply, readjusting Sofia in his grip as the little girl was content to look around at all the different people. "But we are first responders." He added, seeing her face slowly start to soften as well while looking between them. Like she was beginning to understand who they were.

"I'm Gabby Dawson, this is my husband, Matt." Gabby continued on, seeing her nod a bit while looking further off down the hallway.

"That's why you look familiar." She finally voiced after retraining her gaze on Casey. "I saw you the night we got here."

Matt gave her a sad nod, regret covering his features before he responded. "I was sitting with them when you and your husband arrived." He repeated, watching this woman take in another slow, somewhat unsteady breath before she nodded.

"...You two found them?" She kept on, seeing the nod Gabby gave her. "My husband, he mentioned something about talking to you that night… I think- This has all been a blur. But when we were waiting for the girls to wake up, he said he talked to you. That you and your wife- Gabby," She stopped herself, letting her eyes lock on Dawson. "You found our girls."

Gabby pursed her lips together, unsure of what to say to her. But Matt spoke up before she had to find the words.

"She did." Casey answered, this woman continuing to stare at Gabby while tears filled her eyes. "We were getting ready to leave the scene, and she heard them… After that, we got them out as soon as we could and brought them here." He further explained, unsure of how much Morgan and Macy's mother knew about their arrival to the hospital. But he told her anyway, because if it were him and his girls, he'd want to know.

"And you stayed with them." She stated, like she was trying to wrap her mind around what all was being said, and them being here.

"We did… We knew you and your husband were on the way, and even though they were asleep we didn't want them to be alone." Casey told her honestly, seeing her eyes flash over both Caitlyn and Sofia before she slowly nodded.

She was overwhelmed, Gabby and Matt could both see it in her demeanor, a rush of guilt flooding through this as this was the last thing they wanted. It was the exact reason why they had no intention of making their presence here known to this family, because they could only imagine what all they were dealing with right now and they didn't want to complicate things.

But they knew they had, as no matter how grateful they might've been for them finding their daughters, they were also just another reminder of the horrible things that had happened to them.

"You, um…" She cut herself off to clear her throat, regaining their attention before she continued. "You said something about presents?" She shifted the subject, Gabby slowly nodding as she looked down towards Caitlyn, who just seemed unsure of what was going on. "Or your daughter did…"

"She did, yeah." Matt replied gently. "We brought some presents for your daughters, since you all are going to be here through Christmas." He told her, seeing the instant look of shock that covered her features. Like she couldn't believe what he was saying. "The nurses have them, and are going to make sure your girls get them Christmas morning… But we wanted to bring some things for them. Well, it was our daughter's idea actually." He added, prompting the woman to glance down towards Caitlyn once more, who was standing there with a small smile on her face while she was partially hidden behind her parents.

"You… you all did that for them?" She breathed out, Gabby giving her a supportive nod.

"We did." She answered, as the mother lifted her hand up to cover her mouth while she continued to take this all in. "And I'm sorry if that's overstepping, I know after everything that happened, Christmas probably isn't high on your list of priorities but we just… Wanted to do something for them. For all of you. Anything we could." Gabby further explained, seeing an unreadable expression cover her face before she began to nod.

Neither Matt nor Gabby were sure of where to go from here, as they had a pretty good idea that they'd already overstayed their welcome. And that it was best for them to just go and let this woman get back to her children. But before they could think of anything to say, the girls' mother spoke up, her words stunning them both.

"...Would you all like to come see them?"

Gabby's eyebrows raised in response, Matt's lips parting before the husband and wife glanced towards each other for a moment.

"Are you sure?" Casey asked first, this woman merely nodding. "We don't want to overwhelm them…"

"It's fine, it'll be okay." She told them, Gabby drawing in a slow, hesitant breath. "They're doing alright, all things considered. And Morgan, she's… She's mentioned you both a few times." She added on, seeing the surprise that covered their features. "Since you're here, I think it might be nice for her to see you… If you all don't mind."

"Of course not." Gabby replied, Matt nodding in agreement. "As long as you think it's okay, we'll go and see them… Is it alright if our girls come in?" She checked, this woman giving her a nod.

"That's fine." She voiced, before she started off down the hallway, prompting Gabby and Matt to follow her with their children in tow. "How, uh- how old are your girls?" She asked them as they headed to the end of the hall.

"Caitlyn is six, and then our daughter Sofia, she's two." Gabby responded, watching this woman nod once more before they came to a stop outside the room Matt and Gabby had spent some time in last week, the heaviness of this entire situation gradually beginning to creep back in. And, after how deeply this affected them, that wasn't necessarily a welcome feeling. But they were trying to ignore it as best they could, because this wasn't about them.

"That's almost like Morgan and Macy." Their mother mused after a moment.

"Yeah, that's what Morgan told us." Gabby added, catching her gaze for a long moment or two, neither one of them having the chance to say anything else as Caitlyn's voice broke through the air.

"Mommy, what are we doing?" She questioned innocently, Dawson turning her attention to her daughter while Caitlyn continued looking around the floor.

"We're about to see Morgan and Macy." Gabby told her, seeing Caity's eyes widen in surprise.

"We are?"

"Mhmm… Their mom asked if we wanted to stop by, so we're gonna go in and say hi." She said in simple terms while giving her hand a squeeze.

"Are they feeling better?" Caitlyn pushed on, her head falling to the side as Gabby gave her a reassuring nod, missing the way the other woman watched the six year old.

"They are, they're feeling okay… They still might be a little hurt, so I don't want you to be scared. But everything's okay, alright? We're just gonna visit with them for a while."

"Okay Mommy." She agreed, Gabby rubbing her thumb along the back of her hand before glancing back up at the girls' mother, who was still focused intently on Caitlyn.

But she soon snapped out of it, offering one last weak smile before she stepped into their room, the Casey family walking in behind her.

"Natalia, there you are…" They heard a deep voice from within the room. "The girls and I were wondering when you'd be back, we…" His words trailed off when he realized his wife wasn't alone, Matt noticing the man first as he sat in one of the chairs between his daughters' bed.

And, by the look that covered his face, Mark recognized Casey just as quickly, a small smile forming across his lips before he moved to the edge of his seat.

But Casey's focus only stayed on him for so long, as his eyes then moved back to the two young girls propped up in their beds.

From one glance alone, they already looked different from the last time he and Gabby saw them; they were dressed in their pajamas, looking freshly bathed and clean as the girls already seemed much better than just a week ago. When they found them, they'd been mostly skin and bones, Morgan and Macy severely underweight from the conditions they'd been living in. But even after just a week in the hospital, they'd already appeared to put at least a little bit of that weight back on.

Overall, they just looked healthier than they had before, which was something both Matt and Gabby were grateful for.

"Matt…" Mark spoke up first, Casey a bit surprised that the father had remembered his name. But he gave him a smile regardless, Matt nodding while taking a slight step forward with Sofia in his arms.

"Hey Mark." He greeted, Caitlyn watching on closely as her dad walked further into the room, before her eyes moved between the children sitting across from her.

"What are you doing here?" Mark questioned, standing up from his chair and moving to give Casey a quick hug, the gesture catching Matt a bit off guard. But it was evident this man was still thankful for them finding his girls.

"We, uh…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say as he didn't want to spoil the surprise for Morgan and Macy.

"They were just stopping by the hospital." Natalia spoke up for him, Matt glancing back before she came up to stand next to him. "I ran into them out in the hallway, and once I realized who they were, I thought they might want to stop by." She finished softly, Mark nodding back at her before looking back to Casey.

"Well, it's nice to see you again… Is this your family?"

Casey nodded, prompting Gabby to come up on the other side of him with Caitlyn still holding tightly onto her hand. "This is my wife, Gabby." He started, Mark giving her a thankful, knowing look before he continued. "And these are our daughters, Caitlyn and Sofia… Caity, can you say hi?"

"Hi." She spoke up.

"Hi!" Sofia repeated loudly, earning a few small laughs from the adults in the room before Natalia walked over towards her girls, stopping beside Morgan's bed as the oldest Whittaker daughter had been watching them all the entire time.

"Girls, there are some people here to see you," She started carefully, speaking to her daughter's in a soft, loving tone as Morgan looked at her. "Do you remember Matt? And Gabby?"

Morgan fiddled with her hands in her lap, her gaze cautiously moving over in their direction in an attempt to study them for a minute or two, before she slowly started to nod. "You helped me and my sister." She answered, Gabby giving her a warm smile in response.

"We did, sweetheart." She replied.

"How are you girls feeling?" Matt asked, looking between the two sisters.

Macy was preoccupied by a few of the toys on her bed, and didn't care so much about their presence in the room. But they had Morgan's complete attention, the seven year old shrugging a bit at the question.

"Okay… Better than before." She responded, Casey nodding back at her before he heard Caitlyn's small voice beside him.

"Mommy, can I say hi to them?" She whispered, though Natalia and Mark also heard her, her words causing both parents to smile ever so slightly before Gabby gave her a nod.

"Of course you can, baby… Just remember to use your inside voice, okay?"

"Okay." She replied, Caitlyn breathing in a deep breath to help her gain some courage before she let go of her mother's hand and slowly walked over towards the hospital bed.

Morgan studied her for a moment, Caity merely offering her a welcoming smile as she came up to the side of the bed.

"Hi." The six year old eventually spoke up, the combination of her small voice and bright grin helping Morgan to relax as she gave her a small smile back.

"Hi." She repeated, that simple word helping Caitlyn to feel more confident as she took another step towards the bed.

"You're Morgan, right?" She asked, waiting for a nod from the other child before she continued. "That name is pretty. My name's Caitlyn, but my friends call me Caity." She introduced herself, Morgan inching a bit closer to her while all the parents watched on at the genuine interaction.

"...Can I call you Caity?" She questioned, Caitlyn's face lighting up before she started to nod enthusiastically.

"Yeah! You can." Caitlyn responded, earning a slight smile from Morgan in response. It was faint, but it was there, as Caity glanced over to the other bed when they all heard Macy call out for her father.

"That's my sister, Macy." Morgan told her, Caitlyn giving her a nod before pointing back towards Matt, who was still holding the younger Casey sibling.

"I have a little sister, too. Her name is Sofia." Caity told her, Morgan following her gaze over towards Sofia, where Matt helped her wave her hand in the girls' direction as the two year old started to giggle. "She's pretty silly, but I love her." Caitlyn continued on with a laugh of her own, Morgan nodding as that small smile stayed on her face.

"Yeah, my sister can be silly too." Morgan replied, Caitlyn matching her grin before she started to look around once more, seeing all the wires and screens surrounding her bed, the six year old not having a chance to stop herself before saying the first words that came to her mind.

"My Mommy said you were hurt, and you had to be in the hospital." She commented, Morgan's head falling down towards the bed before she nodded.

"There was a bad man, he hurt me and my sister." Morgan told her, Natalia watching her daughter with tears in her eyes as she spoke of what happened to her. And it elicited a similar reaction from Gabby and Matt as well, the reminder of what these girls went through breaking their hearts all over again, as all the adults in the room watched on sadly.

But the only person who didn't seem to be phased by her words was Caitlyn.

"Bad people hurt me before, too." Caity told her, causing Morgan to glance back up at her with an unsure, yet curious look in her eyes. "I had to be in the hospital… It was scary." She continued on, Natalia and Mark both looking over towards the Casey's, like they were still trying to grasp what Caitlyn was saying. "But it was all less scary with my Mommy and Daddy."

Morgan nodded once more, looking up to her mom with a little grin on her face before she turned her head back to Caity. "Yeah, they make it less scary." She agreed, Natalia reaching out to rub lovingly over her daughter's back. "...That's your Mommy and Daddy?" She pushed on, as her eyes flickered towards Matt and Gabby.

"Yeah." Caitlyn responded proudly.

"...They saved me and Macy." She stated, her voice soft and somewhat hard to hear.

"They saved me, too." Caity replied, moving a bit closer to Morgan before she kept on. "I'm sorry a bad man hurt you, but I'm glad you and your sister are okay. And that you have your Mommy and Daddy with you."

"Me too." Morgan agreed softly, the two children sharing a warm smile before the older girl glanced down to the tablet beside her. "...Do you wanna sit here with me and we can play a game?" She offered, Caitlyn's eyes lighting up before she nodded.

"Yeah!"

And just like that, the heavy conversation the two girls were having was long forgotten, Caitlyn managing to climb up onto the bed next to Morgan, with Natalia's help, before they both settled into the pillows.

"Mommy, Daddy, I made a new friend!" Caitlyn called happily across the room, earning soft smiles from her parents before she and Morgan focused their full attention on the screen in front of them.

"Well, that didn't take long…" Matt mused, Gabby smiling knowingly before he took a slight step away from her. "I'm gonna see if Sofia wants to try and play a bit with Macy."

"That's fine, babe." Gabby replied before he headed over towards Mark, the two men immediately striking up a conversation while Dawson stayed back towards the door, content to just watch the kids interact.

But she wasn't left on her own for very long, as once Morgan and Caitlyn were settled Natalia broke away from them and gradually made her way over towards Gabby, Dawson glancing up once she noticed her presence beside her.

She offered her a small smile, neither of them saying anything for a minute, the mothers sticking to just looking at their girls until Natalia finally spoke up.

"Caitlyn, she…" She started, causing Gabby to look her way before they locked gazes. "Those things she said, about people hurting her." Natalia spoke vaguely, Dawson clearing her throat while she thought over how to answer her.

"She had some bad experiences in foster homes, before we met her." She answered somewhat vaguely, seeing a hint of surprise in the woman's face before she nodded. "It wasn't… Her situation and what your girls went through, they're two different things. But what Caitlyn experienced impacted her a lot." Dawson spoke carefully.

"...But she got past it?" Natalia questioned, and it was then Gabby understood exactly what she was wanting to know.

"She did." Dawson assured her, Natalia's body visibly relaxing at her words. "It took some time, and she needed help.. More help than Matt and I were able to give her on our own, but she got through it."

Her words hung in the air for a few moments, Natalia pursing her lips together before she slowly began to nod, Dawson's words helping the mother feel better about her own daughters' and the situation they were in.

"Thank you." Natalia finally replied, Gabby raising her brows slightly as the woman gave her a small smile. "I should've said it already, for all you've done and for bringing those gifts. And I'm sorry if I came off cold to you earlier…" She trailed off, causing Dawson to start shaking her head. "I was just surprised to see you all, this past week has been-" She cut herself off, waving her hand around in the air as to help vocalize her thoughts.

"No, no you're fine. You don't need to explain yourself to me." Gabby responded quickly, while reaching out to place a gentle hand over her arm. "I can't even imagine what this has been like for you and your husband… You've all been through so much, you and your girls both." She told her, Natalia drawing a deep breath before she nodded.

"I appreciate that… But really, I do need to thank you. I can never thank you enough, actually." She continued on, those familiar tears starting to form in her eyes as Gabby's throat tightened. "You saved my girls- my babies, and there's nothing I can ever say or do enough to thank you for that."

Her voice caught in her throat, Gabby beginning to nod before she brought the woman in for a hug without another word, sensing how badly she needed it at this moment.

"Thank you, Gabby." She repeated quietly, Dawson rubbing over her back while Natalia held onto her tightly, the women missing how both their husbands were watching on at the tender scene with sad looks in their eyes. "For everything."

Nothing else needed to be said between them as Gabby continued to hold her, Dawson staying here as long as necessary while the two mothers clung to one another, both of them needing this more than they realized.

It was hard for Gabby to face all the emotions this situation brought up. All the worries and fears she and Matt felt, and how devastated she was for what Morgan and Macy had experienced. But leaving herself out of it, more so her heart just ached for this family.

They had gone through something terrible, they experienced every parent's worst nightmare. And now it would take them a while to get past it; the girls especially.

But if spending this afternoon with them told her anything, Gabby had all the belief in the world that they would. They were just going to need a little help along the way.