"Chad. You need to focus." Cyra was cooking with one hand on her already large stomach.

"I am, Mom." There was a hint of irritation in his voice. He was staring at the textbook, obviously frustrated. "I hate Algebra so much."

Joe laughed from his spot on the couch. "Wait until high school geometry." Chad's frown deepened.

Cyra gave him an exasperated look. "Really, Cruz?"

"Sorry, Birch." There was a knock on the door. Cruz got up to get it and was shocked at whom he saw. "Leon."

"Hey, Joe."

Cruz quickly closed the door behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just wondering if I could crash here for a few days?"

"You've been gone for so long. Every day I worry about you. You still doing stuff with the gang?"

"Why does it matter if I am?"

Joe shook his head. "I risked everything for you. Are you done with the gang or not?"

"It's not that easy, bro-"

"Don't even give me excuses. I am engaged and about to have my first kid. I can't have you coming around and putting my family in danger."

Leon walked back down to the sidewalk. "I thought I was your family!"

"You are my brother, but you're still running with the wrong people even after I stuck out my neck for you." Leon was walking away quickly. "Come back when you've finished with Flaco's crew." Joe walked back into his house and covered his face with his hands. He felt someone rubbing his shoulders, so he reached up and took a hand in his own. Cyra leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Gross." Chad was staring at them in disgust.

"Oh, don't act like you've never seen it before. Now, keep working. By the way, you got number 6 wrong."

"What?" She left the room quickly. "Can you help me?" Chad asked Joe quietly.

Joe shrugged. "I can try."

As the day for Cyra was supposed to have the baby drew closer, she stayed home and caught up on sleep and other things. It was August, and things were as busy as ever. Station 51 kept receiving calls late into the night. One was an apparent DUI car wreck with six cars involved. A child was the only person that was dead upon arrival. Cruz looked away as they covered up his small lifeless body. Herrmann was standing next to him, shaking his head.

"It's a damn shame. I hope that driver knows what he's done."

"He'll know. And he'll have to live with it every day." Cruz and Herrmann were called over to help free a trapped woman. After the accident, Casey got in the truck and looked at his phone, which was lighting up.

"This is Matt Casey." Joe stared at him, wondering who was calling Casey at such a late hour. "Yeah, I'm with him right now. We'll be right there." He hung up and looked at Joe. "That was the hospital. Cyra's having the baby." He opened the door, and Boden stared at him. "Joe's about to be a dad!" Everyone smiled and ran to their trucks. Cruz turned on the truck, and the squad, truck, and the chief arrived at the hospital after a few minutes. Dawson and Shay were already there, waiting for them.

"We know. Cruz, room 532." Everyone followed him as far as the waiting room. They filled most of the chairs as they all waited anxiously. They didn't have to wait long. Cruz walked out, carrying his turnout coat over his shoulder.

"Come on, guys. I mean, you'll have to be quiet but come on." A few of them went down the hallway, while most of them stayed behind. "Meet Lily Mattie Cruz." In Cyra's arms was a tiny baby in a pink blanket.

"Congratulations, Joe and Cyra." Chief Boden shook his hand. Cruz was grinning from ear to ear. Cyra had a faint smile, but she was too exhausted to speak. "We'll leave you guys to enjoy your family." They all left except for Casey.

"Mattie?"

"Yeah. Cyra insisted we put Matthew in the name, but since we ended up having a girl, it changed to Mattie."

"Her middle name is after you. You've changed my life so much." Cyra finally spoke as she handed her newborn daughter to her waiting father.

"I'm honored, guys." Casey smiled. "I'll leave you to it. And I'll call your house and let Chad know."

"Thanks, Casey." He left them alone and shut the door, going with the rest of the station to finish the shift. Afterward, Severide, Capp, and Otis returned to the hospital. Cyra was more alert, and Cruz was still staring at Lily. "Hey, guys. It's nice to see you now that I'm awake."

"Nice to see you too." Severide sat in the chair next to Joe. "So Cruz. Is your life complete?"

He glanced at Cyra before shaking his head. "Almost. Want to hold her?" He nodded and took her carefully into his arms. She moved her arm a little before settling back down.

"She's so tiny."

"Yeah, she is pretty small. But at least she's perfectly healthy." Cyra's phone lit up, and she answered the call. "Hello?" It was quiet. "You are a lifesaver. Whenever he's awake, you should bring him by. He can skip school today." The person on the other end talked before she thanked them once more and hung up. "Casey will bring Chad by later."

Two weeks later, Cruz was sitting at the table in the kitchen, staring blankly at nothing. "You look hung over, Cruz."

"If only I was. I love Lily, I do, but she never stops crying. How did you go through this five times, Herrmann?"

"One dad to another, my secret is learning to tune it out. If something's seriously wrong, you'll be able to tell. Paternal instincts and all of that." Herrmann handed the exhausted new dad a cup filled to the brim with coffee.

Severide laughed as Cruz downed the coffee. "We'll keep the coffee coming for you, bud. You look like you're going to need it."

"I do."

"So, what are your plans for this weekend, Cruz?" Severide and Shay sat waiting for his answer.

"Since things will be busy for a while, Cyra and I are just going to the courthouse to get married. And she's giving up the rights to Chad. He'll be a Cruz after that."

"Whoa. How does he feel about that?"

"He actually asked us about it. I was a little surprised myself."

"Wow. That's great. Right? That means he likes you." Severide gave him a friendly slap on the back.

"I guess." Casey finally arrived, and Cruz stood up to greet him. "Hey, can I talk to you, Lieutenant?"

"Yeah. What is it?" They stepped out into the apparatus bay.

"So I know Cyra meant to talk to you about this, but she's been a little busy. We are going this weekend to adjust our wills, and we were going to put you as guardian to Chad and Lily. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course it is. Let's pray it never comes to that."

"Yeah. Thanks, man." They shook hands and went to do their separate things. Cruz smiled as he answered his ringing phone.

"Where did you put that bottle?"

Cruz's heart swelled a little when he heard her voice. "It's in the sink."

She sighed. "Wow. Why didn't I think to look there?"

"I talked to Casey. He was okay with it."

"Oh, that's what I was supposed to do. I appreciate you doing that. This weekend is going to be great."

"As long as we're together as a family, every day is great."