Hello there everyone, I've got the next chapter for you all. I know some of you were very eager to see what happened, and we're gonna pick up right where we left off last time. And fair warning, we're only just getting started with this storyline.

But I hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you next time!

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE

"Everybody take cover! Now!"

The loud voice of the police officer flooded over the scene, Boden ducking back behind one of the rigs as the sound of bullets being fired out continued to fill the air. It was constant, like this man was just firing with no rhyme or reason, while all the first responders outside took whatever cover they could.

There was a distinct fear clouding over them, a hesitance and uncertainty that almost felt suffocating, as everyone out here had no idea what was going on inside that building. All they knew was people were trapped and in need of help, and there was a madman inside firing his weapon at anything in sight.

And it didn't help that one of his firefighters had made it his mission to walk through the entire building without cover, Boden forcing down the heavy feeling in his gut as he silently hoped and prayed that his truck Lieutenant wasn't getting caught in the crossfire of what was happening inside.

"Any word on SWAT?" One of the officers close to Boden asked, the Chief looking back towards the older man to see him talking to his superior.

"They're on the way… And until we get here, I don't know if there's anything we can do." He spoke, those words filling Boden's system with a heavy sense of dread before he faced front once more, his head peeking up around the rig to look towards the building.

The shots had stopped, at least for now, but that meant nothing in terms of what was going on inside. If his firefighters were alright, if Casey had ever made it to their paramedics. He had no idea what was happening, and he couldn't bear it.

Letting out a shaky breath, Boden reached up for his radio and held onto it, making sure he was able to broadcast to his entire team before he spoke.

"51…" He breathed out, attempting to keep his voice somewhat quiet as he wasn't sure if they were safe. But he spoke loud enough for them to hear him. "Is anyone from 51 here?"

It took a moment, but after seconds that felt like hours he heard the familiar crackling of the radio, before Severide's voice came through.

"We're here, Chief." The squad Lieutenant spoke.

"So is Truck." Herrmann added, Boden letting out a soft sigh before he continued.

"Are you all okay? Is anyone hurt?"

"We're fine… He wasn't firing at us." Kelly answered first, keeping his voice low. Like he was unsure of his surroundings.

"Us neither." Herrmann echoed as Boden nodded, even though they couldn't see him. "It sounded far away, like he was closer to the first floor."

"Yeah, I think he's downstairs." Severide repeated, the older man then pursing his lips together while looking at the building.

"...Has anyone heard from Casey?" The Chief finally asked, only to be met by more silence. "Or Shay? Do we have any word on Dawson?"

"We don't." Herrmann answered with an almost regretful tone in his voice.

"The last time we talked was when Casey left to go find Gabby." Kelly reiterated, Boden letting his eyes fall closed for a split second while he thought over what his options were here.

Though it was becoming painfully obvious he had none.

"...Do you think he made it to her?" Severide continued when his Chief hadn't responded, the worry in his voice evident as they were all painfully aware of the situation they were in.

"I don't know, Severide." He replied while keeping his voice as steady as he could, Boden pausing to clear his throat before speaking once more. "...Casey, Shay?" The Chief asked, waiting for a moment to see if he got any response. "Casey and Shay, do either of you report?"

The silence he got back was deafening, Boden tightening his hold on the radio in his hands while looking back towards the officers behind him, both of them watching him closely as they all waited for any sort of response.

"Lieutenant Casey, do you copy?"

"...Chief?"

It was Shay's voice that came through first, Boden closing his eyes in relief before he quickly responded.

"Shay- Are you all okay? How's Dawson?" He rushed out, his mind racing as he was desperate for an update on his paramedic. Especially since he hadn't heard anything since first finding out she'd been shot. "Did Casey get to you?"

"Yeah, but she's-"

"Chief, we need to get out of here." Casey's strangled voice finally came through, Boden releasing a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding now that he knew his Lieutenant was safe. At least for the moment. "We don't have time."

"I know, I know… Everyone out here is trying to figure out how to get you all out of there without anyone else getting hurt." Boden tried, hearing what sounded like a muffled, yet somewhat pained breath come through the line. "Are you all still in that closet?"

"We are." Casey answered, the edge in his words not going unnoticed by the Chief.

But it wasn't from anger or rage. It was from fear.

"We're still trapped inside, Shay has us locked in but we… We need out." He said again, Boden feeling a numbness starting to settle in as he caught the eyes of the police Chief beside him. "We gotta get out of here, Chief." He nearly begged, Boden drawing in a deep breath before focusing in on the man next to him.

"How much longer until SWAT arrives?" Wallace questioned firmly.

"Not long, but until they get here we can't do much." The older man repeated himself once more. "We don't know where that man is, or if anyone else is with him… And we don't have the proper equipment to walk into a war zone." He put it bluntly, his words causing a bad taste to settle in the back of Boden's mouth as the place this man didn't want to go into was the exact place his people were. "We'd just be risking more lives, we have to wait."

"Well then get them here… Now." He ordered, before pressing down on his radio. "Casey?" He asked, hearing the Lieutenant breathing through the line. "We've got SWAT on the way, they're just a few minutes out. And once they get here, we're gonna get you guys out of there, I promise-"

"No, no. No- We don't have time." He pleaded, the desperation in his voice like a direct hit to his heart. "We need out of here. Now."

"Casey, listen to me. I-"

"Chief." He cut him off one last time, Boden able to hear that his Lieutenant was near tears. "...We don't have time."

Wallace felt bile rise in his throat when Matt repeated those words, his jaw tightening harshly as he slowly came to realize exactly what Casey was trying to tell him.

It wasn't that they didn't have time.

It was that Dawson didn't.

She was the reason they needed to get out.

"Casey, talk to me." He tried again, whipping his head back around to the building. "What's going on?"

"Gabby, she's… I think she's dying, Chief." He choked out through the static of the radio, Matt not even bothering to hide his tears any longer as the entirety of Firehouse 51 heard his words.

And they made Boden's heart drop into his stomach.

"She's lost too much blood and I don't know if she'll make it if we don't get out of here. We need to get her help. But the guy was just out in the hallway, we're trapped. We can't- Hey, baby. Baby, baby, open your eyes." He cut himself off abruptly, Boden blinking back the tears forming in his eyes as he listened to Casey plead to his wife through the radio. "Gabby, come on. Open your eyes for me, just open your eyes… Dammit Gabby, open your eyes." He cried out, while the Chief fought to remain stoic. Though it was a battle he was losing. "Come on, come on.. Yeah, there you are." He said, Boden feeling another wave of relief rush through him knowing that Dawson was still awake. "You're okay. Just keep your eyes open, I know- I know it hurts, but stay with me baby. I'm right here, I've got you.. I've got you."

He continued talking to her like she was the only one that could hear him, Boden then hearing what sounded like a weak sound of pain coming from Dawson, the sound making him nauseous as it was clear this was a dire situation.

"Casey…" Boden spoke up after a moment, hearing a few more soft cries before Matt answered him.

"Chief, we need a way out… We need it now." He begged once more before Boden heard some static, like Casey had dropped his radio. Likely in an effort to comfort Dawson in whatever state she was in.

Releasing another heavy breath, Boden returned his attention to the cops beside him, his eyes zeroing in on the man in charge before he spoke.

"What can we do here?" He asked roughly, his tone already telling the officer that Boden wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"Chief, I told you. Until SWAT arrives, we can't go in there-"

"That's not good enough!" He shouted, his emotions boiling over as he was consumed with concern for his PIC, and the man inside that would never recover from losing her. "That's not enough, there has to be more we can do."

"Chief-"

"One of my paramedics is bleeding out inside that building." He spat, being met by regretful looks from the policeman beside him. But they couldn't mean less to him right now. "She is dying, right now as we speak." He continued on, as the police Chief swallowed hard. "So you're going to figure out whatever it is we need to do, you're going to get whoever we need here, and we are going to go get her out of there." He instructed roughly, his voice leaving no room for argument as he spoke up once more.

"Us waiting around isn't good enough, so you either find a way to get SWAT here faster, or I'm gonna go in there and get her myself."

"...I don't hear anything."

Casey glanced up from his position above Gabby, watching as Shay had her ear pressed towards the door in an effort to figure out what was going on around them. She'd been sitting there for a few minutes or so, ever since they got off the radio with Boden.

"Those last shots we heard, they sounded farther away." She continued on while Matt looked back down towards his wife, the sight of her springing more tears to his eyes.

She was more pale than before, all her color practically gone as her head rested in his lap, while her eyes would flutter open every few seconds before closing once more. Those moments of recognition would only ever really happen whenever Matt squeezed her hand, but regardless he was glad to see it as he knew how hard she was fighting to stay awake right now. How her entire body was going into survival mode and desperately wanting to rest, but she wouldn't let it.

Even with her limbs lying heavy on the ground and not moving around much, she was still making herself stay alert. As much as she could, Gabby tried her best to not let her body shut down. Because she knew what could happen if it did, and that was the last thing she wanted.

So she was fighting. She was using all her strength to stay conscious, and Matt was so damn proud of her for that. Through all his fear and worry, he never stopped believing in how strong his girl was.

But he also knew she had a limit. He knew she wouldn't be able to stay up much longer. That she'd lost too much blood, and here shortly- maybe even seconds from now, her body would force her to give in.

And that's why he was so desperate to get out of here. Because with every passing minute they stayed in this closet, that was another minute closer to losing her.

"Ma… Matt." Gabby choked out, her head lulling towards his stomach while he kept his free hand on top of her head.

"I'm here, baby." He reminded her, a weak smile forming over his lips while a couple more tears escaped down his skin. "I'm right here."

"It… hurts." She told him again, Matt sure he could feel his heart snapping in two in his chest as a few more lone tears slid down his face.

"I know." He murmured while rubbing over the top of her head, Matt trying to ignore how that movement caused more of the blood on his hands to rub across her skin. "I'm sorry, I know it hurts." He got out, Gabby using most of the energy she had to give him a slight nod before she spoke up again.

"...Shay?" She asked, her voice still sounding far away as the blonde scooted over from the door.

"Yeah honey?" She questioned, Shay doing her best to hold back her own tears while Gabby looked up at her.

"My.. chest. It-" She stopped herself, Gabby coughing on some of the air in her lungs as Matt continued to rub gentle, soothing patterns along the top of her head. "It hurts to breathe." She managed to get out, those words causing Matt's eyebrows to furrow in concern before he looked up towards Shay. Only to find her not looking nearly as startled by what she'd said.

"I know, Dawson." She responded with a weak, watery smile. "But it's gonna be okay, just try and rest." She encouraged, Gabby nodding slowly before she turned more back towards Matt, seeking the warmth he provided as her body was feeling very cold.

"What's wrong?" Casey asked, keeping a protective hand on the top of Gabby's head, while feeling her weakly give his palm a squeeze. "Why can't she breathe?"

"Her body's overcompensating for the blood loss." Shay answered quickly, Matt's face blank while the paramedic focused her eyes on Gabby. "The bleeding's slowed down, but it hasn't stopped. And all that's doing is putting more pressure on the rest of her body... So her system is having to work harder than it ever has before to try and keep up, but it can't." She spoke truthfully, as that heavy feeling got deeper in the pit of his stomach. "It's why her pulse is so slow, and why her breathing is so shallow. We see it all the time with gunshot victims, right before they…"

The way she trailed off had his chest filling with nerves, Casey swallowing back the lump in his throat before meeting her eyes. "...Before they what?" He pressed, watching her draw in a slow, yet unsteady breath of her own before responding.

"Before they go into shock."

Her words were nearly suffocating, Matt's entire body tightening while he had to force himself to breathe, the man beginning to shake his head roughly as it only became more and more apparent how they needed to get out of here.

"And… Casey, I don't know how much time she still has." She said honestly, Matt's head starting to feel as if it were pounding while they all sat in this small room.

His thoughts were going a mile a minute, his eyes moving around rapidly while he wracked his brain for any possible solution to this. For any way to get Gabby out of here, and get her the help she needed without risking their lives in the process.

But there wasn't one. And he knew it.

There was no way to get out of here without taking that risk. He would just have to go, and hope for the best. Like he and Shay planned earlier, he'd have to make a break for it and try to get lucky.

Except now, this was even more dangerous. Because they knew the shooter was close by. How close, there was no way to tell. But he was close enough to where it would be a serious risk to anyone who stepped foot out that door.

But he had to try. With Gabby's life on the line, he had to. There was no other choice, as he refused to let her die inside this closet. He had to get her out of here, and he had to do it now. No matter the danger he faced out there. And if something happened to him in the process, so be it. Because if he knew anything, it was that he'd rather die trying to save her than be left on this earth without her.

"Matt…" Shay spoke once more when she saw his furrowed brows focused down at Gabby, the man then snapping out of his thoughts before he looked up at her.

There were tears still streaking down her skin, the heavy look in her eyes telling him she knew they were out of time, too. That Gabby was dying right in front of him, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"I don't know if we-"

"I'm going." He spoke suddenly, his words causing her to stop before a deep look of confusion filled her features. One that stayed as she watched him slowly move Gabby's head off his lap before getting onto his shins once more.

"What?"

"Matt." Gabby spoke weakly, interrupting their conversation, her voice barely audible as the movement jolted her awake.

"It's okay, baby.. I'm here." He said again, while her head turned towards him.

"I… I don't-" Her mouth was dry which made it harder to get the words out, both Shay and Casey able to tell she was barely holding on. "I don't want to die in here, Matt." She coughed roughly, Matt's breath catching in his throat the second he heard her, his head then shaking side to side vigorously as the severity of this continued to crush him.

This was impossible. This entire situation was one of the worst things that had ever happened to him. But to know Gabby knew that, too- to see she was aware of what was going on, and that she knew she was in danger… That completely broke him. In a way not much ever had as he forced himself to swallow down a sob stuck in his chest.

"You're not, you're not dying, baby. It's okay, you're okay." He repeated over and over while tears poured down his cheeks, like he was trying to make himself believe it too.

But he couldn't think that way, deep down he knew he couldn't. Not right now, because he had to be strong for her. He had to be the one to hold them both up. And that meant getting her out of this building as quickly as he could.

"I've got you, I've always got you. You're gonna be fine." He continued to assure her, seeing her give him nothing but a weak nod before he looked back towards Shay. "I'm taking Gabby and getting her out. The Chief can't help us, so I'm going." He said again, while Shay's terrified eyes flashed back over towards the door.

"Casey… Are you sure that's the best idea?" She questioned him, earning nothing but a hard stare from him before he looked back down to Gabby.

"It's not, but I have no other choice." Matt replied before lifting his wife up into his arms as carefully as he could. But Gabby hardly even registered his movements as she was losing more and more of her consciousness by the second, her lack of response terrifying to him. "Stay with me, baby. Just stay with me." He kept saying while he adjusted her in his arms, Matt able to feel her breathing against his neck even though she gave no verbal response. "I need you with you."

"Matt-"

"You stay here until it's safe." He interrupted, bracing her weight in his arms before he slowly got up to his feet, Shay following the movement as they both were now standing in the cramped closet. "I'll make sure they know where you are, and they'll come get you."

"Casey…" She tried once more, but he quickly began to shake his head. Like he didn't even want to hear what she had to say.

"You can't talk me out of this, Shay."

"I'm not trying to." She responded, seeing his tense demeanor crack slightly before she continued. "I just need to know that you're sure… Because you know this is dangerous. You could die out there." She reminded him, Casey grimacing while he balanced all of his wife's dead weight in his hold. "If he sees you, he'll…"

"And if we stay in here, she'll die." He cut in, Shay's eyes falling closed while her bloody hands came up to cover her head. "You and I both know it, Gabby's going to die if we don't get help… And I'm not gonna let that happen." He spoke firmly, Shay forcing herself to take a breath before she slowly nodded.

"...Okay." She gave in before turning towards the door, knowing they were on borrowed time as it was. "Just please be careful."

"I will." He answered her, the two sharing one last understanding nod before she opened the door and Casey took a cautious step out into the hallway, Shay silently praying that this wouldn't be the last time she saw two of her best friends alive.

Out in the hallway, Matt moved his head back and forth in an attempt to gain an understanding of his surroundings, the man then letting out a soft, yet shaky breath once seeing that he was alone out here. And with the closet door quietly shutting behind him, he could only hope it would stay that way, Matt forcing himself to focus before he slowly started making his way to the exit.

He was moving slowly, but purposefully, his body on high alert as he continuously looked around the entire time while navigating through the completely silent hallway. The same hallway that was splattered with various amounts of blood; some of which he knew to be Gabby's. And though the thought made his stomach tighten he pushed on, Matt shaking his head a bit before carefully rounding the corner.

It was then the exit was in his sights, Matt seeing those double doors just down at the end of the hall. Close enough to where he was about to just sprint and get them both out of here, Casey glancing down to his now unconscious wife as she laid in his arms before securing her in his grip.

"I've got you, Gabby." He promised, though he wasn't even sure if she could hear him. "We're getting you out of here."

He began to pick up his pace, Matt nearly running at this rate as he hurried down the hallway that only seemed to be getting longer and longer. But eventually, he had almost made it, Matt just yards away from his straight shot out of here.

But before he could get there he was stopped abruptly in his path when an unknown man came walking around the last corner, the large gun strapped to his body enough to tell Casey exactly who this was as the gunman was now just feet in front of him, blocking his only chance at escape.

Matt could tell he was surprised in the moment, that this maniac of a man hadn't been expecting anyone to be standing there when he turned the corner. But now that they were standing in front of each other, the gunman couldn't help but smile, Matt swallowing harshly while straightening out his back, being mindful of the woman in his arms.

Neither of them said anything at first, the unnamed man glancing back and forth between him and Gabby, before he turned back to look at the exit for just a moment. He wasn't pointing his gun at them, at least not yet, the man seeming to be amused more than anything else at this moment before he faced Casey once more, only to be met by a narrow gaze pointed in his direction. One Matt had no intentions of breaking anytime soon.

Casey wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline, or if his strong need to just get Gabby out of here had anything to do with it, but whatever the reason- right now, he didn't fear this man.

He had every reason to, but he didn't. And he wasn't going to start now.

"...Did she get hit?" The guy questioned after a while, his voice deeper than Matt was expecting. Though he nodded regardless, despite being thrown by the question. "Is she alive?"

"She is." Casey answered, catching a glimpse of what he could only label as surprise coming from the man across from him. Whether it was from the answer itself, or the fact that Matt had answered him so quickly, he couldn't be sure. But he wasn't interested in finding out. "But she needs help."

The unnamed gunman then chuckled, his reaction earning a deeper glare from Casey before the firefighter took a sturdy step forward, the action prompting this man to grip his gun a little tighter. Though still, he kept it down by his side.

"Where do you think you're going?" He questioned roughly, while Matt took another step.

"To get her help." Casey replied as calmly as he could. "She's hurt. She needs to get to a hospital, so I'm gonna take her out there and go." He added, seeing a bit of anger flare up over the man's face. But he said nothing. "I don't want any trouble here, I don't know why you did this… And I don't need to know. I'm not a cop, I'm not trying to arrest you or catch you. Hell, I don't even care about you. I just want to get her out of here." He spoke steadily, seeing something in the gunman's demeanor change as he took another step towards Casey. "So please… Let me help her."

The man laughed once more. But this time it held no amusement, the dry sound like nails on a chalkboard as he looked back down at Gabby, his eyes focused on her a little too long for Casey's liking.

"You must really like her if she's got you talking like that to a man with an assault rifle." He spoke lightly, Matt keeping his gaze on him. "What, is she your whore or something?" He questioned, those words causing Casey's jaw to tighten in anger. "I take it you're sleeping with her, is that why you care about getting her out of here?" He pushed on, but Matt never answered. Instead, he stayed silent.

But soon enough that proved to be the wrong thing to do, as after a few seconds the man picked up his rifle and aimed it directly at them.

Matt took a defensive step back, wishing there was more he could do to shield Gabby at this moment. But there wasn't, not when she was unconscious in his arms.

"Answer me." He demanded, Casey clenching his neck before ultimately responding.

"She's my wife."

The man smiled, another deep chuckle leaving his lips before he nodded. "Ah, should've guessed." He spoke lowly before his gaze moved back towards Gabby, the way he was looking at her making Matt's stomach turn. "Well, let me just save you the trouble and tell you now that she's not worth all this." He started, as an angry heat began coursing its way through Casey's body. "Women do nothing but lie, and cheat. And make your life hell… Just ask my wife… You'd be doing yourself a favor to just leave her here. Let her bleed out like the bitch she is."

It took everything in Casey not to go after the man only steps away him by the time he was finished, but he kept it together, Matt instead just standing painfully still as he could tell how angry this man was. If his actions today hadn't proven that already.

"You got anything to say, tough guy?" He continued to push, Casey forcing another breath before answering him.

"...I'm not gonna do that." Matt responded as carefully as he could, while holding onto Gabby's weak form a little tighter. "I'm not leaving her here, I'm gonna go and get her help… And you're gonna let me." He said firmly, earning nothing but a scoff from the gunman.

"Oh yeah? And why's that?" He questioned, while Casey's harsh glare focused in on him once more.

"Because we're not the people you're mad at." Matt told him, seeing his face falter ever so slightly. "And I'm not going to let my wife die because you're pissed off at yours, and you thought coming in here with a gun was a way to fix that."

The man's face went red, anger seeping through him as he tightened his hold on his gun before aiming it directly at Casey, clearly not liking what he had just said.

But before he had the chance to do anything the doors behind him slammed open, Matt looking past him to see what had to have been at least a dozen armed men storm inside, their guns up and pointed directly at the man who had caused so much hurt and pain today.

"Put the gun down!" They screamed, followed by similar orders as they all surrounded him.

"Drop the weapon!"

"Put the gun down right now!"

They continued on with their orders, but this man never moved. Not once did he flinch, or react. Instead he just stood there, staring at Matt and Gabby with a near wicked smile on his face, before he pulled the trigger one last time.

No one noticed the shot at first, as it was simultaneous with the ones from the officers behind him, his gun going off just as they'd taken their many shots at him in a desperate attempt to subdue this man before he crumbled to the ground almost instantly, the officers now working as quickly as they could to get this situation under control.

Though they weren't quick enough. Because had they been just a second earlier, they would've managed to disarm him before causing anymore harm to anyone else. But they hadn't, because of that last bullet he was able to get off.

The same bullet that Casey felt as soon as it hit him, before he and his unconscious wife collapsed down to the floor.