Hello there everyone! And happy Thursday.

I'm here with the next chapter for you all, and I really like how this one turned out. We're gonna see a little more into how Gabby and Matt are doing, how things are going for them as they begin this next step in their lives, and I hope you all enjoy it!

I don't have much else to say, just thank you so much for reading and I'll see you all next time!

***UPDATE 12/15/22: Hey guys, just wanted to let you know there won't be an update today. I've been working nonstop for like the past week, and then I've been sick over the past few days and haven't any time to work on this story. I should be back next week, barring any issues, but I wanted to let you all know there won't be an update this week. I'm just sorry for the late notice, but I hope you all have a nice weekend and I'll see you guys next week!

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THREE

Dawson pulled her shirt over her head while she stood in the locker room, the quiet around her somewhat surprising as shift change was bound to happen any moment. But she wasn't complaining in the slightest, the paramedic grateful for the moment to herself while she continued getting ready for work. It was a rather easy process for her after all these years, Gabby making sure her shirt was securely tucked into her pants before getting the rest of her belongings into her locker and closing it up.

While she got the lock into place, Gabby glanced up when she heard a few other firefighters begin to filter into the room. She didn't know them personally, but she recognized them enough to know they worked on first shift and were likely getting ready to leave for the day, Dawson offering them a soft, pleasant smile before she headed in the direction of the bathroom, knowing she could finish getting herself ready in there.

When she stepped around the corner, thankfully the room was as empty as the locker room had just been, Gabby stopping in front of the middle mirror before beginning to check over her appearance now that she was in her shift clothes. Taking a moment to finish tucking in her shirt, Dawson then smoothed out her clothes, making sure everything was up to code while her eyes trailed over her own form. She was a little tired, it was evident in her eyes, but she was prepared for the day nonetheless as she was almost ready to head out and get herself something to eat before their morning briefing.

Though before she did, Gabby moved her hands up from where she'd been adjusting her belt and carefully pulled the necklace out from underneath her shirt, letting the small pendants fall delicately against her neck as that content smile started to return to her features. The same one that appeared every time she looked at the gift her husband had gotten her, the G and M shining back through the mirror as she couldn't help but reach up and grab ahold of it.

There were a lot of emotions associated with this necklace, truthfully there always had been ever since Matt first told her what it was for. But now that they were trying to have a baby and actively wanting to expand their family, this piece of jewelry held so much more weight to her. More than she ever thought possible, the thought of adding another pendant next to her and Matt's initials sending an intense rush of warmth through her system as it was all she had ever wanted.

Her only hope was that that day would come sooner rather than later.

Gabby was so caught up in her thoughts, with her hand still gingerly holding onto her necklace that she didn't even notice the door open behind her, or her husband slowly step into the room. It was like she had tunnel vision, her complete focus on the idea of her and Matt having a baby that she had lost that sense of her surroundings. And with one look, Casey could tell she hadn't noticed him. But what he did see was the way she was grasping that necklace, the man smiling softly while he moved up behind her, as he had a pretty good idea of what was going on in her head.

"Hey baby." He greeted first in an effort not to startle her, Gabby's eyes suddenly moving to him through the mirror as she was pulled from her haze, Matt then reaching his hands out to rest over her waist once he knew she'd seen him.

"Hi." She replied just as softly, rubbing her thumb over the 'M' pendant before letting the jewelry fall down against her neck, Matt keeping his light grip on her hips as she spun around to face him. Her movement was slow, but he kept her steady the entire time until she was lightly pinned between him and the counter. Though she didn't mind it.

Before either of them said another word, Matt slowly leaned in for a kiss, feeling her smile against him before she started to return the gesture, the couple moving together easily until pulling back seconds later.

"I see you made it here okay." He commented while running his hand up and down her side, Gabby tilting her head to the side before shooting him a knowing look.

"I did… Although I've gotta say, I like it better when we come to work together." She told him, her nose scrunching up while she spoke as he continued moving his hand over her, before nodding in agreement.

Coming into the firehouse separately wasn't something they did often, if ever, if they could help it. But today had been one of those rare days where Matt was needed here early, something about a meeting with Boden and a few people at headquarters, and they wanted 51's Captain there. Which he was more than happy to do, but because of that the husband and wife hadn't been able to go through their usual morning routine together before heading to work.

Instead of easing into their morning, maybe stopping to get breakfast and spending some quality time together before shift, Gabby had only been awake long enough to get a quick kiss from him before he was out the door.

"I know, I do too." He agreed with an easy smile, one Gabby matched as he leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek.

"How'd your meeting go? How was Boden?" She asked while his lips were still on her skin, Casey kissing her once more before he pulled away.

But he never went too far. "He's good, the meeting went well." He told her, earning a challenging, yet playful look from his wife.

"Learn any top-secret Captain stuff while you were in there?" She teased him.

"Oh, you know I did." Matt responded without missing a beat, pulling a smirk from her as he took a step closer, leaving almost no room between them. "But, yanno, I can't really talk about it." He joked back before she rolled her eyes.

"Uh huh." Was all she gave him, Casey's smile widening as he stroked his thumb along her side.

"What about you, was your morning alright?" He asked her, Gabby giving him another glance at his shift in subject before she nodded.

"It was, it was pretty good." She told him while his finger moved back and forth over one of the belt loops on her pants. "I had some of that coffee you left for me. Which, thank you for that, by the way." She spoke, prompting him to grin before he nodded. "And I got a little breakfast, before taking a very long, and lonely shower."

She had started to draw her words out a bit, Matt stifling a groan at the mental image that soon filled his mind. "It's a shame I missed that." He finally got out, Gabby running her teeth over her bottom lip. "I would've loved to have joined you."

A soft scoff left the back of her throat, but her smile never faltered as she leaned into his touch a bit more. "Yeah, I'm sure you would've… Considering what usually ends up happening during those showers." She told him, Matt grinning shamelessly.

"Exactly why our showers are my favorite." He murmured, Gabby biting back her growing smile before she lifted her hand up to tap his chest.

"Easy, tiger." She playfully warned him, but he only laughed. "You probably would've made us both late had we taken a shower together this morning."

"Probably, but it would've been worth it." He responded with a shrug, the ease of his movements telling her he completely believed his own words. "I'd be late every day if it meant getting time with you."

"Is that so?" She asked, unable to hide the effect his statement had on her as he gave her a quick nod.

"It is." Matt replied, kissing her again before she could say anything. And she couldn't help but smile into it, as Gabby would always love seeing him be so unapologetic about his love for her, the two lingering together for a few more seconds.

"You know, it really helps my ego when you say things like that." She said as they separated, Matt letting out a loud laugh while Gabby smiled shyly. "Even after all this time, you still can't get enough of me."

He smirked at her teasing words, Matt shaking his head while giving her side a light squeeze. "Please, have you seen yourself?" He said back, seeing her duck her head every so slightly while he praised her. "I could never get enough of you."

"Yeah, you've done pretty well showing me that these last couple days." She continued on, Matt grinning once more while his hand moved around to her back, effectively pulling her closer to where their torsos were pressed together.

"And I will for the rest of our lives." He replied without hesitation, their gazes locking on one another before he gave her a reassuring nod. "Because believe me, there is no possible way I could ever get enough of you, or of us… Of my beautiful, smart, driven, incredibly sexy wife. How could I ever get enough of that?" He spoke strongly, bringing a grin to her face before she could stop it. "When you're also the same amazing woman who will one day be the mother of my children."

In this moment he could see just how happy his words made her, even if it was just for a moment, Matt feeling the need to hold onto her a little tighter as he saw her start to go deep into whatever thoughts were running around her mind.

"Yeah…" She breathed out, her eyes falling down between them. "One day."

Her voice was a little hard to hear, Matt smiling sadly before he brought one of his hands up to slowly lift her chin, until she was looking at him once more. "One day soon." He clarified, Gabby searching his eyes for a few long seconds before he leaned in to kiss her again.

He wasn't entirely sure what all was going on in her head right now, but what he did know was that in just these past few days since they decided to start trying to have a baby, this entire thing had been a rollercoaster of sorts for her. There was a lot to this for Gabby, and no matter what she was thinking or feeling, he was determined to be there for her.

"You okay?" He checked once there was a bit of distance between them, Gabby's bottom lip tucking between her teeth for a few seconds until his thumb reached out to loosen it.

"I'm okay." She assured him, Matt smiling softly.

"And you're still not wanting to tell anyone, right?" Casey pressed on, seeing her take in a deep breath before her mouth pursed together. "About us trying for a baby…" He trailed off, his voice quieting considerably as Gabby thought over his words before slowly shaking her head.

In the whirlwind of deciding to try and expand their family, one of the things they'd talked about was what they were going to tell people, if they were going to tell people. And they'd come to the decision that, for right now, they weren't going to say anything.

Gabby, and Matt both, wanted their families to know. In Gabby's case, she especially wanted her mom to know, as her parents were some of the few people who knew what had happened to her. And she felt like their support could only help her through all this. Then, regardless of how much teasing she knew they'd endure, she really wanted Shay to know as well. Just like Matt wanted Kelly to know, because these were their best friends and they didn't want to keep them in the dark about something like this.

But with that, neither Gabby, nor Matt, felt comfortable telling anyone before they knew what they were dealing with.

They didn't want to tell people before Gabby had gone to the doctor.

After Matt suggested it, Gabby had been using that as a starting point of sorts, where they weren't really seriously doing anything until she got checked out and knew for sure what was going on in her body. Until she got looked at, Gabby felt like this was the right decision for her. And given how traumatic all of it had been on his wife, Matt was more than willing to go along with whatever she needed.

So, for now, they were keeping this to themselves. Not that they'd be broadcasting it widely anyway, as it was no one's business, but for their closest friends and family they were wanting to wait until they knew for sure they weren't facing any obstacles in trying to have a baby. At least not any medical ones.

"I don't want to tell them." She verbalized, keeping her words just as soft as she was very conscious of where her and Matt were, and how the bathroom at the firehouse wasn't exactly a place for any type of private conversation. "Not yet, like we talked about."

"Alright." He said without any type of pause, Gabby smiling softly while her hand rested over his chest. "I just wanted to check." He communicated, earning another nod from his wife before she leaned in to kiss him.

But this one was much more fleeting, as only seconds after they connected they were pulled apart by the sound of the bathroom door opening, Gabby glancing back just as Shay stepped into the small room, a playful look of disgust already forming over her face.

"Lord, it's barely eight in the morning. Can you two get a room?" She asked them, taking a step further while Matt and Gabby continued to separate. But Casey would only go so far, the man moving his body to stand beside her with his arm wrapped around her shoulders, the stance allowing her to lean her weight into his side. "One that's not so public."

"Sorry Shay, I can take her to my office if you'd like." Matt spoke lightheartedly, not missing a beat as Gabby couldn't help but smirk at his words, despite reaching out to lightly smack his stomach.

"Oh, I'm sure she'd love that." Shay added on, Casey letting out a deep chuckle as Gabby's eyes narrowed in the direction of her friend.

"Wait, now how did that get turned around on me?"

"Cause it's so easy to mess with you." Shay deadpanned as she walked closer to them, Dawson unable to stop herself from rolling her eyes while the blonde paramedic was about to pass them. But before she could she paused, her gaze moving back and forth between the couple before landing on Gabby, her eyes then narrowing on her friend.

Dawson simply watched her, her own eyebrows raising underneath her partner's stares. "...What?" Gabby eventually asked, Shay glancing between them once more before her arms crossed over her chest.

"You look different." She commented, Matt pressing his lips together while Gabby's back straightened a bit, both of them trying to hide their reaction to her vague words. Though they were sure they weren't doing the best job.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, there's just something going on there. You seem… happy, or something." Shay kept on, Gabby letting her head fall to the side with a slightly amused look spreading over her face.

"Is it weird that I'm happy?" She challenged back, Matt smirking while she spoke.

"No, not since lover boy here." Shay replied back quickly, the proud look on Casey's face deepening as regardless of the conversation, he couldn't help but find it entertaining. "But something about you is different, I just can't put my finger on it."

Gabby instinctively looked up towards Matt, seeing him attempting to hide the knowing gleam shining in his eyes. One that she was sure Shay picked up on as well, which couldn't have helped their case. But still, Gabby couldn't back down now, as she meant what she said about waiting to tell people exactly what was going on in her and Matt's life.

She just hadn't expected Shay to pick up on it so quickly. Even if she didn't know exactly what was going on.

"Nothing's different, Shay." Dawson settled on, the woman glancing between them one last time before she let out a soft scoff.

"Uh huh… sure." She replied, clearly not believing her but not pushing it as she continued through the room, heading off in her original path towards the locker room. "Whatever you say, babe… Just next time, maybe go to the Captain's office instead of groping each other in the bathroom." She called over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner, Matt releasing a quiet laugh while Gabby shook her head.

"God, I'll never understand how she does that." Gabby breathed out quietly, prompting Casey to keep laughing while he gave her shoulder a soft squeeze.

"Well, she's always been perceptive when it comes to us… But this just proves that you know it'll be impossible to keep this from her, right?" He spoke lightheartedly, Gabby merely waving him off.

"We'll be fine." She said with a shrug, Matt biting his tongue before he simply nodded, not wanting to press the topic any further. As while they were teasing one another about it right now, the root of why Gabby was wanting to wait hadn't changed. And he'd never want to push her on that. "And besides, you better enjoy this while it lasts because the second she knows, the jokes will never stop." She reminded him, Matt wincing a bit before letting out a soft breath.

"Okay, you have a point there." He replied, Gabby smirking knowingly just as the bells went off above their heads, calling truck and squad out to an accident.

Checking the time, Matt knew it was now on him to respond as he placed a kiss to the side of Gabby's head before pulling away from her hold.

"You better get to work, Captain." She told him, Matt smiling a bit as he stopped himself, before leaning in to give her one last intense, passion-filled kiss. One that was much more than she'd been expecting as he'd left her a bit dazed by the time he pulled away, the proud gleam in on growing as with one last wink he left her in the room, missing the small smile that started to cover her features as she brought her fingers to rest over her tingling lips, knowing she wouldn't be forgetting this feeling for a while.

"God, I thought we'd never see the house again." Shay complained as she pulled the rig into the driveway, Gabby shooting her an unimpressed look while the paramedic parked them in the garage. "It feels like we've been gone for hours."

"It was one call, Shay." Gabby replied, seeing her partner huff out a breath before killing the engine.

"Well, it felt like forever." She replied, Dawson rolling her eyes a bit before shaking her head. "But at least we're back, and I can finally go and eat the rest of my breakfast."

"Ah, so that's what this is about." Gabby commented, just as she felt her phone start to ring in her pocket.

"Of course it is." Shay replied smoothly, Gabby laughing softly at her friend while she pulled her phone out and looked to see who was calling her, the tone in the air immediately shifting when she saw the Caller ID flashing back at her. Because this wasn't just any call, it was one she'd been waiting on since yesterday afternoon.

This was the call from the doctor's office.

She just never expected they'd get back to her so soon.

"Everything okay?" Shay asked, some of the levity gone from her voice as she noticed the look on Gabby's face.

But her friend soon recovered, Dawson offering her a soft smile before she nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine. I'm just gonna take this real quick." She replied as she opened the door and slid down from the rig, Shay unable to ignore the weird feeling in her gut at how secretive Gabby seemed to be right now. But she didn't have a chance to question it as Dawson shut the door just as she answered the call.

"Hello?" Gabby spoke into the device up next to her ear, while moving her body away from 61 over towards Truck 81, hoping to give herself a little bit of privacy.

"Hello, is this Gabriela Casey?" A woman on the other line spoke, while Gabby leaned her body weight against Matt's rig.

"This is her."

"Hi Gabriela, this is Sharon at Dr. Jeffries office, we got your message about wanting to book an appointment with him?"

"Yes, I'd like to… As soon as possible, if you all have any openings." She replied softly, hearing the woman on the other end hum in response while typing away on her computer.

"Of course, dear. This would be your first appointment with us, correct?"

"Yes ma'am." Gabby replied, hearing her type some more before she responded.

"And may I ask what the nature of your visit would be?" She questioned, as Gabby took in a grounding breath. "Are you just needing a check up, or wanting to move to a new doctor?"

"Well, it's a few things, actually." Dawson started, glancing back towards the ambo to make sure her partner was nowhere in sight before she continued. "I was wanting to find a new doctor, just for myself in general… But I was also wanting this appointment because my husband and I, we're wanting to start trying to have a baby." She told her, the words feeling almost foreign as they left her mouth.

It was one thing to say them to Matt, but saying them outloud for the first time, to someone who wasn't her husband was such a surreal feeling. But it was a great one nonetheless.

"First of all, congratulations sweetheart. That's wonderful news." Sharon started, the warm tone in her voice telling Gabby she was completely genuine in what she was saying.

"Thank you, it is. We're excited." She responded, before sighing softly. "But the reason for the visit is I've had some… complications, in the past. During a pregnancy. So I was wanting to get in with Dr. Jeffries, just to make sure I'm okay before my husband and I get too far into this." She explained, hearing nothing but more typing on the other end of the line before Sharon spoke up once more.

"I completely understand that, Gabriela. And we can get you all taken care of here, I'll get you on the schedule as soon as I can, let's see here… How does next Friday work? At 11?" She asked after a few moments.

"That'll be fine." Gabby answered before she could really even think through the question.

Truthfully, she wasn't sure if that day worked or not. Of the top of her head, she didn't know if her and Matt needed to be on shift, or if they had plans, but at this moment she didn't care. She just wanted to get in and see this doctor, for her own peace of mind she needed that, and she didn't want to wait any longer than she already had to.

"Alright Mrs. Casey, I've got you on the schedule. And will someone be accompanying you?" Sharon asked her.

"Yes, my husband. Matt.. He'll be there." Gabby replied, just as she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Glancing over, she saw Shay moving towards her from the rig, liekly now hearing what was being said.

"That's good, that's good… Now, there isn't much for you to do before your appointment, but if you could get your past medical history sent over to us within the next few days." She began to explain, Gabby doing her best to focus on her words while Shay continued to watch her. "And then if you're on prescriptions, just bring them with you when you come."

"I can do that." Gabby replied vaguely.

"Alright, well then I think that's all I need from you right now. Just on Friday, I'd say maybe get here at 10:30 or so, so you have a chance to fill out some paperwork before your appointment."

"That sounds good, I'll be there."

"Okay dear, we'll see you and your husband then."

After a few more pleasantries Gabby hung up the phone, sliding it back into her pocket as Shay took that as a sign that it was okay to come closer. She'd tried to keep her distance, but she was clearly intrigued by whatever was going on with her friend, something Gabby wasn't entirely surprised by.

"What was all that about?" Shay asked lightly, like she was giving Gabby an out if she wanted.

But Dawson merely smiled at her, as even though she didn't want to get into too much detail about what she was doing, she also didn't feel the need to lie to her best friend. "Oh, it's nothing… I just have a checkup next week is all." She told her, Shay glancing down towards where she had just put her phone before she nodded. "Nothing too crazy."

"Ahh… and Matt's going with you?" She continued, proving Gabby's suspicions that she had heard at least part of her conversation.

"He is, yeah." She said with a shrug, feeling Shay continue to look her over. "You know how he is." She added on lightheartedly, the blonde giving her a soft smile before she nodded.

"You mean overprotective?" She played along, despite the bit of lingering uncertainty they could both feel between them.

"Definitely." Gabby said with a laugh, the two friends sharing a smile before Dawson started to step away. "I'm, uh… I'm gonna go see Casey for a sec. I'll catch up with you later." She told her, not giving Shay the time to do much more than nod before Gabby was heading for the double doors, leaving her somewhat confused partner alone in the garage.

But that wasn't something for her to focus on right now, Gabby more concerned with finding her husband and telling her about the phone call she'd just had.

Luckily, it didn't take her long as he was exactly where she expected him to be, tucked away in his office working on what she could only assume to be paperwork, his door shut tightly against the frame while she moved through the bunkroom. The closer she got to him the more focused she could tell he was, Gabby taking in a breath before she brought her hand up to knock on the door while simultaneously pulling it open, Matt glancing back at the noise as a wide smile formed over his face once he realized who was there.

"Hey baby." He greeted, waving her in after dropping the pen in his hand down onto his desk, Matt then turning his chair around to give her his complete attention while she stepped into his office, pulling the door closed behind her. "How was your call?"

"It was fine, nothing too crazy." She replied while walking towards him, reaching her hand out to rub over his shoulder as soon as he was within reach. "How were things here?"

"Same old same old." He said with a shrug, Gabby glancing down towards all the work spread out across his desk before she nodded. "So what brings you by? Just missing me?" He asked her lightly, Gabby letting out a soft laugh before she moved a step closer to him, now all but standing in between his legs while he was leaned back comfortably in his chair.

Understanding what she was wanting, he sat up a little straighter before widening the gap between his legs, giving her room to sit herself down in his lap while his arm came out to wrap around her waist, keeping her secure against him while she gave him a small smile. "Oh, of course I was." She played along, Matt smirking in response before pressing a quick, chaste kiss to her jaw. "But actually, I was coming by because I, uh… I just heard from the doctor's office."

Those words caused him to pull back, Matt watching her with raised brows before she nodded. "The new doctor you were talking about?" He questioned, prompting her to nod.

"Mhmm… His office got back to me a little bit ago."

"That's great, babe." He spoke softly, as he knew how important this was to his wife. And it was to him, too.

When they'd decided to start this process by going to get Gabby checked out, it didn't take long for her to realize that she'd rather find a new doctor than go back to her old one. At first it wasn't even something she'd really considered, but after he suggested it she thought it might be the best course of action for her. Just to get a fresh start of sorts, as there were so many memories- unpleasant, and quite frankly terrible ones, that she associated with her old doctor. Not to say any of it was their fault, but there was just a lot of baggage there. Things she didn't necessarily want to bring into her life now, so after thinking it over she opted to search for someone else.

And now, seeing how quickly they'd gotten back to her Matt was glad she had, as he could only hope this change would be good for her. For both of them.

"What did they say?" He pressed on, while rubbing his hand up and down along her side.

"Well, first off, the lady I spoke to was really nice." She started, Matt giving her a gentle smile before he nodded. "She was so sweet, and really helpful… If everyone at this place is like that, I know I'm gonna like it there. But she got me an appointment scheduled for next week, on Friday." She told him, Matt mulling over her words before he nodded. "I'm not even sure if we work or anything, she just offered it and I said yes. Cause I…" She trailed off, earning a knowing look from her husband as he tightened his hold on her.

"I know." He replied to the words she couldn't verbalize. "I know you want to get over there as soon as possible, so that's fine. Friday is fine. It's great that they could get you in so soon." He told her, feeling her body relax in his grasp before she nodded. "And I'm not sure if we're busy, I think we may be working that day but we'll figure it out. Move around what we need to."

"Are you sure?" She checked, as the last thing she wanted was to cause any issues here. For either of them.

"I am, this is important." He replied simply, not missing the small, yet appreciative smile that graced her lips. "I can talk to Boden, let him know we'll need to step out for a bit during shift that day."

"Thank you." She murmured, but he only shook his head while moving his hand along her back.

"Nothing to thank me for." He told her, Gabby taking another breath before she cuddled down into him, letting her head rest against his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around her.

"Yes… there is." She said quietly, moving her hand along his chest as Matt breathed in deeply, opting not to push her words as he merely pressed a kiss to her forehead before relaxing back into his seat, all while keeping a tight hold on his entire world that just so happened to be sitting in his lap. "...I love you." She told him, keeping her eyes closed as Matt smiled softly at her words, before kissing the top of her head once more, letting his lips linger there while he replied.

"I love you, too."

Boden glanced up from his desk when he heard a soft tapping against his open door, the man then seeing his Captain standing there with an easy look on his face while he waited for permission to enter.

"Casey, hey.. Come on in." He welcomed, Matt nodding back at him as he stepped inside. "What can I do for you?" Boden asked, Casey pausing for a moment before he pulled the door closed behind him, that alone prompting the Chief to sit up a little straighter in his chair as he recognized that whatever his Captain was here for, he wanted it to be a private conversation. "...Everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, Chief. There's just something I want to talk to you about, or ask you, I guess." Matt explained further, though his words weren't very clear.

"Alright, what is it?" Boden pushed on while Casey made his way over to the desk, stopping a few feet short of it before drawing in a steadying breath.

"I was wondering, would it be possible for me and Gabby to step out of shift for a bit next week? On Friday?" He requested, Boden giving little in the form of a reaction while he looked over his firefighter.

"For how long?"

"I'm not sure, really." He answered him honestly. "We'd need to leave by ten, at the latest. And I don't know how long we'd be gone for." Matt told him, though by the look on Boden's face, it was clear his Chief was wanting more information than that. And Casey couldn't blame him, the Captain clearing his throat before he took a slight step forward. "Gabby, uh- she has a doctor's appointment that day, that we need to be at." He elaborated, not missing the way Boden's body tensed up. Just for a second, but it was there, and he could only imagine what all was going through his head.

"Is Dawson alright?" Their Chief was quick to ask.

"She is, she's fine." Matt assured him seconds later, though he could still see Boden's hesitance. And, given the vagueness of this conversation Casey understood it. "She's completely fine, there's nothing wrong. It's just a check up, but it's important and I need to be there." Matt finished, before a soft quiet fell over them.

Boden had questions, Matt could tell as much. But he knew better than to press for answers. At least right now, he was leaving it alone, the man glancing down towards the papers on his desk before he nodded. "Alright, that's fine Casey… I'll make sure it's covered."

"Thank you Chief, we really appreciate it." He said, Boden nodding slightly before Matt started heading for the door. But before he got there, the Chief's voice stopped him.

"And Casey?" He said, causing the Captain to turn around just as his hand reached out for the handle. "...I hope everything goes well."

Matt's face softened at his words, the firefighter nodding back at him before slowly pulling the door open.

"Yeah… So do I."