A/N: There's a bit of a time jump from last chapter. I promise happy times are coming for Kelly and Gabby, but they need to work through some things first. Their relationship started suddenly and under unusual circumstances, and losing the baby turned it all on its head. It's going to take some time for them to figure this thing out.

"First day back," Kelly said, smiling, as he walked up the apron to 51, holding Gabby's hand. "Are you ready for this?"

"I've been counting the days until I returned," Casey replied as he walked next to the couple, his arm wrapped around Brett. It had been nearly six months since the accident, and Casey had moved back to Chicago with the Darden boys a little over a month ago. He had postponed his start date, wanting to ensure that the boys were settled before he went back to work.

"I'm glad you're back," Gabby told him. "I won't have to listen to Brett talk my ear off any more about you coming back," she joked.

"Hey!" Brett protested, but she was smiling. She would be the first to admit that she'd been talking non-stop about Casey's return ever since he told her he'd be moving back to Chicago.

"Welcome back, Casey!" Herrmann greeted the captain as the two couples walked into the locker room. "It'll be nice having you around again."

"Thanks, Herrmann," Casey replied. "I hope you're ready to give up your office," he teased.

Herrmann laughed. "Actually, I moved my stuff out last shift," he informed Casey. "We turned the laundry room into an office and moved the washer and dryer to the bathroom."

The shift was a busy one, with lots of calls keeping all of them from having much downtime.

"I'm exhausted," Brett said as the two couples walked out of the firehouse together. "I'm going to go home and sleep the day away."

"Don't forget about girls' night tonight at Molly's," Gabby quickly reminded her.

Brett groaned. "Can we do it tomorrow night instead? I don't want to leave my bed at all today."

Gabby shook her head. "No, Burgess has plans for tomorrow night," she informed the blonde. "Come on, it'll be fun. I'll make sure of it."

"Fine," Brett grumbled. "I'll come. But you owe me."

Gabby smiled to herself as Brett continued to grumble, knowing that her friend would be in for a surprise. Shortly after he'd moved back to Chicago, Matt had asked for her help. He wanted to surprise Brett by proposing to her at Molly's, since that's where they'd shared their first kiss, but he needed her help to pull it off. Gabby had quickly agreed and was using the excuse of a girls' night to lure her to Molly's without making her suspicious.

"Are you in a better mood now that you got some sleep?" Gabby teased Brett when she picked her up that evening.

Brett rolled her eyes. "Hey," she protested. "I can't help it if a night at home in my pjs sounded better than getting all dolled up for a girls' night."

Gabby laughed. She had to admit that Brett did have a point, but she knew Casey would have killed her if she hadn't found a way to get his girlfriend to Molly's. "I'll make it up to you, I promise," Gabby replied. "This will be the best girls' night ever."

When they walked up to Molly's, Brett looked at Gabby in confusion when she noticed the sign on the door stating that Molly's was closed for a private event. "Why are we here if Molly's is closed?"

Gabby shrugged, grinning. "I promised you this would be the best girls' night ever, right?"

"How did you convince Herrmann to close the bar for girls' night?" Brett asked as she opened the door. "I know he'll do almost anything for you, but-" she stopped talking as she took in the sight that greeted her. All of 51 was gathered inside, and there were rose petals scattered on the floor. All of the lights were off except for the string lights hanging from the ceiling, and there were candles everywhere.

In the front was Casey kneeling on one knee, holding a ring box. "Sylvie Brett," he began, "these past three years have been the best years of my life. You've been there for me through some of the hardest times in my life, and I can't imagine my life without you in it. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Sylvie's hands flew to her mouth. "Yes!" she exclaimed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Yes!"

Casey got to his feet and took Sylvie's left hand in his, sliding the ring onto it and then kissing her while everyone cheered.

Gabby, who had quietly made her way to Kelly's side, leaned against him as she watched Casey and Brett. She was thrilled for them, and she had absolutely no reservations about Casey getting remarried, but she still felt a twinge of sadness for what might have been. She quickly brushed it to the side, though, and cheered along with her friends. She couldn't help but feel jealous of how easy their relationship seemed, though, and how in love they were. She wondered if her and Kelly's relationship would ever be like that. They'd been through so much that she couldn't help but wonder if it was the universe's way of telling them that they weren't supposed to be together. What had initially felt so right had lately been feeling so wrong.

Kelly slipped his arms around Gabby's waist as he watched his best friend get engaged. He was thrilled for them both, but also found himself picturing himself and Gabby in their place. He would propose to her in an instant if he thought she was ready, but he knew from conversations they'd had that Gabby didn't want to rush into anything, and he completely understood, given how things had ended with Matt. Ever since Christmas, but especially since the accident, it seemed there had been this distance between them that he couldn't explain, and he wondered if it would ever be their turn.

"Kelly?" Gabby asked softly as they lay in bed that night.

"Mhmm?" Kelly answered sleepily.

"I was thinking; we should go back to New York," Gabby stated hesitantly.

Kelly rolled over so he could look at her. "Really? Why?"

Gabby shrugged. "We've been through so much in the past year and a half, and we've never really had a chance to get away, just the two of us, and talk through everything, and just be alone. New York is where everything started for us, so it just seems like the natural location."

"Where is this coming from?" Kelly reached out and brushed Gabby's hair back out of her face.

"Seeing Casey and Brett together tonight, engaged; they looked so happy and in love. Despite being apart for most of their relationship, they made it work, and they're more in love than ever. I couldn't help but feel jealous of them," Gabby admitted. "I was jealous of how easy it's been for them. They haven't had to deal with an unexpected pregnancy and then losing the baby. They didn't have to deal with trying to figure out their relationship that started from heartbreak." Gabby sighed. "It's just…sometimes it feels like everything's working against us, and I wonder if our relationship will ever be easy like that. I thought that maybe, by going back to New York, back to where it all started, we could get a fresh start."

Kelly's heart broke a little at Gabby's words. He'd had no idea she'd been feeling like that. He thought back to Matt's words to him in the hospital chapel when Gabby had been in surgery: "She won't admit it, and she'll try to push you away, but she's going to need you. It's not going to be easy for either of you. But if you really love her, and I believe you when you say that you do, you're going to have to fight for her. She's going to insist that she's fine, and she's going to try to shut you out, but you can't let her."

"Okay," Kelly told her. "We'll go to New York." This was Gabby admitting in her own way that she needed him, and he wasn't going to let her down. It was time for him to fight for her; to fight for them.