Hey there everyone! I'm here with the next chapter for you all. We've got another nice little Dawsey+family centered chapter here, and I really hope you enjoy it.

Thanks so much for reading!

Chapter Two Hundred and Two

Dawson drew in a deep breath while she looked over herself in the mirror, the loose-fitting shirt and jeans not her typical work attire as she prepared for the day ahead. But with her usual gray shirt and blue pants now packed away until after she had this baby, outfits like this were what she'd be wearing more of for her new position at the firehouse.

The same position she'd be starting today.

A few days ago Gabby had finished her last shift on 61, and while it had been harder than she expected, the excess of hormones in her system making her a little more emotional than usual, now it was time for her to step into her new role at the station. And though all of it felt a little weird to her, she was excited about this change. Matt had set up a great job for her, one she knew she'd be good at, and getting to stay around the house and still be with everyone, while not having to put herself or her baby at risk, there was nothing more she could ask for. This was, by far, the best decision for her and their family. And no matter how difficult it was to know she wouldn't be working with her best friend for a while, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that this was the right choice for her.

And it helped in knowing that, when the time was right, her job was there and waiting for her on 61.

"I just got off the phone with your dad." Matt's voice filtered through her ears after she'd finished smoothing her shirt down over her 24 weeks pregnant bump, Gabby glancing up to the mirror to see her husband come in through their bedroom door. Though from first glance, he looked a little different than when she last saw him. "He and your mom will be here in about ten minutes, give or take… They just left." He explained to her, Gabby taking in his words before she nodded.

News of her parents' arrival wasn't surprising to her, in fact she was excited for it as here recently Ramon and Camila had been helping out a lot more with their girls. By their own request, they'd been watching Caitlyn and Sofia most days Gabby and Matt were on shift, the grandparents wanting as much quality time with their granddaughters as they could possibly get. And while Becca still was, and always would be, a big part of their lives- certainly once this new baby came, Gabby would never say no to her parents spending more time with the girls.

Camila especially, with her having missed so much of their lives, now that she was back in Chicago Gabby welcomed any time her parents could get with Caity and Sof. Which more often than not meant coming and staying here at the house with their daughters while they worked.

Except now, it would only be Matt being away for the entire night.

"He said traffic looked a little bad, so it might be longer I'm not sure." Matt continued on while walking into the room, Gabby nodding once more while she continued to look over his form.

While he was still wearing the pajama pants he'd worn to bed last night, her now-shirtless husband had somehow lost his t-shirt in the time he'd been up, her wandering eyes raking across his bare chest before she spoke up. "That sounds good, baby. Thank you." She replied, the two catching each other's gazes through the mirror as a slight grin tugged on her lips. "Though you might want to put some clothes on before they get here."

He smirked back at her teasing, his head shaking from side to side for a moment before he released a deep scoff. "What do you think I came in here for?" He asked back lightly, Gabby feigning ignorance before she shrugged, letting her hands rest easily against her stomach.

"I just figured you were missing me." She replied with a scrunch of her nose, Matt letting out another laugh before he responded.

"Okay you've got me there, I always miss you." He said easily while he stopped a few feet short of her, Gabby then turning around to face him. "But other than that, I came in here to get a shower… Sof had a little accident after I got her out of her pullup." Matt explained, earning a quick grimace from Gabby as it didn't take long for her to put the pieces together of what happened.

"Uh oh." She replied, but Matt merely waved her off from his spot a couple steps away.

"It's fine, it was my fault anyway." He spoke with a shrug, as Gabby couldn't help but smile back at him. "And besides, if anything Sof was just preparing me for our little girl, here." He added on, gesturing towards his wife's stomach. "This was not the first time I've been peed on, and with another baby coming it certainly won't be the last."

Gabby shook her head in amusement as she knew how true his words were, the couple sharing soft laughs before he moved a bit towards the bathroom.

"Yeah, unfortunately you're right about that… But you're an amazing dad, if it helps." She complimented, Matt grinning at her words as he nodded.

"It definitely helps, thank you." He played along, stopping long enough to press a quick kiss to her forehead before continuing in his path. "I'm gonna jump in the shower real quick and get ready… The girls have already had breakfast, they're just out there playing right now." He added on, Gabby nodding at his words while turning his direction.

"Thank you, superdad." She responded lightheartedly, Matt smiling softly at her words before making his way to their bathroom. But before he stepped inside his body stopped in the doorway, Casey glancing back at her while regaining her attention.

"You look beautiful, by the way." He spoke somewhat suddenly, his soft tone flooding her body with warmth as she couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face. "Ready for your first day on the job, Mrs. Casey?"

Gabby released a quiet laugh, shaking her head a bit before replying. "I am." She played along.

"Good… Me too." He answered, tapping his hand against the frame while he winked her way, before disappearing into the bathroom and leaving Gabby alone to finish getting ready.

Which she soon did, Dawson finishing up her appearance just as she heard the shower running, the last once over she did in the mirror satisfying enough for her before she grabbed her purse and headed out of their bedroom. When she got into the living room, she found Caity and Sof exactly what she expected them to be, the girls playing well together in the middle of the carpet while a show played softly in the background. Though neither of them were really paying attention to it as their attention was put solely into the game Gabby was sure Caitlyn had made up.

That was until Dawson was far enough into the room, her daughters' finally sensing her presence as Sofia looked up at her first, before Caitlyn soon followed, both girls wearing bright smiles when they saw their mom for the first time this morning.

"Mama!" Sofia spoke happily, the child's unruly curly hair all over the place as she sat on the ground in an oversized t-shirt- one Gabby recognized to be Caitlyn's, the mom figuring it was Matt's best choice to clothe her in after the accident upstairs.

"Good morning, Mommy!" Caitlyn chimed in just as excitedly, the seven year old's appearance similar to that of her sister's as from her hair alone Gabby could tell her daughter had slept well, Caity still dressed in her nightgown as seeing how she was now on summer break, there was no reason to get her up and ready early in the morning.

"Good morning, my babies." She greeted back with just as much enthusiasm, Caitlyn putting her doll down on the floor while Gabby kept walking into the living room. "I heard Daddy made you breakfast."

"He did, it was yummy." Caity replied, watching her mom sit down on the couch before the oldest Casey daughter stood up.

And, in true Sofia fashion, the two year old almost immediately copied her sister, letting her toys fall to the ground while she stood beside her as Sof was getting into this phase where all she wanted to do was whatever Caitlyn did.

"Did he make you breakfast?" She asked, Gabby letting out a soft laugh before she shook her head, while both Caity and Sofia hurried over to the sofa. "Cause he should, you and baby need to eat."

"He didn't, but I'm okay sweetheart." She assured her, Caitlyn pausing for a moment before she nodded, her eyes continuing to move over Gabby while Sofia attempted to pull herself up onto the couch to sit next to her mom.

"Okay." She replied simply, before a small, yet genuine smile formed over her face. "...You look pretty, Mommy." She added on, those easy words causing Dawson's own grin to widen while she helped Sofia up onto the furniture, the two year old almost immediately cuddling against her stomach and making herself comfortable.

"Thank you, baby." She responded, Caitlyn beaming proudly while her hands rested over Gabby's legs, both of her girls wanting to be as close to her as they could.

"Are you working?" Caitlyn questioned on, her little mind apparently racing from one thought to the next as Gabby gave her a nod.

"I am, I'm going to work at the firehouse… But remember what your Daddy and I told you, that I have a new job there because of your little sister." She reminded her, Caitlyn thinking back on their previous conversations for a moment before matching her mother's nod. "So I'll be at 51 for a little while, then I'll be home later."

Caity's ears perked up at her last few words, while she leaned her weight up against Gabby's legs. "You'll be home for dinner?" She asked with a hopeful gleam in her eye.

"I'm not sure how long I'll be working today, but I'm gonna try… I know I'll be home tonight." She explained to her, even though they'd had this conversation multiple times already. But she knew her daughter needed to hear it again.

"And Daddy works until tomorrow." She stated, while tapping her hand lightly against Gabby's leg.

"He does, he works like normal. He'll be home in the morning."

"Okay." She said simply, before letting her arm move up to where she could rest her small palm over her mom's stomach. "I wish Daddy could come home too, but at least we'll get to spend lots of time together." She added on happily.

"Yeah, we will. We'll get to spend a lot of time together, and I'll get to be here for bedtime." Gabby told her, Caitlyn grinning widely as Gabby reached out to rub her hand over her cheek, before she leaned into her touch.

"I'm so excited." She replied, Gabby nodding in agreement as she brought her arm back down to her side, before patting the empty spot on the couch beside her, silently prompting Caitlyn to come sit beside her.

And the seven year old did instantly, Caity smiling happily before she pushed herself up onto the sofa next to her mom, her body instantly curling up against her while her head rested over Gabby's chest.

With both of her daughters within her grasp, Gabby felt a sense of contentment she could only get from her family while she kept a hand on both of them, Caitlyn and Sofia snuggling deeper into her as their gazes mindlessly focused on the television in front of them.

"I love you, Mommy." Caity murmured, the softness of her voice making Gabby smile before she leaned forward to press a kiss to the top of her head, while also rubbing her hand lovingly along Sofia's back.

"I love you too, baby… I love my girls so much."

"Alright, so that's about all I've got on that front." Matt spoke to the full conference room of all his first responders, the Chief glancing down at the clipboard in his hands while all the firefighters and paramedics watched him. "Those rig checks will happen at some point today during shift, but I don't anticipate any issues there."

"Sounds good, Chief." Herrmann voiced, Matt shooting him an appreciative look before he continued on.

"We don't have much else to go over, but lastly… As I'm sure you all noticed, we have a new face joining us. Or rejoining us, rather. While Dawson's out for the next few months." He spoke while looking over towards the two paramedics sitting at one of the front tables. "Welcome back, Anderson."

Some loud cheers and claps could be heard from around the room as they all greeted the returning paramedic, who was sitting next to Jemma, Norris reaching over to clasp her on the shoulder while Claire ducked her head.

"It's great to see you again, and to have you back on our rig… We're all so excited to have you here."

"Thank you, Chief." Anderson responded, Matt giving her a sturdy nod before his gaze moved back across the room towards one of the tables in the back, where a very familiar face was sitting, Casey unable to hide his growing smile as he continued on.

"And along with having Anderson back with us, I assume you saw that we have a new civilian employee starting with today." He teased, his words earning an eye roll from his wife as she sat back beside Severide, while a few laughs and hoots came from around the room. "Try not to scare her off."

"Too late for that." Gabby chimed in without missing a beat, their friends chuckling while Matt shook his head.

"Yeah, I don't think we could after all this time." Cruz joked, the room continuing to tease their former paramedic as Kelly reached out to pat her arm.

"Probably not." Otis added on.

"We could try, but I doubt she'd go anywhere."

"Yeah, yeah you guys are so funny." Dawson added on dryly, hearing a few more chuckles from her friends.

But before any of them could respond the bells rang out loudly, Gabby's gaze returning to Matt as the entire house got called out to an apartment fire, the mood in the room shifting almost instantly while everyone started to get up.

As they were leaving, they all said their goodbyes to Gabby, some of them coming over to squeeze her shoulder or give her a nod, Jemma stopping for a second longer to give her a hug, the room soon thinning out until it was only Gabby and Matt. Though it wouldn't be that way for much longer, as he too was needed out at the scene.

"I was hoping I could be around to get you settled in, but Marsha over in the office will be able to help you until I'm back." He explained as he came up to her, Matt stopping to lean down and give her a soft, sweet kiss while his hand rested over her stomach.

"It's fine babe, you go… Just be safe out there." She told him, Matt smiling before he moved to kiss her once more.

"I will." He assured her as they separated, the couples saying a couple quick last goodbyes before he hurried out of the conference room, leaving Gabby by herself.

She could hear the sound of heavy footsteps getting further away, accompanied by rigs and their sirens blaring before pulling out moments later, until there was nothing but silence around her. And truthfully, it was a bit of a strange feeling, staying in here while the rest of her friends- her family, went out to work.

But while she sat here with her hands cradling her stomach, she knew this was exactly where she needed to be.

Gabby rolled out her neck as she sat at her desk in the bullpen, this chair being her spot for most of the day as she'd gotten herself familiar with the tasks she'd be performing while working here at the firehouse. When Matt first arranged this job for her, at first she wasn't sure what to expect, but now after a day of work she'd learned that most of what she'd be doing was administrative stuff around the house. Whether it was scheduling, or helping the officers within the house with different tasks, like getting their reports to where they needed to be, her job was a lot of managing various things within the department.

And, given her history in different parts of the CFD, Gabby found it wasn't all that difficult, as she already knew a lot of how the administrative side of the department worked. And that only made this transition that much easier.

While she was stretching out her muscles, Gabby suddenly felt a pair of hands rest over her shoulders, her body relaxing immediately into their touch as she knew exactly who was standing behind her. She'd recognize those hands anywhere, Gabby smiling softly while Matt's skillful touch moved over her.

"Hi." She murmured, Matt smiling before he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

"Hi." He repeated, while continuing to massage her, his palms moving along her shoulders before gently sliding down to the top of her chest.

"...I'm not sure how professional this is, Chief." She spoke after a moment, feeling him laugh from behind her while his hand lightly moved along her neck, his touch gentle and caring.

"Eh, no one's here." He defended, prompting Gabby to look around the bullpen only to find that they were in fact alone.

Had she been paying more attention, she would've realized the rest of her coworkers were now long gone. And seeing how it was a bit after five in the evening, that wasn't all too surprising as she knew the other civilian employees would rather get home to their families than stick around here at the firehouse.

It just so happened that in Gabby's case, part of her family was already here.

"You know, I could do this much better at home." Matt continued on, while his thumb dug into a particularly sore muscle. Though most were these days since getting pregnant, Gabby merely smiling while leaning back into him. "I'd have a much better angle with you on our bed… preferably naked." He added on softly, Gabby feeling a bit of heat rush through her body before letting out a soft laugh.

"Okay, that's definitely not professional." She warned him, though she had no objections to his words as she knew just how enjoyable his massages could be. Especially when they were in the privacy of their own home.

"No, it's not." He agreed, Gabby practically able to hear his smile in his voice. "But I can't be held responsible for my actions when I have someone as gorgeous as you sitting ten feet from my desk."

"You find pregnant women attractive, huh?" She deadpanned, Matt scoffing a bit while his hands kept moving over her shoulders.

"I find one pregnant woman attractive." He corrected her, the ease of his words making her smile before he slid his hands down her front once more. But this time he didn't stop until his hands were resting over her stomach, his chin resting down close to her shoulder while his head was now beside hers as he hunched behind her. "Very, very attractive." He added on, Gabby laughing while leaning her head into his. "And that made it very hard for me to work today, because all I could think about was you… Cause I'm not sure if you realize this, but I have the perfect view of you from my office."

"Oh do you?" She played along, though she already knew that from the many glances they'd stolen from one another throughout the day.

"Mhmm."

"Well, would you like me to move?" She asked him, feeling him shake his head in response.

"Not a chance." He murmured, kissing lightly over her shoulder while rubbing her stomach before he slowly stood up. "But my distractions aside, your first day went well?" He asked her, Gabby smiling as he came around to stand beside her chair, letting his weight rest back into the desk.

"I think so." She replied with a shrug, the smile never leaving his face before he nodded. "What about you? How do you think I did?"

"You were great." He replied without any hesitation, her features softening as her eyes moved down in between them. "Not that I had any doubts, but you picked up everything so quickly. I already know things are gonna be running so much smoother around here because of you."

"Yeah, I don't know if I'd go that far. But thank you." She told him, Matt matching her look while he reached his hand out to rest over her arm.

"And you like it?" He checked.

"I do." She replied with a nod. "It's not something I'd want to do forever, but I enjoy it. And it's nice that I still get to be here with everyone… With you." She told him, his grin widening while he watched her.

"Yeah, that's definitely the best part. I love having you here." He said easily, the two sharing a knowing, loving look until another voice filtered into the room.

"Hey Caseys?"

Matt glanced back, seeing Herrmann standing just inside the bullpen with a soft smile on his face.

"What's up, Herrmann?"

"Just wanted to let you know you guys have a few visitors." He spoke, Matt's head tilting to the side while Gabby's brows furrowed, the couple sharing another look before they began to get up.

Once they were both on their feet they headed for the hallway, Herrmann having already gone back to the common room as Casey and Dawson headed in that same path, unsure of who was here to see them. But before even getting to the room they were able to figure it out, as the sounds of their daughters' voices could be heard, along with what they assumed to be Sofia running around, the parents sharing a knowing smile before they walked into the common room, where they found not only their girls, but Ramon and Camila as well.

Like they assumed, Sofia was running around playing with Kelly, while Caitlyn was talking to Jemma and Stella, Ramon taking to having a conversation with Mouch while Camila stood beside him, keeping an eye on the girls. They hadn't been expecting this visit, but the parents would never complain about getting to see their children. Certainly Casey, who wasn't expecting to be able to see them until tomorrow.

"Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy!" Caitlyn greeted first, gaining the attention of the entire room as they all looked over to the door.

"Hi princess." Matt replied, her smile widening as she said her goodbyes to Jemma before hurrying over to her parents. And Sofia soon followed, the toddler almost immediately ending her game with Severide once she heard her dad's voice and running towards them. "I didn't know you guys would be coming by today, I'm so happy to see you."

"It was a surprise!" She said with a giggle while she went up to Gabby, wrapping her arms around her and resting her head lightly against her stomach, as Sofia went straight to her father before he picked her up with ease. "We wanted to come get Mommy."

"Oh you did, huh?" Matt asked, Gabby smiling softly as she rubbed over her back.

"Yeah! Abuelo said we could pick her up, and Sofie and I wanted to surprise you and say hi."

"Well, we're definitely surprised. I'm so glad you all came."

"Me too! I missed you and Mommy. Today was fun though, we played lots of games. And Abuela made soup, it was so yummy. But I wanted to see you guys. And Daddy, guess what? I get to spend the night with Mommy!" She rambled out excitedly, her lips moving as fast as her mind could process the thoughts while Matt let out a soft chuckle, the entire room just as amused by her excitement.

"I know you do, sweetheart. It's gonna be so much fun.. I'm pretty jealous, though." He teased, causing her to smile wide while Matt adjusted Sofia's weight on his hip. "But I'm so glad you and Momma are gonna get to be together."

"Me too!" She spoke happily, while letting her hand rest over Gabby's stomach. "And Sof!"

"Yes, and Sof." He agreed, rubbing his hand along his youngest girl's back while she grinned up at him. "Yeah, that's right huh? You're gonna go home with Mommy."

"Mama go home!" She repeated him, the room laughing at her words before Matt nodded.

"She is baby, she's gonna go home with you all." He replied, Sofia grinning happily before the family returned their attention back to the common room.

The Casey's decided to all hang out at the firehouse for a little while longer, Caitlyn and Sofia both loving all the attention they always got whenever they came here. And Ramon and Camila enjoyed it as well, as they got to catch up with some of their daughter's friends that they hadn't seen in a while. But soon enough it was time for them to go, Matt knowing that his girls- all his girls, needed to get home and eat sooner rather than later. So after a few quick goodbyes, and some long hugs between Jemma and the girls, the Casey and Dawson family began making their way outside.

"I'll be right back guys, I'm gonna walk them out." Casey told his firefighters as he stood by the double doors, Sofia firmly in his grasp while Caitlyn had just walked out with her mother.

"Sounds good, Chief." Kidd replied, Matt gaining a few similar responses from around the room before he headed out.

With a few quick jogs he was able to catch up with his family, Ramon leading the way back towards their vehicle as they prepared to separate for just a little bit longer. Or Matt at least, as he knew he had the rest of his work day ahead of him before he could be at home with his family.

"Can you climb in for me, baby?" Gabby asked Caitlyn as they got up to the car, the seven year old nodding before she climbed in once Dawson had opened her door. She waited for a moment to make sure Caitlyn had secured herself properly before she stepped up towards the passenger door, Camila gracious enough to take the seat between Caitlyn and Sofia as she knew it was too hard for her pregnant daughter to climb in and out of the car back there.

While all this was going on, Matt made sure to secure Sofia into her seat, both children saying a few last goodbyes to their father, that he reciprocated before he shut the door, leaving both him and Ramon outside while all the girls were safely inside the car.

"Thanks for bringing them by, it was really great to see them." Matt spoke up first, Ramon offering him a smile before he nodded.

"Of course, son. They were excited to come, and they wanted to come and pick up Gabriela." He explained, Matt smiling back knowingly as the men stood on the sidewalk. "Oh, and I wanted to tell you that Camila and I have been talking, and if it's alright with you we were thinking about spending the night with Gabby and the girls tonight… So she has some help." Ramon told him, Casey beginning to nod before the older man could even finish his sentence.

"That would be great, yeah." Matt replied with a soft smile, one Ramon soon matched. "I know the girls would love it, and I'd feel better knowing there were other people around." He explained, seeing the understanding look his father-in-law was giving him. "I mean, I know Gabby can take care of herself, and our girls. But the extra help will be nice."

"Yeah, that's kind of what we were thinking, as long as Gabriela doesn't mind." He said with a slight laugh, Matt echoing the sound while shaking his head.

"Nah, I don't think she'll care. She loves getting to spend time with you all." Matt assured him, Ramon nodding back once more before he reached out to give him a quick hug.

"Alright son, well we'll get out of here and I'm gonna get these girls home." He told him, Casey patting him on the back before they separated. "We'll see you in the morning, stay safe out there."

"I will." He promised, the men sharing one last look before Ramon moved to get into the driver's seat, Matt leaning down so he could see his family as he waved goodbye to them one last time.

"Bye Daddy!" He heard Caitlyn shout through the closed window, soon followed by a similar sentiment from Sofia as Matt let out a soft chuckle.

"Bye babies, I love you." He said back, Matt continuing to wave as he met Gabby's eyes through the window, the two smiling at one another one last time before he stepped back up onto the sidewalk, Casey staying put in his spot while he watched his family drive off down the road.

Matt was met by nothing but an intense quiet as he stepped inside his front door, the early morning evident as with just a few quick moves inside the home, Casey could tell everyone must've still been asleep. There were no sounds of the television, or breakfast being made, or their girls playing with toys. It was just complete silence, and it almost made him smile as he knew it meant he would be able to get some time in bed with his wife before starting their day. Which, after his long shift throughout the night, was something he was more than looking forward to.

It was nothing really out of the ordinary, but it had been a rather busy night at Firehouse 51, with frequent calls throughout the evening. So much so that Matt found himself thinking on more than one occasion how he was glad his wife had decided to step back from 61, as he knew the pace of the night would've been difficult on her. And that was the last thing he wanted her to be dealing with while she worked on growing their baby girl.

Rolling out a few of the kinks in his neck, Matt placed his shift bag down by the couch before heading straight for the master bedroom, his steps slow and quiet as he got up to their door before easily stepping inside. But once he did he immediately stopped, the sight in front of him making his smile grow wider as he took in his three, or four rather, girls sleeping peacefully in his and Gabby's bed. Two of which he hadn't expected to see in here.

His wife was in her usual spot, laying comfortably on her side while Caitlyn was tucked up into her chest. And Sofia was nestled up against her back, with her body strewn wildly across the large mattress, Matt unable to stop the soft laugh that left the back of his throat as their personalities came through even in their sleep.

But he knew it wasn't all that surprising, and neither was the fact that they had all slept together last night as Matt could only imagine Caity's insistence on getting to sleep in their room. How he knew she wouldn't let up until Gabby gave in, though she wouldn't have needed much convincing, the thought making him shake his head in amusement before stepping closer to the mattress.

He didn't want to wake them, but he also couldn't help but want to join them in their rest as Matt soaked in this image for a few more moments, as well as snapping a few pictures, before he began to get ready to lay down.

Quickly shedding his shift clothes, he changed back into some comfortable pajamas before moving over to his normal side of the bed, which was now partially taken over by a sprawled-out Sofia. But it was one of the most adorable sights in the world to him, Matt caressing the side of her face gently before he carefully began to move her little body closer to her mom. And thankfully, she never even registered it, Matt able to get her situated before he himself got into bed.

Though he was moving slowly, he was still a bit shocked that none of his girls had woken up when he laid down and made himself comfortable, as he'd expected at least one of them to get up when they felt his presence. But they didn't, as Caitlyn and Gabby hadn't moved an inch since he came into the room. And Sofia, all she had done was subconsciously roll into his side and tuck her body into his, her soft snores telling him that she was still deep within her slumber. But he was happy for that, as all he wanted was for his girls to get as much rest as they needed while laying here together.

And now that he was home, here enjoying this time with them, he couldn't think of any better way to spend his morning.