Hello there everyone! I'm back here with the next chapter for you all and I hope you enjoy this Casey family centered one.

Before we get into it, I do want to talk a little about my plans moving forward with my stories. I talked a bit about it before, and I mentioned it in the last update for Whatever Comes Next, but going forward I will only be updating this story every two weeks. As you all know, I haven't been able to be very consistent lately- between work and things going on in my life, and this seems to be the best way I can think of to try and continue writing, while also balancing everything I have going on.

I don't want to stop writing, and I'm eager to get these stories finished, but I also just do not have the time to write as much as I was before. Right now I'm working five, sometimes six days a week overnight, and between that and trying to sleep, I don't have time for really anything. So I'm gonna try with this new updating schedule and see if it's something I can manage.

Hopefully you all understand, and don't mind a little extra waiting between chapters. But I figure this is better than you all waiting around every Monday for me to post, and then I can't get anything out for you all. So we'll try this for a bit, and see how it goes.

I think that's all I've got. Thank you all for your continued support, and your patience, it means so much to me.

***UPDATE: Just letting you all know there is an update coming this week, it just won't be posted until Wednesday or Thursday because I don't have any time off until then. So I'll be getting out the next chapter in a few days, hope you all are having a good week so far and I'll see you soon!

Chapter Two Hundred and Five

Caitlyn took careful steps as she moved through the kitchen towards her parents' bedroom, her tongue poked out between her teeth in concentration while both hands held onto the glass of orange juice in her grasp. She hadn't filled up the glass too much, but enough to where she was being cautious with each movement, her steps slow as she continued to her destination.

The house around her was pretty quiet, Caitlyn knowing everyone else was asleep right now during this early morning. Typically the seven year old would be too, but for whatever reason she'd woken up this morning and hadn't been able to get back to sleep. And though she'd tried, after a while it became clear to her that she wouldn't be getting more rest right now, which had prompted her to come downstairs.

Now she could only hope that she wouldn't be the only one awake for much longer.

With the glass of juice still firmly in her hold, Caitlyn eventually made her way to her parent's room, the door slightly open against its frame as Caity gently stuck her foot out to push it open further. It moved slowly, and only enough for her little body to slip through before she stepped inside, her eyes immediately going towards the bed as the quiet throughout the rest of the house filtered in here.

From her position by the door she could really only see her father, his back to her as he and her mom both were facing the other direction, Caitlyn tightening her hold on the drink before she continued further into the room. Neither of them had noticed her presence quite yet, at least from what she could tell, Caity moving closer to them as she walked around to her mother's side of the bed.

It didn't take long to notice that her mom was fast asleep, surrounded by a mountain of pillows while her dad laid behind her, Caitlyn only able to see as much as his hand reached out to rest over her large stomach, the sight making Caity smile while she focused on her mommy's belly, knowing that's where her little sister was securely resting.

The same little sister that she would be meeting sooner rather than later, the thought alone making Caity grin even wider before she took another step towards the bed.

But she had barely moved before she saw her dad suddenly lift up behind Gabby, his eyebrows raised knowingly as Matt was evidently a lot more awake than Caitlyn had realized, the little girl biting back a giggle while she smiled sheepishly.

"Hi Daddy." She spoke brightly, while also making sure to whisper as she knew her mom was still sleeping.

"Hi baby." He replied just as quietly, his hand starting to rub slow circles along the side of Gabby's stomach while he looked at his daughter. He hadn't been up very long, long enough to hear Caitlyn out in the kitchen, but he was alert enough to see the drink in her hands. "...Why are you up?" He added on softly.

She shrugged in response. "I wasn't sleepy."

"Uh huh." He said back with a smile, knowing how her words weren't entirely true. And depending on how long she'd been awake, she would likely crash later. But they'd cross that bridge when they came to it. "And you wanted to come see me and your Momma?"

Caitlyn beamed, her head nodding up and down swiftly as she took a step further. "Mhmm, I missed you. And sissy." She replied, earning a soft chuckle from her father.

"...Matt?"

Gabby's groggy voice broke through their conversation, her body starting to shift around- albeit slowly, while she slowly began to wake up. Matt internally grimaced as he hated that she was already up this early, Gabby needing to get as much rest as she possibly could. But knowing the reason for it he couldn't be too upset. And he knew Gabby wouldn't be, either.

"Is everything okay?" She asked thickly, Matt nodding while he continued to move his palm along her stomach, figuring that even in her tired state she had clearly heard voices.

"Everything's fine, baby. It's just Caity." He spoke, pressing a kiss to her arm as she continued to gradually wake up.

It took her a few moments, but soon enough she opened her eyes to find their oldest standing directly in front of her, the bright grin on her face making Gabby smile before she instinctively reached a hand out towards her.

"Hi sweetheart." She greeted, Caitlyn stepping forward into her mom's touch as Gabby placed her hand over her cheek, rubbing lovingly over her skin. "I'm surprised you're up already." She voiced, her mind still a bit hazy after being abruptly woken from her slumber. But she was awake enough to know it was early.

"I wasn't tired." She repeated the words she'd said to her father, Gabby merely smiling before she nodded. "So I came to see you, and I brought you and baby sissy some juice." Caitlyn added on proudly, her eyes moving to the cup she was holding carefully in her hands before returning her gaze to Gabby. "Orange juice."

Dawson released a soft laugh before she began to adjust herself in bed, attempting to sit up a bit more in order to accept her drink. But with the added weight in her midsection the movement was somewhat difficult, Matt soon sitting up himself to help aid her until she was comfortable.

"Thank you." She spoke towards her husband, Casey offering her a simple smile before she looked at Caitlyn. "And thank you for my drink, sweet girl."

That beaming smile returned to the child's face as she slowly held the glass out towards her, Gabby easily grabbing the drink and bringing it up to her mouth to take a sip.

"Mmm, that's so good. Thank you, baby." Gabby added on, Caitlyn bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet in excitement before she took that last step towards her parents' bed.

"You're welcome, Mommy. And baby sissy." She replied brightly, Matt letting out a soft laugh as Caitlyn began to pull herself up onto the mattress.

With the height of the bed it was a little difficult for her, but after going through this routine almost every morning Caity had perfected the way she climbed up into their bed, Casey reaching out to steady her just as she got up with them. Now that she was closer to her parents, the first thing Caitlyn did was lift her arm out to touch Gabby's stomach, her little hand resting gently against her while she smiled.

Before any of them said a word, Caity's nose scrunched up delightfully when she felt that soft flutter beneath her hand, the movement causing her to giggle as she looked up to her mom.

"I can feel sissy." She said with a laugh, Caitlyn clearly enjoying this moment they'd experienced a few times over the past few weeks. Really ever since little baby Casey started becoming more active, to where people other than Gabby could feel her. "She's so funny… like Sofi." Caitlyn continued on, Matt and Gabby sharing a knowing look before the former reached his hand out next to Caity's, Casey never wanting to miss a moment like this to feel his child moving.

"Yeah, she might be sweetheart." Gabby replied, taking another sip of the juice Caitlyn had brought her before placing it on their nightstand. "Speaking of your sister, do you know if Sof's awake?" She questioned, fighting back her amused grin at the image of both Caitlyn and Matt currently holding onto her stomach.

"She's sleeping." She answered simply, Caitlyn then shifting to rest her body across Gabby's thighs in an effort to get closer to her and her youngest sibling. "I stared at her for a little while to see if she'd wake up, but she didn't. So I came downstairs without her."

Matt let out another chuckle at her abrupt words, before he began to shake his head. "Well, it's probably good that Sof is still asleep. Seeing as how we have a pretty busy day today." He reminded her, those words triggering something in Caitlyn's mind as she almost immediately began to smile wider before turning her attention to her dad, all while keeping a hand on Gabby's stomach.

"Grandma's coming!" She spoke cheerfully, Gabby grinning at her words while Matt nodded.

"That's right baby, your grandma is coming to visit. We're gonna go and pick her up from the airport in a few hours." He reminded her, the excitement radiating off his daughter going straight to his heart as he too was eager for his mother's arrival.

After hearing of her desire to come and visit them, and then the plans made in the weeks that followed, Matt was getting more and more excited for his mom's upcoming visit. And now the day had finally come, where she would be here to get not only some time with him and Gabby, but their girls as well.

And truthfully, that might be the thing he was looking forward to the most.

For not living in the same state, Matt knew his daughters' had a relatively great relationship with their other grandmother. They called and Facetimed often, and Nancy was always excited to hear about how things were going in their lives. But it was hard, her being so far away. Especially now with Camila moving back to Chicago, it was almost impossible for him not to think about how many moments and milestones his mom wasn't able to be here for.

And while one visit wouldn't change that, he was glad to have her back in the city. For her to get some quality time with their family, and see two girls who had missed their grandmother dearly.

"All of us?" Caitlyn asked a moment later, Matt not missing the way she looked at her mother. "We're all gonna go get grandma?"

"We are." Gabby replied before he could, Casey opting to hold his tongue once Caitlyn began to cheer in her spot on the bed.

The plan was for them all to go, Gabby wasn't lying about that. But in a separate conversation, he and his wife had decided they'd wait and see how Gabby was feeling before making her final decision, as they both knew going and walking around an airport wasn't fun for anyone. Especially someone who was into their third trimester of pregnancy. So realistically, Matt knew they likely wouldn't have a definite answer on whether or not Gabby was going until it was time.

But that wasn't anything they needed to get into now.

"Yay! I'm so excited to see grandma. I'll have grandma, and abuela. And abuelo. And you, and Daddy and Sof. And baby sissy… All my family together!" She beamed, before leaning forward to press a kiss to Gabby's stomach, their sweet-natured daughter's words sending rushes of emotion through both of them.

"Yeah honey, all our family will be together." Gabby repeated lovingly while reaching her hand out towards her, silently encouraging her to move closer. Which Caitlyn soon did, the young girl never one to refuse cuddles with her parents as she carefully climbed over her mom and moved up towards her side.

Her body was nestled in between Matt and Gabby, Caitlyn placing her head down against her mom's chest before Gabby kissed her forehead lightly.

Just as they were getting comfortable, the baby monitor alerted them to movement coming from Sofia's room, Matt reaching back for it to see their younger daughter now up and moving around, likely just seconds away from getting herself into trouble.

"Yeah, I think that's my cue to go get her." Matt spoke up, Gabby letting out a soft laugh as he started to move off the bed. "Caity, you mind staying here to take care of your Momma until I get back?"

Caitlyn's wide grin immediately returned to her features, the young girl nodded from the safety of her mother's embrace. "I can, I'll take care of Mommy." She assured her, Gabby matching her smile before she moved to kiss her head once more.

"Thank you, baby." He replied, Casey stopping to give both her and Gabby a quick kiss before he headed out of the room and up the stairs, ready to get their daughter so they could enjoy the rest of their quiet morning together, as a family.

"Daddy, I can't see." Caitlyn huffed out from her spot in front of her father, the seven year old holding onto his wrist that was draped in front of her while he held Sofia with his other arm. The toddler was perched up on his hip, Matt making sure to keep both girls close while Gabby sat on the bench directly beside them. The same place she had been almost from the moment they arrived.

She tried to tough it out at first and stay standing with her family, but with the added pressure on her limbs it didn't take Gabby long to give in and rest, letting herself sit down while the rest of the Casey's stayed put in their spot. Which, truthfully, is exactly why Matt had chosen this location to stay and wait for his mother, as his main focus was his wife and making sure she was okay, even though it was a little far away from where Nancy would be coming in.

Though Caitlyn had seemed to notice that, too.

"Where's Grandma?" Caitlyn continued on while looking at the sea of people around them, Matt letting out a soft laugh before tapping his hand against her chest.

"She'll be here soon, baby." He explained to her, Caitlyn glancing up at him for a quick moment before she nodded. "But it shouldn't be too much longer."

"Okay."

"You can take the girls closer, Matt." Gabby tried after sensing her oldest daughter's growing impatience, but Casey was having none of it, the husband looking towards her quickly before shaking his head. "I'll be fine back here." She added on.

"Nah, that's alright. It's better if we all stay together." He said simply after adjusting Sofia's weight in his hold, the girl simply content to sit and stare at all the new people in her line of sight. "Isn't that right, girls? You wanna stay with Momma?"

Sofia's eyes lit up at the mention of her mother, the two year old looking back at her before she reached down towards Gabby, evidently wanting to be with her now instead of her father. Casey let out a laugh at her movement as he placed her down on the ground, letting her run back to be with Gabby.

"See?" He reiterated, Gabby giving her a smirk before helping Sofia up onto the bench next to her.

"Yeah, Mommy. We have to stay together." Caitlyn chirped, letting her little body turn back to face her. "We're a family, we can't split up."

"Yeah Mommy." Matt repeated the seven year old's words, Gabby biting back the laugh building in her throat before she began to nod.

"You're right, Caity. You're right… We should stay together." Dawson told her, seeing the girl smile proudly before returning her attention back towards the crowds. Though Matt wasn't as quick to look away from her. "...She's exactly like you, you know that, right?" Gabby challenged lightheartedly, the beaming grin on his face widening while he instinctively tightened his hold on Caitlyn.

"I know." He responded without shame, Gabby rolling her eyes playfully before they too looked back out towards the chaos happening around them, both parents making sure to keep their girls close while people came and went.

The airport was bustling in the early afternoon, making it somewhat hard for Matt to keep focus on who he was searching for. Especially when his instinct was to continuously check in on his girls- all of his girls, and make sure they were alright and still within his reach. But soon enough, after another ten minutes or so, he finally saw who they were waiting for, the smile on his face widening when he saw his mom coming towards them.

"Girls, look." He prompted, Gabby able to hear the smile in his voice as both Caitlyn and Sofia began to look around, the oldest Casey daughter gasping when she finally placed her.

"Grandma!" She shouted across the busy room, though the strangers weren't phased as Nancy smiled wide before waving towards her. "Daddy, Grandma's here!" Caitlyn continued while pulling on his hand, like she couldn't wait for Nancy to get to them.

"I know baby, I see her."

"Sof look, it's your Grandma Nancy." Gabby said to the girl sitting with her, Sofia still smiling wide while she kept glancing around. It was a little hard for her to really understand what they were doing, and since she was so young even with the Facetimes and phone calls, Sofia didn't always remember people unless she spent a lot of time with them.

But until Sofia could recognize who had come to visit them, Caitlyn's excitement was more than enough, the seven year old waiting until Nancy was close enough to them before she pulled herself from Matt's grasp and ran towards her.

"Grandma!" She greeted her just before they met for a hug, Nancy letting her bag hit the ground as she was much more focused on seeing her grandchildren.

"Hi Caitlyn!" Nancy responded with just as much enthusiasm, holding onto her tightly while rocking back and forth.

Matt had moved closer to them during their greeting, while Gabby slowly started to get up, Sofia staying planted by her side as the two year old wasn't necessarily the most comfortable surrounded by all these people.

"I'm so glad you're here, Grandma!" Caitlyn spoke as they pulled apart, her words causing Nancy's smile to widen before nodding in agreement. "I haven't seen you in forever and ever."

"I know sweetheart, it's been a while.. Too long. But I'm so glad to be here, and to see you guys. My, you've gotten so big." She breathed out, Caitlyn grinning proudly while taking a step back, like she was wanting to show off her height. Even though she wasn't necessarily all that taller than she had been the last time Nancy saw them.

"I know! I'm getting big and strong." She replied easily just as Gabby and Sofia got up to them, Matt soon lifting the toddler up into his arms as a way to not only ease the strain on Gabby having to keep up with her, but so he himself knew his young daughter was safely within their reach. "And so is Sof!"

"I know, I can see that… Hi Sofia." Nancy greeted, Sofia giving her a toothy grin before digging her head into Matt's neck.

"We're both getting bigger, we're growing up lots and lots." Caitlyn continued on, Nancy releasing a soft laugh before returning her attention towards her. "And Mommy's getting bigger, too!" She added innocently, Gabby cocking her head to the side in amusement while Matt instantly brought his hand up to cover his face, Nancy merely pursing her lips together in an effort to hide her amusement.

"Oh, is she?" She played along.

"Yeah!"

"Caity…" Matt spoke, causing the young girl to look up at him.

"What?" She questioned back, the unaware tone in her voice making the moment that much funnier as Gabby couldn't help the soft chuckle that eventually escaped her throat. "Mommy's getting big, she's growing baby sister!"

More laughs came from Gabby and Nancy while Matt released a soft breath, the man then looking towards his wife who then shrugged.

"I mean, she's got a point." She replied lightly, Casey soon matching her grin before he started to shake his head.

"I'm not going anywhere near that." He told her, causing Gabby to scrunch up her nose.

"Smart man." Nancy commented before she moved another step towards her son. "Now, come give your mom a hug." She added on, Matt letting out a laugh as the two embraced. "Hi Matthew."

"Hi mom." He repeated, holding onto her a little tighter before they separated. "We're all so glad you're here, that you could make it."

"Me too, honey." She replied, letting her hand linger over his arm. "Truthfully, this is long overdue. I should've made more of an effort to get here." She told him, a hint of regret hiding in her words. "Especially with your new child on the way… But I'm glad I get to be here now, at least for a little bit."

"We are, too." Gabby said genuinely, causing Nancy to smile once more before she moved to hug her daughter-in-law. "It's so great to have you here, Nancy."

The two met for a quick hug, Nancy keeping her grip light as the last thing she wanted to do was hold onto her too tight. "It's great to be here." She reiterated, patting Gabby's arm as they pulled back before she looked her up and down. "And oh my, sweetheart. Look at you." She beamed, causing Gabby to release another soft laugh.

"Yeah, yeah… As Caitlyn pointed out, I'm huge." She joked, Matt smirking while Nancy shook her head.

"You're absolutely beautiful, honey." Nancy assured her, before Casey began to nod as well. "I didn't get to see you pregnant the first time, but you look great. Just glowing." She continued to compliment, earning a soft smile from Gabby as she looked towards the ground.

"Thank you, Nancy." She replied, while Matt shot his mother a thankful look before shifting the conversation.

"Do we need to go and get your other bag?" He asked, reaching his free hand down to grab Gabby's while Caitlyn stayed beside her grandmother.

"Yeah, I did check one… Hopefully it'll be out already, so we can get out of here." Nancy responded after eyeing Gabby, knowing it couldn't have been comfortable for her to be here for so long.

"That sounds good, we'll head that way… You good, baby?" Matt asked in Gabby's direction just as they started walking, his wife glancing up at him before nodding.

"I'm good." She promised, Casey pausing for a moment before mimicking her nod.

"Alright.. Well, let's go get mom's luggage so we can leave. I heard Camila has a big lunch waiting for us at home." He told them, Caitlyn bouncing up and down excitedly while Nancy nodded, the grandmother eager to not only get some time with her son and his family, but Gabby's parents as well, while they all celebrated this wonderful time in their lives. And the rest of the Casey's were looking forward to that exact same thing, knowing they had a day full of nothing but spending time together as a family ahead of them.

And they wouldn't want it any other way.