Hey there everyone! I know it's been a bit, but here's the next chapter for you all. It's just a little Casey family centered chapter, but I hope you all still enjoy it. Especially because we're getting very, very close to the birth of little baby Casey.

I'm sorry again for the delay, I really wish it was easier for me to find time to write and get updates posted for you guys, but it's just not. I am trying as hard as I can, though. And though my updates are more sporadic these days, I'm still determined to finish these stories and Dawsey's story, the way it always should've been. But with that, I know it's probably a little frustrating that I'm not able to post as much as I once did. And because I've been a little detached from anything fandom related over the past few months, I'm not sure how many people there still are reading this story, or even wanting to read Dawsey. But regardless, I appreciate your all's support and patience so much and it means everything to me. And has definitely helped while I try to get these chapters out to you guys.

For now, that's all I have.

I'll see you all next time.

***UPDATE 3/30: Hello there everyone, long time no see. I can't apologize enough for how long it's been since I've been able to get any updates posted for your guys. That truly was never my intention, but between work and everything with Chicago Fire, it hasn't been the easiest to find time to write lately. With that said, I am still working on these stories. I haven't given up on them, and I appreciate all of you who haven't given up on me either. I've been working on the next chapter of this story, and I'm hoping to get it posted for you all soon. I'm aiming for an update in the next few weeks, if possible. But an update is coming. And once I get that posted, I'll be shifting my focus to getting another chapter of Whatever Comes Next out to you all.

Again, I'm super sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything. I never meant to leave you all waiting this long. But, as always, I do still want to wrap up these stories for you guys. To give you all a good finish to this version of Dawsey. That's been my intention since the beginning, and that hasn't changed now. I'm just not sure how long it'll take to get there. But I am determined to finish what we've started.

Thank you to everyone who has still stuck by me and these stories, and who are still here re-reading and checking in on me. I love and appreciate all of you, and I hope I can keep delivering good chapters to you all, and wrap up these stories the way Dawsey deserves.

I'll see you guys soon, thank you.

Chapter Two Hundred and Eight

Casey let out a heavy sigh as he pulled up in front of the familiar building, the tension in his shoulders already starting to lift while he put his truck into park before he glanced over towards his front door. The street was quiet, the soft light above their door illuminating enough of the sidewalk to help him see through the dark night that had blanketed the city.

It wasn't too late, just a little after nine or so, but it was late enough for Matt to be able to tell just how quiet the inside of his home was. And while he was more than eager to get inside and reunite with his family, the quietness surrounding him gave him a few more moments to decompress as Casey released another breath, letting his head fall back against the headrest.

This past week had been a taxing one on him, mentally as much as physically, as the man was just now returning from the conference that the department had made him attend. The conference that, while he knew would be good for the CFD in the future, had only made him a little homesick these past few days. There had been a lot of progress made, a lot that Matt knew would be beneficial to not only him and his first responders, but firefighters everywhere, but it had been a little hard for him to focus on those positives when his family was here back in Chicago.

Being away from his girls, and his heavily pregnant wife, that was never an easy thing for him. He'd spent years priding himself on being a family-man first, Casey knowing there was nothing he wanted more than to just spend as much time with his girls as possible. But being in separate states for the past week had made that a little challenging, to put it lightly. And knowing how far away he'd been, where he couldn't just easily drop everything to get to them, had certainly left his nerves a little hard to ignore as well. Even though he knew Gabby and the girls had never been left alone the entire time he was gone.

During his trip his wife and daughters had support around them constantly. From Ramon and Camila staying at the house with them, to Jemma stopping in whenever she could, along with his own mother- who was still in town wanting to spend time with his family, and Becca, who Matt knew had popped by more than once to help with the girls- during his entire trip, he knew these were the people who were looking after his family. And that knowledge had helped him, there was no way it wouldn't, as Matt would've been a complete nervous wreck had Gabby been left on her own to watch after their two girls while entering her 37th week of pregnancy.

But despite that, regardless of all the outside support and love their family had gotten while he was away, it wasn't the same as him being here. It wasn't the same as him being by his wife's side, here to help her and their girls in any way they could possibly need. Instead, he'd been having to do so from a distance, while other people looked after them. And while he appreciated the help, he was certainly grateful to not necessarily need it anymore now that this conference was behind him, and he was finally back home with his family. Because that's where he was meant to be.

Though part of him knew it went a little deeper than that, as well. While he was never one to enjoy spending any amount of time away from his family, his fears and anxieties about this trip went further than just being away from them, morphing more into him worrying that something might've happened with their baby while he was gone.

He'd never voiced his concerns to Gabby, or anyone else, but he'd be lying if he said there wasn't a part of him that worried that his wife might've gone into labor during his trip. With Gabby nearing the end of her pregnancy, and everything being so unpredictable he just hadn't been sure, but there were days it felt like he had just been waiting for the phone call that something had happened and Gabby was going into labor, when he would've been hundreds of miles away.

And he knew that was something he never would've forgiven himself for. Even if logically he knew it wasn't his fault, but had he not been here for Gabby when she went into labor. Or- God forbid, he had missed the birth of his child, he knew that would've eaten away at him for the rest of his life. To the point where his nerves had it on his mind frequently, worrying him that he might miss one of the most important things to ever happen to them.

Though thankfully, that call never came. Gabby hadn't gone into labor, he hadn't missed the birth of his third child. Instead, the calls that did come were the frequent Facetimes from Gabby and the girls, where they just wanted to see him and talk to him. Tell him how much they missed him. As well as the usual updates Ramon would give him. The ones that typically included pictures and videos, where his father-in-law would give him the rundown of everything that had happened that day; anything Gabby may have forgotten to mention, or just didn't deem important enough to share, Ramon was there to fill him in. Along with the frequent conversations with Jemma, as well as a few calls with Camila and his mom. Between all of that, Matt was sure he hadn't actually missed a moment of their time while he was away.

But still, no matter how many calls or photos he got, it wasn't the same as him being here. And- while he already knew this, after being away from his girls for the past week, that time only further cemented the fact that he never wanted to spend that much time away from them ever again. Or any time, if he could help it.

Letting out a soft breath, Matt killed the engine and reached over to grab his bag before getting out of the truck, not wanting to spend any more time out of their home than he already had. It took just seconds for him to get to their front door, Casey sliding the key into the lock and turning it before pushing the door open, the man stepping inside to find their cozy home quite similar to how he'd left it. Though the ones there to greet him weren't entirely what he'd been expecting.

While shutting the door behind him he could see Camila sitting perched up on the couch while Ramon was standing over in the kitchen, more than likely cleaning up whatever mess had been left over from dinner. But past the two of them, there was no one else here to be seen, Matt sparing a quick glance around before heading further inside.

"Oh, Matthew." Camila greeted warmly when she saw him, turning the television down while Ramon looked up at him.

"Hi son. Welcome home." Ramon said with just as much enthusiasm, Matt offering them both a warm smile before coming to a stop in the living room.

"Thanks guys, it's good to be back." Matt replied, his eyes instinctively moving around the room once more. Something Ramon had noticed.

"I'm sure this wasn't the welcome party you were expecting." He started with a chuckle, Casey waving him off before shaking his head. "The girls tried to stay up, but they were all pretty tired… Gabby especially." Ramon added, earning an understanding look from Matt. "Caitlyn and Sof were pretty… rambunctious today. I think they were excited about you coming home. Sofia especially, she was nearly bouncing off the walls."

Those last few words caused Casey to let out a soft chuckle, the gleam in his eyes telling both Ramon and Camila that he wasn't entirely surprised by the attitude of his youngest daughter. And they weren't either, as in these past few weeks Sofia had certainly been gaining more and more of her own personality. Really ever since her third birthday, it was like there had been a whole other level to the young Casey's character. And though she could be a bit wild at times, Matt still absolutely loved it.

"Sounds like Sof." Casey murmured to himself before taking a step further inside. "But the girls are okay?"

"They are, all of them." Camila assured him, seeing Matt smile once more before he nodded. "We mostly just hung around the house today, I know you know Jemma was here for a while… Her and I took the girls to the park for a while, while Gabby slept. And then we came back home and had dinner." She ran through their day, even though everyone in the room knew Matt had already been informed on what he'd missed earlier. But it was appreciated nonetheless. "Caity wanted us to wait and eat until you got here, I don't think she realized how late it was gonna be… But we got everyone fed, and the girls had their baths. And now they're all in your room." Camila explained as Casey soon glanced over towards his closed bedroom door.

"Gabriela was pretty tired." Ramon added on after placing a now-clean dish onto the drying rack.

"Yeah, she seemed exhausted when we talked earlier." Matt echoed.

"She was, poor thing." Camila chimed in.

"So we got her to go lay down, and I think the girls just wanted to be with her." Ramon continued to tell him, as Matt grinned at the mental image. "After eating dinner without you, Caitlyn swore up and down she was gonna stay up for you to get home, but I think it only took her about ten minutes before she was out." He finished with a laugh, one that Casey and Camila both soon copied.

"Sounds like Caity." Casey sighed out lightheartedly, letting his eyes linger on the bedroom door for a few more seconds before he took another step forward. Like he was being drawn to that room, as all he wanted now was to be with his girls. Even if they weren't asleep. "Are Gabby and Sof asleep too?"

"They were when I last checked on them." Camila replied, prompting Matt to nod.

"Good, that's good.. I'm glad they're resting." He responded while Camila lifted herself up off the couch.

"Would you like anything to eat, son?" Ramon cut in now that there had been a break in the conversation, his words regaining Casey's attention. "There's plenty of leftovers."

"I appreciate that, but I'm good. Not super hungry." He explained before nodding towards the bedroom. "I think I'm just gonna head to bed, it's been a long few days."

"I'm sure it has been." Ramon sympathized.

"Yes, but it was great to see you." Camila added on, her body moving the few steps towards Matt to give him a quick, yet comforting hug. "We're so glad you're back home. It sounds like things with the conference went well, though."

"They did, yeah. But I can't lie, I'm glad it's over.." He agreed, feeling her rub a hand over his back before they separated. "It's great to be back. And thank you again, the both of you. For being here and helping Gabby out with the girls. It means so much to us."

"Of course, Matthew. You don't need to thank us. We're here to help you anytime." She replied, giving him another smile before he took a step back. "You just go and get some rest, Ramon and I will finish cleaning up out here… I think we were gonna stay one more night, then get out of here tomorrow if that's alright."

"That's fine, yeah. Stay as long as you'd like." He assured them, Matt meaning every word as there was never a scenario in which he'd make Gabby's parents leave their home. Especially not after they'd set aside their time for an entire week to help them. "I'll see you guys in the morning, maybe we can all go out for breakfast if Gabby's feeling up for it."

"That would be great." Ramon agreed while Matt headed for the bedroom. "Get some rest, Matthew."

"I will, thank you." He told them, offering them both one last smile before he slowly entered his and Gabby's bedroom.

The first thing he noticed was the soft murmur coming from the television, along with the few lamps that had been left on to give their room some light, Casey poking his head in around the door before his eyes found the large bed sitting in the middle of their bedroom. That, just as Ramon and Camila had promised him, housed his family. And after going so long without seeing them, it was one of the best sights in the world to him. Even if they all were asleep.

Stepping further inside, Matt quietly shut the door behind him to cut them off from everything else before giving himself a moment to truly appreciate the view while his family slept peacefully in their king sized bed, the smile on his face only growing by the second.

Gabby was nestled up in the usual spot towards the middle of the bed, the pregnancy pillow beneath her cradling all the extra space her body was taking up as Matt knew that was one of the only ways she was able to sleep comfortably these days. Her back was to him, but by the way her back moved rhythmically with every breath she took he could only imagine she was still asleep, Matt letting his eyes rake over her very pregnant form before moving closer to the bed.

Behind Gabby was Caitlyn, the young girl tucked up against her mom's back-or as close as she could get, with her face hidden from view, Caity clinging to her mom in her sleep. Then Sofia, in typical Sofia fashion, was sprawled out on the mattress beside them, her small body taking up as much space as she physically could. And from the soft snores Matt could hear coming from her, he knew she was sleeping deeply, the man letting out a quiet laugh before he quietly set his bag down onto the ground.

He aimed to keep his movements soft, Matt not wanting to risk waking any of his family up while he moved further into the room. But those hopes quickly went away as not only a moment after he got to their bed he saw Gabby begin to shift around, Matt watching as she stretched out her legs while slowly coming into consciousness.

He wasn't sure what had woken her up- if it was him, or if she just hadn't moved in a while and her growing body was alerting her to that, there was no way to be sure. But either way, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little happy to see her waking up, as no matter how much he knew she needed to rest, he'd been looking forward to seeing his wife again ever since he left.

Matt moved closer to her while she shifted around, putting himself in her view as Gabby continued to stretch before letting her eyes focus on the person standing in front of her. And when she did, it was impossible to miss the way her eyes lit up, a smile soon joining the elated look on her face while Matt matched her wide grin.

"Baby…" She murmured happily before releasing a yawn, Casey chuckling softly before taking the last few steps towards her, placing his hand down on the mattress to support his weight while moving to give her a kiss. "You're home."

"I'm home." He whispered against her lips, feeling her smile before they kissed once more, Matt moving his free hand up to cradle her protruding stomach. "How are my girls?" He questioned once they separated, but he never went too far as Gabby kept her palm resting lightly against his cheek.

"We're good… The girls missed their Daddy, but we're doing okay. Glad you're home, though." She responded after clearing a bit of the sleep from her voice, Matt continuing to grin in her direction before he turned his hand to kiss the inside of her hand.

"Me too." He spoke, kissing her skin once more before returning his attention forward. "...What about you? Did you miss me as much as the girls did?" He challenged, seeing his wife's sly smile before she nodded.

"Maybe more." She told him, causing that goofy gleam to reappear in his eyes.

"More, huh?"

"Mhmm." Gabby hummed in agreement. "But no, we all missed you very much… Not enough to stay awake for when you get home, but we did miss you." She teased, pulling a few quiet laughs from him while he stroked his thumb along her stomach.

"Well, I can't say I blame you all. It's getting pretty late. And after having to take care of these girls without me for the past week, I'd say you deserve as much sleep as you want." He reminded her, though Gabby was quick to give him a look.

"Yeah, but it's not like I was by myself the entire time…"

"Still." He responded with a shrug. "But at least we're done with this now. No more being away from each other." Matt added on, seeing his wife smile before she nodded.

"Hopefully not." She agreed, rubbing her hand along his face one last time before letting her arm drop back down to the bed. "But it all went okay, didn't? It seems like you all made some good progress." She replied sleepily as Matt gave her a matching nod.

From their frequent conversations, Gabby knew almost everything that had gone on at this conference. What all the department was working towards, the changes and safety precautions they were wanting to implement, along with the progression they were wanting to make with departments all across the Midwest. She knew it all, almost as if she had been there herself.

"Yeah, it did… As much as I hate to admit it, I think all this was a good thing." He sighed out while Gabby scrunched her nose up in amusement. "If it was just a little closer to home, it would've been better."

"I understand babe. But you're back home with us now, and that's what matters." She reminded him, Matt's smile growing ever so slightly before he nodded.

"I am, and it is." He agreed, leaning down to kiss her once more before his eyes moved behind her where their girls were resting, their unconscious state making them oblivious to his presence.

"...You wanna wake them up, don't you?" Gabby asked somewhat suddenly after noticing the look on his face, Matt now grinning sheepishly before he shrugged.

"I miss them." He told her, Gabby feeling that familiar rush of warmth move through her chest as she nodded. "I don't wanna wait until morning to see them. And besides, Sof over there is kind of in my spot." He joked lightly, seeing his wife laugh at his words.

"Fair point… So I guess you'd have to wake them up regardless." She played along, Matt's eyes crinkling with his smile as he nodded up and down quickly.

"I think you're right." He agreed, kissing her one last time before beginning to move around the bed to where he'd have better access to his daughters.

Both of them were still fast asleep, but Sofia was clearly deeper into her slumber than Caitlyn was, Matt then choosing to greet their oldest first as he reached out to rest his hand over the girl's back.

She didn't stir at first, Caity only digging herself deeper into the bed while Matt rubbed her back.

"Caity." He murmured, seeing her begin to move around while she gradually was pulled from her slumber.

"Caitlyn, Daddy's home." Gabby spoke a little clearer as Caitlyn woke up, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion while she tried to grasp her surroundings.

"I'm home, baby." Matt added on, the little girl beginning to look around before finally focusing on her father.

It took her a minute to place what was going on, that much they did know, but soon enough Caitlyn registered her dad's presence. And more so how she hadn't had that these past few days, the sleepy smile on her face widening before she began to push herself up.

"Daddy!" She cheered happily, her tired demeanor not able to hide any excitement as she crawled her way over to him, Matt taking her into his arms easily.

She was wearing one of Gabby's t-shirts, the material drowning her as she cuddled into his chest, letting him hold her while she dug herself deep into his embrace.

"I missed you so much, Daddy."

Her words were muffled by his neck, but him and Gabby both were able to hear her. "I missed you too, princess. So much."

"We all missed you lots. But I was a good girl for Momma, I helped lots and lots." She told him through a yawn, Gabby laughing softly while Matt merely grinned.

"I'm so grateful for that, baby. Thank you for helping out your Momma." He told her just as they noticed Sofia beginning to shift around on the bed, the commotion around her seemingly helping to pull her from her sleep.

"Sof! Daddy's home." Caitlyn spoke brightly, keeping her arms wrapped around his neck while speaking to her half-asleep sister. "Sof look!"

The toddler let out a few whines and yawns before starting to open her eyes. It was evident that she was confused, much like Caitlyn had been, but after looking around for a few seconds she finally noticed her dad standing in front of her.

"Dada!" She said happily, Matt matching the big smile on her face before reaching an arm out towards her.

"There's my other princess, come here sweet girl." He encouraged, Sofia soon getting up onto her shins before crawling towards him. She was moving a bit slower than her older sister had been, but she was able to get to him regardless before Matt scooped her up into his embrace, the two sharing a similar greeting as he peppered her face with kisses. "I'm so glad to be home, I missed you guys." He said again, Gabby content to just watch her family while the girls took a moment to be with their dad.

"Dada home." Sofia spoke choppily as Matt gave her a nod.

"I am, I'm home now. And I'm not going anywhere else."

"Yay!" Caitlyn cheered through another yawn, before Casey pressed a kiss to her head.

"You sleepy, baby?" He asked, and though he and Gabby both could tell she wanted to say no, there was no denying how exhausted she was after being woken up. And Sofia was much the same, the three year old having nearly fallen back asleep already. "How about we get back to bed?"

"Are you gonna sleep in here with me and Sof?" She questioned back innocently, though her phrasing couldn't help but make him laugh, as it was clear she and Sofia had no intentions of leaving his and Gabby's bedroom tonight. Which is how they'd slept most nights while he was gone, both girls wanting to be close to their mom without him there.

"I am, sweetheart." He responded, feeling Sofia's breath begin to even out against his neck, telling him that the toddler was likely asleep.

"Yay!" Caity cheered, though her voice was quiet not only from her own exhaustion, but in an attempt to not rewake her sister. "I'm so glad Daddy's home."

Caitlyn cuddled herself back into him while she spoke, her words going straight to his heart as he looked towards Gabby, who was watching him with that unmistakably loving gleam in her eye. The same one he hadn't seen in what felt like far too long as Matt continued to soak in this time with his family, the man refusing to take any second of this for granted.

"Me too, honey… Me too."