Hello my dear readers!

This is the final chapter of this amazing story, and with the amount of review I had from chapter one, I guess you liked it. But I have no longer inspiration, and I prefer to end GTT on a good note rather than a bad one.

As I told you, this is a happy ending, as usual with me. You will know what kind of project Kelly and Dr. Bradigan have had (and I really hope you will like it), and what kind of life Matt and Gabby will have now.

I can't explain more, because you are going to read it, but I would like to read your thoughts about this story and this end. It would cheer me up to see all of you writing something in a review ^^

I hope you liked this story, and if someone has an idea for a sequel or anything, just tell me. I am up to every proposal.

Chapter 30 (epilogue): A new life

After two months of intensive rehab in a medical center, Matt and Gabby had been cleared to get out of this hell and come back to their apartment, the one Leslie and Klly had taken great care in their absence. The two lovers had faced numerous obstacles the time for them to readjust to their new life, especially Gabby. She struggled, worked hard until the complete exhaustion of her body, in order to simply prove to everyone that, despite her new disability, she could continue the job of her dream, or at least continue to dream. She knew it would take a lot of time before passing the exams to become a firefighter, and she felt not ready to do this, but coming back to the firehouse and working with her partner in crimes again made her the happiest woman in this world. The only hitch in this story was that Mat could no longer be a fireman, and he started to become depressed. No longer able to see colors with an eye, his director eye, it meant that his career was over. The Headquarters had granted to reversion of three-quarters of his salary as a lieutenant, which was more than enough for a living, in addition to the salary of Gabby, but he didn't like this. He felt like a prisoner, unable to achieve what he wanted. He couldn't work anymore as a self-constructor, not like before: having refused to wear the glasses from Dr. Bradigan, any light blinded him and his right side became a huge blind spot. He had tried once to work on a frame, he had ended up in hospital with cracked bones in his hand because he had kicked himself with a hammer. Since then, he languished in the apartment, rejecting Gabby without wanting it. The only one cheering Matt up was Diam, crying endlessly when Matt was angry. So, he took him in his arms, lay down on the sofa or the bed and laid Diam on his chest, the dog posing at full length on Matt and placing its muzzle on his chin. It was a weird position for Gabby, but this greatly soothed Matt so, she said nothing. She couldn't, because in his place, she would be in the same state of mind. She knew it wasn't against her, but against his disability. Stay at home as he had to, he was just becoming crazy, almost not leaving the bedroom, almost not feeding anymore, despair had seized him. All this for an eye. Matt said nothing, but he was on the precipice, he was ready to take the big step. His whole life had changed suddenly, and this life wasn't for him. It seemed weird, but he missed fighting fires, he missed saving lives, being at the firehouse with his friends. This life was behind him, and he wanted endlessly to look over his shoulder. It couldn't end like this.

Kelly often came to the hospital to help Dr. Bradigan as he could on their project. It was hard for him to not get the attention of the others, but he always found a few hours here and there to come. The project was progressing well, the duo having obtained all conceivable permissions to achieve it. It meant a lot for them, specifically for the physician. If he managed to complete this, they were necessarily going to talk about him, and it put more pressure on him. Surprisingly, the Headquarters of the Fire Department was very interested by the idea developed by Kelly, and they had a good reason. But before this, they had to succeed. It's been two months now, the two men worked as damned, finding the materials, designing models, it required so much precision that they became hopeless. During the ninth week of work, Kelly had arrived in their workroom, completely out of himself, explaining to the doctor that they had to hurry because Matt was in very bad shape and that they had to succeed within the next couple days in order to not lose him forever, because he was close of breaking. The ophthalmologist understood this perfectly well, and worked twice harder than before, spending his free times, his nights, his family moments in order to succeed. Almost a week later, the doctor suddenly began to scream and jump of joy, calling Kelly in the second to explain that he had completed their project and it seemed to work. The latter called immediately the Headquarters for assistance and to test the project in a simulation at the Academy, something the chiefs accepted. After all, if it really worked, it could give hope to many people.

"Are you ready Kelly? We must now give the news to Matt, huh?"

"Hell yeah! But, I think it would be better to do this to Molly's, our bar. I'll call Herrmann and Otis to organize it this evening. And I have to call Gabby as well, to manage to convince Matt to come."

Soon, he grabbed his cell phone to call everyone and ask them to come to Molly's the very evening without explaining anything. And they accepted. Even Gabby had managed to convince Matt to come with her and Diam to spend some time with everyone, even though she didn't know why, she trusted Kelly blindly. Around 9pm, all the members of the firehouse 51 were gathered around Matt, who tried to smile while he didn't want to be there, he wanted to come back to the apartment and lie down on the bed, as he was used to now. So, Kelly decided to take action. He called Dr. Bradigan, who arrived about ten minutes later with a large package in hands, wrapped in gift paper with fire truck patterns, making laugh a lot of people in the bar. Matt saw it with a jaundiced eye and had already stood up, ready to leave.

"Hi, Matt. I have a little something for you", the doctor explained, putting the package on a table.

Soon, Matt turned to Kelly, his eyes almost filled with anger.

"Kelly, if you've convinced Gabby to take me here just to give me a gift and try to cheer me up, then I go. I don't want to be here."

Matt was already turning tail when Kelly placed his left hand on his shoulder to make him turn. There was nothing to say at this precise moment: the two friends, the two brothers knew each other enough to no longer need to speak.

"Matt, please. I… Please."

Seeing the despair in Kelly's eyes, Matt quickly understood that it was important enough to hear the voice of his brother completely broken and trembling.

He looked down a little and nodded, turning to the table. He sighed and began to tear the paper, then open the box. When he saw what was inside, he frowned and got the object out: a SCBA. But Matt knew well these materials, and he saw almost immediately that there were some things new. The glass was more tinged, there was a king of a lever on the side of the mask. He was intrigued, lost, with his mind full of questions as he turned to a smiling doctor.

"What is this joke?" he said, pissed.

"Matt, Matt, calm down!"

"No, I won't calm down! You gave me a SCBA while I can't be a firefighter anymore! I'm out of here!"

He ran toward the door, but Herrmann stopped him immediately, despite the fact that Matt was forcing the passage. This 'gift' was the last straw for him. Crying and screaming, he collapsed to the ground, only supported by the fireman who had trained him and Gabby, who threw her eyes filled with anger at Kelly and the ophthalmologist. She had trusted Kelly when she shouldn't have, and she blamed herself for having led the person she loved in Molly's when he wasn't in shape.

"Matt…", Kelly tried.

"DON'T APPROACH ME!" Matt shouted. "I don't want you to come near me! GO AWAY!"

He looked up, revealing his flushed face and his reddened eyes. All could read how Matt had plunged into darkness. In reality, it was like he was no longer himself, but his own ghost. Compressed in the middle of the members of the firehouse 51 he didn't even know, Dr. Bradigan clenched his fists. He had to explain to Matt.

"This is a special mask", he managed to say despite the ambient noise.

Everyone shut up and turned to this person none of them knew.

"It's… This mask… It's set the visually impaired for color blindness and achromatic people. Like… You."

He stopped speaking, hoping to see in his former patient any emotion. Seeing that he didn't understand, Kelly took the relay from the physician to explain this to his brother, still sitting on the floor.

"Do you remember the glasses? Those with which you had no visual problems?"

Still crying, Matt nodded hardly, trying to understand what was happening.

"I asked Dr. Bradigan to adapt this technology to our mask", Kelly explained calmly, kneeling in front of his brother. "It took us some time, but this afternoon, we succeeded and we tested it at the Academy. It works, Matt."

In a second, Matt began to realize what it meant. It was a mask made for him, and only him. A mask with which he could see, despite the intensity of the light from the flames.

"I can go back at the firehouse, Matt", Kelly then affirmed, surprising everyone.

"B-but… But… I signed them… My retirement papers", Matt stammered.

"I asked the Headquarters to put them aside, the time for us to achieve this project. The chiefs are aware, and that's why we could do this, thanks to them. You're a great firefighter Matt, nobody wanted you to give up your dream because of… Of this freaking sight. They said yes, but not only for you."

Matt frowned slightly, uncertain of what Kelly meant.

"We wanted to give you hope, but… But in reality, we give hope to all those visually impaired people who wanted and want to become a firefighter, but who can't because of their vision. We did this for you mainly, but also for them, for this new generation. So that they can become firefighters."

Matt finally understood what his brother meant: this mask, it represented all he had lost and now somehow recovered, it represented his forgotten and abandoned dream, the dream of numerous people who wanted with all their heart to be a firefighter like him, but found themselves blocked at the door of the Academy because of their disability. So, at this precise moment, it wasn't tears of anger rolling down his cheeks, it was tears of joy. Because he still could dream awake.

"Y-you… You made this f-for me?" he managed to ask between sobs.

Kelly smiled, hugging his little brother, ready to cry as well.

"Yes, Matt. I did this for you. Because I love my brother, and I don't want to lose him."

The two best friends remained still for minutes, in the arms of each other. Everyone around them were smiling, as surprised as Matt. Even Shay wasn't aware or anything, and it made her cry to see how far Kelly was ready to go for Matt's dream, he was ready to create a new technology for this. After five long minutes, Kelly helped Matt to stand and try this new mask made for him. He was thrilled, delighted. He couldn't find any words.

"And this lever?"

"Oh yeah! I've forgotten! It corresponds to the modes you can use. Each mode corresponds to a different vision: achromatic, the different types of color blindness and also normal vision, with only the correction for your sight? Myopia or hyperopia."

"Oah… You did an amazing job. You are crazy guys!"

Leslie took the opportunity to approach his beloved and kiss him.

"I can't believe you've hidden this to me."

"I haven't, you didn't ask. Not the same thing."

The two lovers laughed. Indeed, it wasn't the same thing. She knew something was off because Kelly came back home later and later every night, but she had never expected this. She had thought of everything but this.

"Oh, Matt. The headquarters would want you to spend some days at the Academy. To get back of your feet and get used to your mask. The chiefs don't want to send you in a structure fire, knowing that… Well, you know what I mean, right?"

Matt nodded, he did get it. These last few weeks, he hadn't really taken care of his body and he had lost a lot of weight and muscles. He had to resume the gym and sport in general, he had to start feeding himself properly, he had to find back all the reflexes of the job.

"When do I start?"

"There will be a new session next week. You're free to be in."

He nodded again, happy as he never had been before. Diam approached him to lick his face, as to say that he was happy for him. Then Gabby approached as well to hug him. Matt wanted to kiss her, but she avoided him.

"Out of question to kiss me after him!" she laughed, making everyone laugh at the same time.

It was a new beginning.

About a month later, Matt was back at the firehouse, taking back his former post. Just the idea of getting into his truck made him happy, and everyone could see it. The firehouse, it was his house. He felt more alive, more active, more cheerful, crunching life. But today, he didn't return to work as usual: chief Tiberg had called him to have a conversation as soon as possible. So, arrived at the Academy, he knocked at the door and came in when the chief gave him the permission.

"Chief Tiberg."

"Lieutenant Casey. Thanks for coming", he said, shaking hands. "please, have a seat."

He sat down a chair and waited Tiberg to explain the why of this conversation.

"Within the week, we will integrate an additional class at the Academy. We would like to know if you are interested to supervise this new class."

"S-supervise? But… But why me?"

"This class is reserved for the visual impaired people. And… Only you can understand them and calm their doubts. This is probably going to sound rude and inappropriate, but as you are achromatic now…"

"You think I am fit to teach them how to become a firefighter. Because I am like them."

"Indeed. It's the idea."

Matt thought, he had never really done this, teaching. But he told himself that it was like a candidate: as a lieutenant in charge, he had to teach him all the tricks of the job.

"How many recruits?"

"According to the registrar, about twenty. Dr. Bradigan and his team had already done the necessary to begin to work on the masks. They will be ready before the beginning of the class."

Dr. Bradigan had experienced a meteoric celebrity after the announcement of this technical advance, and the Headquarters had offered him the opportunity to work in the world of firefighters and develop these masks. However, every mask was unique and fit the wearer. Matt took a deep breath.

"Alright. I take up the challenge."

A week later, Matt was highly stressed. It was his first day as a teacher, and he wondered whether he would be good or not. He put on his glasses, those that beforehand, he had refused to wear when he was still in the hospital. This time, he had accepted to see colors, he had wanted everything to be as it was before.

"Everything is gonna be alright, Matt. Trust me, you're probably the only firefighter able to teach them how to become like you. That's why chief Tiberg had thought of you."

He looked down and nodded, kissing Gabby.

"You are right."

"I am always right", she teased him.

"Don't push it!"

One last hug with his beloved, one last kiss with Dia and he went to the Academy, when his class was waiting for him. Chief Tiberg came to see him to give him the box with the masks for every recruit.

"How are you feeling Matt?"

"Stressed", he admitted. "But I'll be okay, it's like the relationship between a lieutenant and his candidate, right?"

"If you want to see it like this, then yes. Go on, lieutenant. Your class is waiting for you."

He shook the chief's hand, then walked toward the classroom with the box in his hands. Arrived in front of the door, he froze. He felt his heart beating very fast in his chest, stressed and excited at the same time. So, to calm himself down, he inhaled deeply and entered. The class was noisy, but as soon as he entered, all became quiet and took place, standing and saluting him. Matt didn't show it, but he was impressed.

"Dismiss."

Everyone sat without a word while Matt put the box on the desk.

"Welcome to the Fire Academy of Chicago. I know that this class had just been inaugurated and that this class is special, but don't expect from me special treatments. You will have a very rough time, like the other recruits, even more. Because they all see your disability as it is, while the Headquarters and I see it as a benefit. You can see the world, each situation from a different perspective. And it is your advantage."

"How our color blindness can be an advantage?" one of the recruits challenged, obviously not convinced by the speech.

Nervously, Matt smiled, removing his glasses.

"Chief Tiberg asked me to supervise this class, but do you know why?"

A silence settled, none of the recruits being able to answer. So, the lieutenant decided to explain why.

"A few months ago, a car hit me at full speed. I was brain dead. The doctors tried something on my brain, which left me with color blindness in my right eye. My career as a firefighter was over, but these masks I have with me", he explained, pointing to the box behind him, "it allowed me to still be a firefighter. The technology used for your daily worn glasses was reused for those masks. Each mask of this box corresponds to the vision of one of you. I am here to teach you how to become a firefighter, but prior to train you to use this mask at full capacity. I will do to you the best firefighters we've seen."

The silence continued, the new teacher seeing in each gaze on him this little light indicating that they now trusted him. He was satisfied, he felt more at ease, listened and admired.

"We can start now?"