I actually had gotten this chapter done last night, and was going to post it, but I ended up in the emergency room because of some pain in my side. All the way I was being whining and childish because I was in pain and the only thing I could worry about was that I didn't post this like I had been planning. My mom thought I had hit my head because my priorities were 'out of whack'. Her words. Trust me I knew that it was stupid, and I blame the pain for clouding my mind.

But anyways, turns out it was nothing major. They gave me some pain killers, and just told me to rest. When I woke up this morning no pain! So thank god for that.

Now, I was both impressed and startled to see that the first chapter got 9 reviews and 450 hits! I'm glad that you all like it, and hope that you like this chapter.

Disclaimer: Seriously? Do you really think I own Chicago Fire? If I did Dawson/Casey? Yeah, they would have more flirty should they/shouldn't they moments, and Severide/Casey would be getting their bromance on because those two are awesome! And hot. So no. I don't own Chicago Fire. Never will.

It had been several hours since they had arrived at the hospital, and he was still in his gear though his jacket was on a chair, and being used for a pillow by Shay, who silently staring at the wall in front of her. He was pacing the floor restlessly, ready to march up to nurses station, and demand any information on Gabriela.

He growled lowly to himself before finally throwing himself in a chair by Shay's head. He bent over, fisting his hair in frustration, and started to take some deep breaths to hopefully calm himself down.

Come on Gabriela. I can't lose you. You're the only one keeping me sane with this Voight situation, he thought desperately, hoping that she could be able to hear his thoughts in some way or another. I need you, he admitted, and he let out a hallow laugh at how pathetic he sounded.

He jumped when a cool hand rested on his arm, and he looked over to see Shay sitting up, and staring at him causing him to sigh, and place a hand over hers.

"She'll be okay." The blonde woman said softly, and he snorted incredulity.

"And how do you know that?" He muttered glaring at her slightly.

She returned his look before softening her eyes, "Because she wouldn't be able to stand the thought of leaving you before you knew." He looked at her questioningly.

"Knew? Knew what?"

"That she loves you."

His heart stopped, and he stared at her with wide and surprised eyes, searching hers for any deception, but saw nothing but the truth.

Gabriela loves him.

Suddenly, his dark thoughts weren't so dark any more, and he let himself believe that she would make it. That she would pull through, and not leave him.

Somehow, things started to look a little bit brighter, and started to feel a little bit warmer, and a little bit bigger, and just a little bit more.

Because Gabriela loves him.

There were very few woman in Kelly Severide's life that he would show outward concern about. His mother was an obvious choice, but his grandmother was on that list as well. So was his best friend and roommate Leslie Shay, but Gabriela Dawson was the only other woman, who would have him not deny that he was concern and scared absolutely shitless for when she was hurt because somehow along the way she had become as sort of a younger sister to him.

And because of that role in she has in his life, he knew things about hers. Like how she cooks when stressed but rarely does it when she isn't, and she loves to sing but was to shy to let anyone hear, and while she's a total badass EMT, she's still a total girl about her personal life.

Like how she's in love with Matthew Casey.

Usually he would be able to tell when she was interested in some guy, and she would be giving little details of information on them, but he always got the sense that they would never last.

And they didn't.

But, and he didn't like admitting this, but it took him awhile to realize that Dawson had feelings for the blonde man. She hid it much better then with the usual guys, and when he found out he had to think that maybe this was different.

Maybe it was because the two were already close friends and cared about each other, or maybe it was because Casey was engaged to Hallie and she doesn't want to become between the two of them and cause any problems, or maybe it's because what she feels for Casey was definitely different then what she felt for those other guys.

He observed the two interact when ever he was in the same room, and he could see the slight longing and pain in her brown eyes as she stared at Casey, but would never do or be anything more then his friend unless she honestly thought she had a chance to be with him.

But he knew things about that relationship that she didn't.

Like how whenever Casey enters room his eyes instantly searches for her, and the tight lines by his eyes and mouth relaxes when he finds her; and whenever she and Shay are talking about some guy she met, and Casey was around doing whatever it was he was doing he tenses, and his hands start to curl into fists, but he always stopped himself from doing something stupid; and there's always this soft admiration in his eyes when he glances at her.

Severide wondered if she would believe him if he told her that Casey was in love with her too.

Because from what he's witnessed between the two of them, Casey was.

He just didn't know it.

Severide walked into the hospital, a bag slung over his shoulder, and with Hermann, Mills, Otis, Mouch, Cruz, the Chief, and the guys from Squad following behind him. He spotted Shay and Casey sitting down with their backs to them, and her head resting on his shoulder, and he could just picture Casey staring blankly at the wall before them.

The group walked over to them, their light chattering breaking the silence around the two blondes causing them to look up startled.

"Any news?" He asked as the noise quieted down, and he watched as Casey tense and shook his head, and Shay putting a reassuring hand on his arm.

"No. She's been in sur-" Shay voice's broke off, and she cleared her throat, "in surgery. She had a punctured lung."

There was an awkward and uncomfortable silence after that, and the guys started to move to sit down. He stepped forward, dropping the bag down in front of them, and the three of them stared at it for a moment.

"There's a change of clothes for you two." Severide said breaking the silence between them.

Casey started to shake his head, but was stopped when Shay whispered something to him.

"She would want you to take care of yourself." Any fight that he had drained out of him, and he nodded reluctantly before grabbing the handle of the bag, and standing up. Shay following him as they made their way to the bathrooms down the hall.

He sat down next to the seat that Casey had just vacated, and felt someone stand behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the Chief was frowning at the direction Shay and Casey had went.

"He seems to be taking this harder then anyone else." Boden said quietly as he sat down. Severide thought over his answer not wanting to reveal the potential relationship material between the firefighter and EMT, but then he remembered the homicidal gleam in Casey's eyes as he stared at the man set on destroying him.

"He saw Voight at the scene." The Chief's eyes snapped to his in surprise, and he could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

"He thinks that he had something to do with it?"

Severide shrugged, "Probably did, but had some guys do the dirty work like everything else, but-" He paused, his brows furrowing slightly in confusion, "why did he go after Gabs in the first place?" He asked slightly afraid of the answer. If Voight thought that Casey had feelings for Gabriela…

"I think he figured out that Casey cares for her." Severide's eyes shot to the Chief's, and the older man smirked slightly though it was tainted with a fear that Severide was slightly surprised to see, "Do you really think that something like that would just go unnoticed?" He asked rhetorically, and Severide snorted more at himself then at the question because of course he would know about the feelings shared between Casey and Gabriela.

"Does he realize that he made this much more personal? That he now has the whole Firehouse to deal with?" Severide asked quietly, and Boden smirk this time was a little more cold, and a little more genuine, and Severide would really hate to be Voight right now.

"If not then he will soon."

Severide started to say something, but stopped when he caught sight of Casey and Shay coming back, looking much more cleaner and healthier.

The sweat and dirt that was on their faces and in their hair was gone, and the uniforms were in the now bulging bag that was in Casey's hand. They were both in jeans, while Casey had a green tee-shirt and a red hoodie on, and Shay a white tank top and a blue flannel.

Just as they reached the group with Casey placing the bag by his feet, when the doctor, in blue scrubs that was covered in blood, came out and over to them.

Instantly everyone was on their feet and talking at once, overwhelming the doctor slightly before the Chief quieted them down with a stern look.

Casey-anxious to hear the news, and yet he couldn't tear his eyes way from the red stains on the blue material. Gabriela's blood. Oh god, he thought vaguely with a sick feeling in his stomach-stepped closer to the man, and blurted out, "Is she okay?"

The doctor, Dr. Paulson, sighed tiredly, "I won't lie. It was touch and go for a moment in there, but we were able to repair the damage to the lung. We set the break in her arm, and it should heal cleanly in a month. There was some swelling from the concussion, but it should go down in the next few days. All in all, she should make a full recovery." He spoke reassuringly to the worried men and woman.

There was a sigh of relief from everyone as they were finally able to relax.

"When can I-we see her?" Casey asked quickly correcting himself.

The doctor smiled knowingly, "She's being placed in ICU right now. So, no more then two visitors. I can show you to your girlfriend's room." He offered, but startling everyone, but Casey, Shay, Severide, the Chief, and surprisingly Mills.

Casey didn't correct the man, and gave him a curt nod.

As the two men walked away, they left a group of startled and confused people behind them.

"Did anyone else notice that Casey didn't correct him when Dawson was called his girlfriend?" Otis broke the silence that had descended on them.

The Chief straighten, and gave Otis a stern look before saying, "I don't think that's any of your business now is it?" He asked rhetorically before heading in the direction of the doctor and Casey had followed.

Otis, startled, sputtered randomly before Hermann slapped on the back.

Otis shot the older man a look, "What? You were all thinking it!"

Severide shook his head with a roll of his eyes.

He was silent as he followed the doctor. His steps fade into the noise of the hall, but he forced himself to concentrate on the feeling of the hard floor under his feet, the rise and fall of his chest as he breaths deeply, the chilled air of the air conditioners on his skin-skin that felt too tight and not his as he concentrated on not shaking in anger and guilt and worry and relief and so many other emotions that he was having some trouble identifying them.

Dr. Paulson stopped so suddenly that Casey almost ran into him, but was able to not run into him. The doctor turned to face him as he stepped back.

Gesturing to the door, the other man gave him a small smile, "This is her room. She's still unconscious but should wake up in the next couple of hours."

"I-Thank you." Casey said gratefully, the relief in his tone was obvious.

The doctor put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "She'll be fine. That woman is a fighter. I'd wouldn't let her go if I were you."

His throat closed up, and he shut his eyes, hoping to not lose the tightly wound control he was able grab a hold of when it he almost lost it earlier, and nodded curtly before walking into the room.

There was no lights on, the only light was coming from the window as the sun was rising for the new day. He could hear the continuous and steady beep of the heart monitor, and some of the tension in his body melted away, and he knew that when she opened her eyes the rest would just go away.

He stood awkwardly in the doorway as his gaze landed on her.

Her face, her beautiful beautiful face, was pale and he could see some bruising that had formed on her head around her temple, where she must have slammed against the cement, and he flinched at the visual he just pictured. Her chest was slowly moving up and down as she breathed assuring him that she was indeed alive. And she was so still. Too still.

It was an odd sight from the Gabriela that he knows because she was always moving in some way-a tap of her foot, moving around in the kitchen, the sway of her hips to a song that she like, or whenever she was in action at a scene.

Hesitating, he made his way to the chair that was placed by the bed. He sat down just looking at her, trying to think of something, but his mind was in a strange state as it raced with thoughts and feelings and alternate scenarios, but was blissfully blank at the same time.

Her hand was by her side just laying there and not moving with the occasional twitch her fingers, and he stared at it. Hands that were so small and delicate and saved the lives of so many people and had death stained on them and…and…and had a tight grip on his heart and he didn't even know it, but he did now and all he had to do was grab a hold of it and never let go.

He grabbed her hand.

"Gabriela."

She was surrounded fire. Intense, scalding fire. Everywhere she turned she saw the crazy orange flames whipping around wildly, and with no way out, and with no one to help her.

She screamed over and over, hoping someone would hear, but no one did.

Fear and sadness enveloped her. Somehow, she knew that she wouldn't make it, and the regrets of her life came to her.

Turning down Dante for a date in middle school.

Breaking up with her boyfriend a few weeks before senior prom.

The fight with her parents that had caused their estrangement.

Not telling Andy that he was such a dear friend to her.

And Matt.

There was so many things she wished she could've told him when she had the chance.

Like that he was such a good friend, and that she was grateful for that relationship. That he was an amazing leader, and the she believed in him even if he didn't sometimes. That she knew Severide still thought of him as one of closets friends, but he was just hurt and guilty over Andy's death, and that she wanted to tell him that so that those two could get their friendship back on track because they are being complete and total idiots.

She wished she had the chance to tell him that she loved him.

Because she does with her whole heart, and she knew that she shouldn't because he's engaged and he loves Hallie, and she likes Hallie, and they're good for each other, but still she would just have like to have one moment where she could tell him that despite knowing he doesn't feel the same, she was so completely in love with him that she wanted whatever made him happy.

Suddenly the fire around her calmed and parted, and she saw nothing but never ending black, but she was filled with a renewed hope when she stared out at that the ominous looking emptiness.

Just as she walked passed through the parted flames cautiously, she heard a whisper.

"Gabriela."

Her throat tighten at the familiar voice, and her heart that was heavy with regret lighten considerably, and she could feel tears form in her eyes in happiness and confusion and surprise.

And that hope just seem like a little more somehow now that she knew he was with her.

"Matt."

Okay. The dream sequence? Yeah, not how I meant for it to go, but I like the set up. Still no actual Dawson/Casey interaction, and no Hallie confronting Casey. I wanted to focus more on the team and Casey and Dawson.

Please tell me someone has noticed that Casey had went from calling her Dawson to Gabriela both in his mind and out loud? I've been waiting for someone to say something about it because it was intentional. Just wait to next chapter because that will also be explained.

Again reviews are loved.
-ARF