A/N: I know that I have Puzzles to keep on writing but I loved the last episode especially final Casey/Severide interaction. I've waited so long for them to start working as a team again and I'm not talking about their professional responsibilities, mind you. That's why I wanted to rewrite some scenes of It ain't easy, showing how I see it and where I hope it will lead. Here's the first chapter. I'm planning to write one more about them on that roof with Vargas.

"We are placing him on a long term disability"

Only then did he realize that all of it was really happening. Now it wasn't just an uncomfortable feeling that there was some wall separating Vargas from them. They were going to lose one more of their family and there was nothing he could do about that.

"When I get all this paperwork together I will talk to Vargas"

So it appeared there was still one thing he could. He could make it less impersonal, could be there for him and tell him himself. That wasn't that he didn't trust Chief to make it right but Vargas had been his responsibility all these years and he deserved to know from a comrade.

Beside him Severide flinched unconsciously and he remembered that he was there too and more important Severide was Vargas' superior now, not him. And if anything he should be part of the decision. Casey looked at him silently asking him who'd be the one. He did it more out of a habit than anything else. Because really the time they had been able to understand each other without words, well it had been gone in the same fire with Andy.

To his surprise though Severide met his gaze and he could see there pain and fear but in the same time determination to do the right thing. He nodded and Casey was somehow sure it wasn't about him taking the leads but agreeing to do that together.

"We'll tell him" He said for both of them and that felt strangely good.

Chief didn't answer just nodded approvingly and let them go. Telling something like that couldn't be easy to anyone and Boden wasn't going to ask them just hoping they would volunteer themselves.

They entered the room quietly not knowing how they was going to do that but pretty sure they would let Vargas have his time with the rest of the crew before they got that away from him.

"You're back. Good. It doesn't taste well in a cold state." Otis muttered trying to ignore the tension that was hanging after two men entering the room.

"Then we're better shut up and enjoy the meal" Severide chuckled sitting down. Casey did the same though he couldn't stop glancing at Vargas when he wasn't looking at him trying to imagine how it could be feeling to be in his place.

"Okay guys. What is happening? Have you seen my results?"

Vargas was the one who made the first move and it felt wrong in so many ways. Still Casey was glad he did that.

"Let's talk in the locker room" He suggested hoping for some privacy.

Vargas nodded and Casey was sure he had already understood everything.

"So that's it?" He asked the second they were alone in the locker room. A simple question but Casey didn't know how to answer it. All clichés like 'We're sorry' and 'There's so much for you there besides this work' just didn't sound right.

"I'm sorry Vargas" Severide tried to find words. "It could have happened to any of us."

"Well, be glad it didn't happen to you" Was what they got in return and they couldn't blame him. They stripped him out of any possibility to deny things, leading him right into the second stage of acceptance, anger. But Severide shouldn't be the only one to be angry at, if all they were the ones who brought water to those shavings.

"Hey. You're getting paid. Three quarters of the salary." Casey said giving Severide time to readjust.

He knew it wasn't about money for Vargas but it was something to start with, to show him that he shouldn't be afraid about his future.

"Yeah" He muttered hopelessly and Casey looked at Severide for some backup, maybe something between the lines that he was still part of the Squad and so on.

"It's not what anybody wants. But any of us would take that deal." He said instead.

"How about you, Kelly? Would you take that deal? " Vargas asked out of the blue making Casey wondered was there something more than just them being on the roof together.

He watched Severide wincing a little and knew he had to say something to lead the talk away from him but Severide's reaction stopped Casey. It was like he indeed thinking about that himself, like there was a question at all.

"They're not offering a choice" Severide said finally. But it lacked confidence as if he just needed to say something he hoped would be true.

Casey was sure Vargas could sense that too and Severide was losing it. There was definitely something with him they needed to talk about but now wasn't about him but about Vargas. He should be Casey's first priority.

"You're still doing landscaping?" He asked after thinking through all he knew about his life outside the firehouse.

"Yeah. Whenever my buddy needs another guy" Vargas answered and maybe Casey imagined it but he brightened up a little.

"Take then 75%, start your own business." He continued enthusiastically trying his best to find Vargas new goal in his life. Of course it wasn't near enough the feeling of saving people but it could do for a while and then maybe it would be a little easier for him to accept what had happened.

"Or go ride Harley's with your brother like you talked about." Severide chipped in and Casey knew that moment what would come next because Vargas' brother wasn't here anymore and Severide should have known that.

"He moved to Albuquerque"

They sat there in silence until Vargas laughed humorlessly and Casey couldn't say anymore what stage he was on, anger, fear, despair but it certainly wasn't acceptance.

"You and me should both be taking 75%" Vargas announced before standing up and Casey was speechless because at one point it was a cruel thing to say but he felt like he wasn't the one to interfere, like maybe there was something more going on there, the same feeling he had had before.

They said their good byes and Vargas left. Normally Casey would follow him and went on with his business but he couldn't get away from the feeling Kelly… Severide wasn't fine. He was the ass, okay, but he wouldn't forget things in his normal state. And even so he should have been yelling at Vargas for giving up, for resigning to his fate instead of just sitting there twisting his hands and looking for the words to say. It was Casey's place to think about other's feelings before saying anything while Severide just go with the truth even if it hurts. That was why he couldn't just go away without one more attempt to look for him.

Casey watched him standing near his locker. They weren't friends anymore and he probably just got 'mind your own business' in return but "Did you see a doctor?"

Severide merely turned to look at him in return. He clearly favored his shoulder and Casey wondered how could he haven't seen before how far the whole situation had gone.

"Your shoulder. Do you think no one has noticed?" He asked him determined to get Severide out of his misery one way or another.

"It's my neck. And I saw a doctor."

Casey was surprised he got straight answer. Until seconds later Severide added.

"She said there's nothing to worry about so I'm not worrying about."

It was just another way to tell him to get away from him because he was perfectly capable to make his own decisions and not to forget, there wasn't anything to worry about, except the one thing, there was.

"It's your business, but if it's an issue for you, it's an issue for all of us." He knew it was falling on deaf ears. But he had to say him, had to make him understand that after all people they had lost they couldn't afford one more accident.

"Then we're good."

Stubborn as always, Casey thought bitterly. He could yell at him because if something happened and he wasn't there to do his work his people could die and he wasn't going to let him endanger any of them. He could tell him he was an idiot who should stop trying to fight all alone because he had all of them to be there for him. He could say so much to him but instead he watched him walking away.

"No we're not." He muttered going to the truck and promising himself that he would corner him once again after the shift before something irreversible happened.