As Connie drives, Nicole grips the side of the door. Connie's phone connects to her car as she calls Boden, "Boden."
"It's Connie, I'm driving PIC Severide to the hospital."
"Why?"
"Fun girl's trip. What do you think?!" Nicole yells.
Connie pats her knee, smiling gently, "She's in labor. I would suggest at least getting Lieutenant Casey over to Lakeshore in the next 30 minutes. The rest of you can join us when everything is done over at the call."
"Casey!" Is all that's heard before Boden hangs up.
"What do you think are the chances of Matt making it in time?" Nicole asks Connie through clenches teeth.
"If he catches a ride with 61, good. If he take Boden's car, eh."
Nicole nods, squeezing her eyes shut at another contraction, "Someone is gonna have to pick up Ben and Griffin from the babysitter and check their homework. Griffin's been struggling in math and-"
Connie pulls into the parking lot of Lakeshore, managing to find a close parking spot, "Nicole, you need to focus on giving birth. I'm sure the guys can handle taking care of Ben and Griffin," Nicole shoots her a 'be real' look, "Shay and Dawson can handle Ben and Griffin."
"Fine. Let's get inside and have a baby."
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Nicole managed to get settled into a room before Matt makes it to the hospital, all sweaty and dirty from the fire, he throws her turnout coat on the chair before kissing her forehead "Hey, you okay? Why didn't you tell me you were having contractions?"
"Did you send someone to get Ben and Griffin?" Nicole ignores him, adjusting herself on the bed and gripping his hand, "They should be here."
"Yeah, Dawson and Shay are grabbing them. Again, why didn't you tell me you were having contractions?"
"Is everyone else here? They should go back and change. I don't want them waiting around in their gear," Nicole tells him, breathing roughly as another contraction hits.
Matt grimaces as Nicole squeezes his hand tightly, but kisses her temple, "Remember. Breathe."
He mimics the breathing that they were taught in birthing classes as the contraction happens. Their doctor, Dr. Greyson, knocks on the door, "Glad to see Matt made. Let's see how dilated you are."
Snapping on gloves, Dr. Greyson takes a quick look under Nicole's sheet, "Well, looks like you got here right on time, Matt. It's time for Nicole to push."
Everything moves quickly as a team of nurses bring in a bunch of trays and start gowning Dr. Greyson. Nicole is placed in a better position for birth before Matt grabs her hand again and is instructed by one of the nurses to grab one of Nicole's legs and hold it with a nurse holding the other.
"Okay, Miss. Severide, I'm gonna count down from five, when I get to one, I want you to push. Ready?" Nicole nods, "Five, four, three, two, one. Push!"
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After a little under an hour of pushing and getting cleaned up, Nicole and Matt smile at the little girl in Nicole's arms.
"She's beautiful," Matt says, smiling at the grip his daughter has on his finger, "I love you," He kisses Nicole's head, "Thank you for her."
"I love you too," Nicole looks up at him before puckering for a kiss.
Their kiss is interrupted by a knock at the door, "She was just born, might wanna wait a little bit before trying for baby number two," Kelly's voice is heard as 51 starts to gather in the room.
"Very funny, Kelly," Nicole looks at her big brother, "Now, do you wanna meet your niece or not?"
"Yes please," Kelly smiles, moving to Nicole's other side where Matt carefully transfers his daughter over to his future brother-in-law, "She's beautiful."
Others gather around Kelly to look at the newest addition to 51, Gabby looking at Nicole and Matt, "So, what's her name?"
Nicole and Matt share a smile before Nicole says, "Ember Hallie Casey."
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♣️Season 2, Episode 3♣️
Ember is now a little over a month old and Matt is back at work. Griffin and Ben are still living with the little family and are loving Ember.
Nicole sits in the nursery, feeding Ember when she hears Matt raise his voice, "Griffin! Please don't kick your backpack."
Walking out to the living room, Nicole burps Ember as Griffin picks up his backpack, "You guys remember the drill? I'll pick you up from school right as the bell rings. Please don't drag your feet when leaving school."
"I'm on shift tonight which means it's only Nicole home tonight. Please be helpful and behave," Matt reminds the boys as he ties Ben's shoes, "Tomorrow's our big day. So, I'm gonna pick you up from school early. Try not to get too dirty at lunch."
Griffin's still kicking his backpack, "I told you I'm not going."
"Griffin, it's your mom. Trust me, just because you may not want to see your parent, doesn't mean you can escape them. Now, you need to get going or all of you will be late. I love all of you."
She kisses the top of the Darden boys heads before kissing Matt who runs a hand over Ember's head and kisses her forehead, "I love both of you."
"She loves you too, now go before you're late to work."
As they close the door, Nicole looks at Ember who is staring wide-eyed at her, "Looks like it's just you and me, Em. I say we take a nap."
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Nicole folds the last basket of laundry as Ember lays in her bassinet next to her, "Who would have thought. In a house with two young boys, a newborn that spits on herself at least five times a day and new parents that also get spit up on five times a day, there's no more laundry to do."
Ember just blinks at her mom before letting out a yawn, "Am I boring you? Maybe we should go visit daddy and Uncle Kelly and all the other aunties and uncles."
Hearing her phone ring, Nicole knocks a bunch of stuff off the coffee table, the noise of stuff hitting the ground causing Ember to laugh before Nicole finally finds it, "Hey, you've got Nicole and Ember."
"It's Matt. The principal of Griffin's school just called. He's in trouble."
"I'm on my way."
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With Ember in her baby carrier, Nicole makes her way through the halls, seeing Griffin sitting in the hall next to a boy with an ice pack held to his face, "You know we will be having a long talk about this, right?"
"Yes, ma'am," He sighs.
Nicole opens the door to the principal's office, Matt quickly jumping up to take Ember's baby carrier, "Hello? Sorry, I'm late. It's not easy getting out of the house with a newborn."
The principal stands to shake her hand, "I'm sorry, you are?"
"Nicole Severide, Matt's fiancee? I'd be the third emergency contact but you guys only ask for two," She smiles over at Matt who had already taken Ember out of her carrier and snuggled her up into his arms, "This isn't like Griffin at all. He's acting out. He won't do it at home because of Ember. I mean, in the span of a year, he's lost his father and his mother's been taken away. We'll get through it. He just needs to know that we're here and that everything is gonna stay normal. He needs reassurance that we love him and that he can feel whatever he needs to and that he's in a safe space to do that."
The principal smiles at her, "Thank you. That was, that was just what I was about to tell Matt."
The couple share a smile before making their way out of the office. Nicole takes the empty carrier as Matt continues to hold Ember in his arms as they make their way out to Griffin.
"Griffin, what are you doing? You can't go around punching kids," Matt sighs, "We'll all talk after I get off shift. I'll pick you up early tomorrow."
"You can't, I have detention," Griffin gives him attitude.
Matt hands Ember to Nicole as he bends lower to Griffin, "Griffin, it's not like I'm dragging you along to pick up my dry cleaning. This is a big deal. Later."
He kisses Ember's head and Nicole before heading back to work. Nicole takes a seat next to Griffin, holding Ember carefully in her arms, "If you're trying to push us away, it's not gonna work. You're stuck with us for the long haul."
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Nicole watches Matt as he holds Ember in his arms, swaying slightly. He whispers to her about his day, rubbing her back.
"You know she can sleep in her bassinet literally three feet away from us, right?" Nicole asks, laying in bed.
"I know," Matt says, sitting on his side of the bed and leaning against the headboard as he lays Ember on his bare chest, "I just miss her while I'm on shift."
Nicole moves herself over so her head is resting on Matt's arm and by Ember's head, "She misses you too. She cries the worst right after you leave."
"I should probably put her in her bassinet," Matt says as Ember yawns.
"You could wait a few minutes. She's comfortable in her daddy's hold."
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Next shift, Nicole waits a few hours before deciding to go visit the firehouse with Ember where she sees Boden getting the attention of those out on the apparatus floor, "Can I get your attention please?"
Herrmann comes storming out, "I've got an announcement to make too. Just a heads up, lately we've been finding rat turds all over the house. Seems like we have an infestation. Finkus backstabberus... better known as the common snitch. Not to fear though, this disgusting vermin don't typically last long at 51."
"Something you wanna say to me, Herrmann?" Clarke asks.
"Just putting it out there, Clarke. A general warning," Herrmann glares at him.
As Clarke stands up, he says, "Well, maybe I should give you a very specific warning."
Nicole steps in, holding Ember in her carrier, "Hey! Knock it off! I'm gone for a few weeks and suddenly we're at each other's throats? What is wrong with you both?" Herrmann and Clarke both look away from her mom glare, "If there is a rat in the house, I urge them to tell Boden, privately, why they are. If it's money, or some kind of blackmail, tell Boden. The rest of you, do your jobs as normal. Hard to snitch on things that aren't happening."
Kelly looks past Nicole, "You've gotta be kidding me."
They turn to see Hadley standing there. Kelly is quick to pull Nicole and Ember more in the center of everyone as Hadley walks further in.
"Old 51. I missed this place," Hadley comments, "How's everyone been?"
"What are you doing here?" Kelly asks him.
"Just wanna buy a t-shirt. Support the local firehouse," Hadley comments.
Nicole looks down to check on Ember, who is looking around with wide eyes.
"What can we help you with Hadley?" Boden asks after Kelly and Hadley share a few more words.
"That's a laugh. If I ever need help, this is the last place I'd come looking for it," He address Clarke, "Hey, buddy. New guy. Watch your back around here. Word of the wise."
"Engine 51, Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61, Battalion 25, house fire...."
Nicole watches Hadley as he watches the rest of the firehouse leave, "You know," Hadley turns back to look at her when she speaks, "My father worked in Arson Investigations long enough that I know timers are a great way to set fires without risking the arsonists self."
"Oh really? Your point?" Hadley asks her.
"You haven't proven anything by being here right before that call. It just makes you look more suspicious. And idiotic."
"That's your opinion. But go ahead and try and prove me wrong."
She calls after him as he walks towards his car, "You always did forget. Arrogance can only end in disaster."
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After shift, Matt takes the boys to go visit Heather as Nicole waits at home with Ember, "Now, I know you can't understand me, but Griffin might come home in a mood. Hopefully, seeing their mom will put both boys in a happier mood. But tonight, daddy's taking all of us to the pier to get ice cream. You don't get that yet, sorry."
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It wasn't too long after that that Matt and the boys came home and grabbed Ember and Nicole before heading to the pier. Nicole eats her chocolate ice cream cone next to Matt on the bench as he cradles Ember in his arms. They both look over and see the Darden boys discussing something.
"How were they today? How was Heather?"
"They were happy to see her. She was happy to see them. It kind of brought me back to when I was visiting my mom. It's hard-" He stops when the boys move in front of the couple, "Everything alright?"
Griffin sighs, "He wants you two to promise you guys won't go away. Like mom and dad."
Matt looks between them, "We're right here, guys. We're not going anywhere."
Nicole grabs one hand of each of the boys, "You two are stuck with us forever. We can't always control everything, but what we can control, you have no other option but to be stuck with us."
They smile, sitting on either side of the couple and enjoying their ice cream.
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AN: Ember Hallie Casey is here! The name is a mixture of a couple suggestions so if you gave suggestions, thank you very much!
Nicole will be back to work next episode because I'm the writer and say f whatever timeline the One Chicago writers have.
QoC: what moments do you wanna see with Ember?
Thanks for all of the votes and reads and comments!!!