We're Not Broken, So Please Come Home

Sifting through the wreckage

Disclaimer: NBC own Chicago Fire. I'm just fixing what the writers broke.  

A/N- Mr. Monks is the name I gave the Monkey that Herrmann gave Gabby -that Louie scooped up his first night home with Gabby.

They are interrupted when Gabby's phone goes off. A text.

Matt. What she reads makes her heart sink.

Need you. Can't calm Louie down.

As they draw closer, she hears Louie wailing.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

If Matt can't calm him.... He doesn't want Matt, she realizes.

He's calling for Andre.

Gabby opens the door.

Matt's trying. But at the moment, he's not who Louie wants. The little boy is in terrified tears again.

As Louie sees her, he strains to get to her so violently, Matt loses his grip for a moment.

He catches him before he falls off.

"Easy, buddy. Mommy's right there." Matt murmurs, gently pulling him back from the edge of the bed

He slips right back where they were two months ago. He knows how to do this like breathing.

Gabby steps closer to them, and he hands Louie over.

She cradles him close as he cries.

"Mommy. Went way 'gain" he whimpers raggedly

"Shh, baby. I know. I know. Mommy's sorry. I'm here now. " she hushes him, rocking slightly

They stay like that for some time, after Gabby sits them back on the bed. Louie pressed into her as if to disappear. He cries himself out sooner and starts to fall asleep again.

Mary hands Matt the letter- she'd picked it up when they'd hurried back to Louie.

"You both need to read that, " she says, setting into the visitor's chair.

"Are you sure about this? " Matt asks after he has time to adjust to the contents of the letter.

"My son deserves to have his wishes honored. Mary said.

"Since the moment he found out Louie existed he tried to do the best he could. I saw how you were with my grandson. I don't think we could do better by Louie. If he can't have his father... "

"He's really ours again?" Gabby says, disbelieving that this was really happening.

"If you want-" Mary started.

"Of course we want him!" Gabby interjected, no doubt in her words.

She looks at Matt.

"Of course, he's wanted. Very much." He says, agreeing with Gabby in a heartbeat

"The papers should all be there... Andre's mother started.

Gabby looked over. Mary's eyes were on Louie, filled with sorrow.

"Mary. I lived through losing Louie once. I won't take him away from those who love him.

When Matt and I adopt him, it doesn't mean you aren't his grandparents. He needs that in his life. Andre was his father and nothing will change that. When he's older, I want him to know how wanted he was."

"Thank you, Gabby."

She knows that Matt must feel helpless after what happened.

So what he says next does not surprise her.

"I looked for Louie's things. Mr. Monks, a blanket, anything. Does he have anything to comfort him here?"

He was looking for something to do. Something he could fix at this moment.

"I know he had his sleeping stuff In the car. But when I saw what had happened to it, I just couldn't stand it. "

"I'll go see if anything survived, " Matt said, standing.

"I'll call our lawyer, get the ball rolling on what needs to happen for Louie to come home. I'll also get some food for us when I'm out."

"Do we know what happened? How they crashed?" She asked, needing to help her boy.

Mary sighed.

"Andre would bring Louie up to our house some weekends. They were going home when the accident happened. Some fool was driving drunk and knocked them off the road. Andre always called me when they make it home. I knew something was wrong. It still took hours before they found the car.

I think Louie remembers all of it. And it's hurt him. More than those cuts from the glass, or needing an IV. Some wounds don't leave marks. He pulled out one IV already after he got here. Woke scared, and it hasn't let up yet."

Matt talked to the owner of the salvage yard and was led to the SUV

It is totaled, the driver side is nearly unrecognizable

He could almost see the fire crew around the SUV, using the jaws of life. It was so different when it involved someone you cared for deeply.

Louie had been in there. He could have died as easily as Andre had.

 On the concrete, he could see a ruined car seat. It had done its job, but could not be used again. It looked like parts had been cut off to get Louie free.

Matt pops the back hatch, inside is Louie's suitcase.

He opens it. Clothing. A few small toys. The blanket he liked to sleep with. No stuffed monkey.

He opens the non-ruined door. Searching under the seats, he finds the monkey. There were a few small rips, nothing that couldn't be fixed.

He got what he came for. It was time to get going.

Matt texts Gabby twice, once while he's picking up food at a café to see what she would like, the other time in the elevator on the way up.

He gets simple food, sandwiches, and chips, things that take very little effort to eat. It's quick and simple and he's back to the two who need him most.

By the time he gets back, Louie has his own tray. Pizza, carrots and ranch, grapes, a carton of milk. Not the most healthy, but at least it's all things he'll eat.

After they finished, Matt smiles and pulls out a small bakery bag.

"Hey, Louie. Look what I have. M&M cookies. "

Gabby smiles herself, reminded of a rainy afternoon before, Louie helping her mix together a batch of cookies and how she ended tossing in m&m's because she had run out of chocolate chips.

Honestly, Gabby's are better. But Matt knows it's one thing he can do on this dark day.

Mr. Monks will help, hopefully. So will the comfort of a blanket Louie likes to sleep with.

It is the small things when the days turn dark.

Everything has changed again, for Louie. But they handled all life had thrown at them before.

Louie was coming back home. It would be a struggle. That was what life was. Louie was worth it.