Chapter One: What do you Need?

"Matt you need to calm down," Gabby pleaded with her boyfriend as she placed her hands on his broad shoulders in hopes that he will see reason. She knew that he really wanted to protect his sister and niece, but there are other ways to handle this.

"You want me to calm down," he said narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"Just hear me out," She tells him as she moving her hands up his shoulders to his neck.

He didn't say anything, just nodded his head as he looked into her eyes. "I know that you love your family and that you are trying to be a better brother and I love that about you, but I worry that if you keep pursing this you are going to make it harder on Christy and Violet in the end."

Matt stepped out of Gabby's hold, "You didn't see him sitting there at that restaurant with his little piece not a care in the world, while Violet and Christy are making sacrifices to just get by." Matt ran his hands through his blonde hair as took in a deep breath, "I'm not just going to sit by and watch him hurt them; I am not my father."

Gabby's eyes grew wide with his admission as she stared at the man she loves, "Is this really what this about, becoming your father?"

"No, I know that I am nothing like him and that is why I will not let Jim hurt my sister. He is not going to get away with everything that he has done and when I see him in the morning I will make it clear."

Gabby could tell that no matter what she said right now, it wouldn't make a difference. "Okay," she breathed out as she nodded her head, "Do what you feel is right and I will support you."

After a moment of silence, Matt closed the space between him and Gabby. He rested his hands on her hips, "thank you," he said as he pulled her into him and placed a small kiss on the top of her head.

"Just promise me one thing," Gabby mumbles as she rests the side of her face against his warm chest.

"Anything," he replies as he feels himself settle into her touch.

"Promise me that you will be careful and listen to your sister and what she wants."

"I will do my best."

They stayed in their embrace until the Gabby's phone rang, "I should probably get that," she said giving Matt a quick peck on the lips and then walked over to the kitchen table where her phone was.

"Hello," She greeted caller.

Matt watched as she answered the phone, he knew there was more they needed to discus tonight, but right now his mind was consumed with how Jim could do this to his sister. He didn't realize that Gabby was done with her phone call until she was standing in front of him.

"Baby," she addressed him bringing him back into the room.

"Yeah?" he asked with an apologetic look, "who was that on the phone?"

"That was Hermann," She told him as she pointed to the phone. "He was calling to find out if I had a chance to talk to you yet."

"Talk to me about what?"

"Matt, I don't know if you have noticed, but things at work have been difficult and it causing issues."

"I know things are not ideal but we will work through them."

"I know we will, but a lieutenant does not vent a roof and the guys are seeing this. I really think that we should put some space between us at work and that is why I'm asking you to let me Shadow Hermann."

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I want to be treated like any other candidate and not have some gossipy fire fighters making comments of how I'm sleeping with the boss."

"Alright shadow Hermann, but there is some perks when you sleep with the boss," Matt smirked as he ran his hand up and down Gabby's arm.

"I'm sure there are some wonderful perks, but dinner is almost ready and my fiancée is very hungry."

"Trust me, it's not for dinner," Matt says as he watches her walk into the kitchen.

That night after dinner, Matt and Gabby laid in bed, each one lost in their own thoughts. Gabby was the first one to break the silence as she turned on her side to look at Matt's still body. "What do you think Jim is really going to do?"

Matt takes a moment to collect his thoughts, "Honestly, I don't know." Matt then shifts so that he is facing Gabby and resting his head into his hand. "I just want him to do what is right for his family."

"I hope he does," she tells him reaching out to run her fingers through his hair.

Matt closes his eyes as he enjoys her simplest of touches, then encloses her wrist and lays a light kiss in her palm. "Are you nervous about shift tomorrow?"

"No," she begins to say but realizes right now they both need to lay all their cards on the table. "I just know that if this doesn't work, I can't stay at 51."

"Gabby," Matt begins to say her name as he sits up a little higher.

"I'm not saying I want to, but this isn't just about you and me. Even the guys don't treat me like Mills or all the other candidates that came before me. All this week, I was leaving the compartment doors open on the truck in hopes that one of them would say something to me, but they didn't. You know that if it would have been someone else they would have wrapped their knuckles."

"So what happened?" Matt asked with smirk.

"Hermann and I got into it a little bit and that is how this whole thing came about."

"What did Hermann say?"

"Don't worry about it. I just wanted you to know that if this doesn't work with me being on truck, it will not affect our relationship, I love you too much."

"I love you too," Matt smiled as he leaned down and placed a kiss on Gabby's lips.

Author's note:

So I hope that you guys like my new story, I really would love to hear what you think. I can't wait for the new episode tomorrow and I'm excited to see the rest of this season. I just hope that the cliffhanger (Dec. 2nd) won't kill me like it did last year. Well thanks to everyone for reading this chapter and I hope you will be reading the next.