A/N : Hello everyone ! A few days of rest that give me time to post a second one-shot in less than a week, I hope you like it! I already had the idea of a jealous Gabby for a future story, but last night, taking some suggestions on Twitter, one of you submitted the idea of a new candidate, so I mixed both and here's what it gives. I hope that it'll please you. I started writing this last night at 5 am, so be indulgent ahah.
Good reading,
Gaëlle
« So where is the new candidate? » Otis asked happily as he entered the common room where everyone enjoyed the morning's tranquility. Some drank their coffee, others used a breakfast copy and the last ones read the newspaper or watched the news.
« He's late, » Hermann answers.
« She is late! » Casey added, using a coffee.
« Definitely women firefighters are becoming a habit in this firehouse! » Hermann laughed at Gabby and Kidd. « You started a fad, Gabby Dawson! » He says before returning to his journal. Gabby and Matt exchanged glances, as the Chief entered the room drawing everyone's attention.
« Everyone, let me introduce you the new candidate of Truck 81, Vera Hulfinger. I count on you to give her the best and warmest welcome, » he announced before turning his attention to Captain Casey : « This is Captain Casey, he is responsible for the shifts but also and especially the leader of truck 81. » She had long blond hair tied at the tail horse, green eyes and a bimbo plastic.
« Welcome to Firehouse 51! » He said, shaking her hand. « The boys are going to show you around, » he said, as they all stood up to greet her, Otis and Cruz in the lead, visibly excited. As for Gabby and Kidd, leaning against the counter, a coffee in their hands, they studied the scene and exchanged a disapproving look.
« I don't like her, » Gabby says.
« Me neither, » Stella added before toasting their coffee mugs.
Matt heard them, and frowned at them, before interrupting their discussion: « And these are Gabriela Dawson, who is the PIC on Ambulance 61, and Stella Kidd, Member of the truck. »
« Nice to meet you, girls, » Hulfinger said, getting closer to them by touching Casey, which did not go unnoticed by the two friends. Matt looked at his wife before leaving the room.
Gabby went to her husband's office and leaned against the door: « So, a new female candidate, uh? » She started the conversation. Matt, sitting at his desk, turned in his chair and gave her a skeptical look. « When were you going to tell me it was a woman? » She asked, going to sit on his bed.
« Uh, what does it change? » He asked, frowning, before being interrupted.
« Captain, sorry to disturb you, I wanted to tell you that dinner was ready, » Hulfinger offered him her biggest and brightest smile, before leaning forward to make her shoelace on the doorstep, revealing her plunging neckline.
« Um, uh, thank you candidate! » Matt smiled at her. She straightened up, and left, leaving Matt and Gabby alone.
« She likes you… » Gabby teased him.
« It's totally rubbish! » Matt retorted. « It's her first day, she's just trying to get on her good side, » he added.
« Her good side, that's for sure,» she murmurs, but Matt didn't hear it. « It depends on who… She tells you only that dinner is ready and in a very particular way to redo her laces, which were also totally not defeated, by the way… » she noticed, getting up, and leaving the room, under the surprised look of Matt.
Matt entered the common room and joined everyone for dinner. Everyone was sitting, eager to test the cooking of the new candidate. It was a not insignificant point at the firehouse. Matt was going to sit next to Gabby, in his usual place at the end of the table, when Hulfinger called him again: « Lieutenant, do you want to taste and tell me what you think? » She asked, stirring with a wooden spatula the tomato sauce that scented the room.
Under Gabby's glare, he patted the back of his chair, but not knowing how to say no, walked to the kitchen. She handed him the spatula, and he tasted the sauce: « Hmmm, delicious, candidate! » he says before giving her the spoon again. Not having been able to lick the spoon properly, he had put tomato sauce on his chin, which Hulfinger noticed immediately and hastily removed with her thumb.
« Unbelievable, » Stella stared, watching as Gabby was boiling. She didn't even wait for dinner, pushing her plate and left the room under the eyes of her comrades. Severide looked at Casey who did not understand what had happened. Stella waited a few minutes and stood up to find Gabby. She had taken the direction of the apparatus floor. She had heard the doors slam. She followed her and found her sitting on the bench in front of the firehouse, her knees pressed against her chest to protect herself from the cold and the falling night.
« Hey, girl! » She sat next to her. « Everything's alright? » She asked her.
« Reassure me, I'm not crazy, right, she's totally into Matt? » Gabby asked with pleading eyes.
« Oh, honey, at this point, it's not even flirting or hitting on! She wants him in her bed, that's pretty clear, and ever since she laid down the foot on here! » Stella answered with puzzling frankness, which made Gabby smile. They heard footsteps behind them, it was Severide who approached.
« So, gossips, are we developing an anti-candidate plan? » He laughed.
« It is more or less that! » Stella smiled.
« I have the impression that this girl is the problems insured! » He said while sitting in his turn.
« It's weird that she's not attracted by you, you always attract them! » Gabby noticed.
« Yeah, I guess the Captain's rank is more attractive now! Power, always power! » The three of them burst out laughing.
« Ah, how I wish he'd wear his wedding ring at the firehouse, » Gabby said as she came to her senses. « I'm not jealous, but I have a bad feeling about that girl… »
« Welcome to the club! » Kidd and Severide said in unison.
A few hours later, the firehouse was in the shadows. The snoring began to be heard. Some read, others listened to music or watched television. Matt was finishing the paperwork in his office. From time to time he watched Gabby reading on her bed. She had not come to see him after dinner, and he missed her. He decided to do something against that. He collects his things and headed towards the showers. He wanted a little moment with his wife. As he passed, he nodded to her and she understood immediately. She smiled at him and let him take a little advance before joining him. After all these years, they knew all the tricks and tips to avoid getting caught.
A few minutes later, she went to the bathroom. She saw Matt from behind, leaning on the sink, a beige towel tied around his waist. She began to approach when she heard the water stop in one of the showers. She hid behind the wall so as not to be noticed, and watched the scene. The blonde came out of the shower, her blonde hair dripping on her shoulders. A very short towel was tied at her chest, and the closer she came to Matt, the more the towel threatened to fall, which did not fail to happen and she found herself totally naked in front of her Captain. « Oh, sorry, Captain, I did not know you were here, » she said silkily, before leaning over to pick up the towel, hurrying. Matt blushed, he was embarrassed again. He changed turned his eyes to the other direction, and saw Gabby, hidden behind the wall.
Gabby was ready to roar, but just moaned words that Matt could not understand where he was from. He looked at her, looking for her eyes, but in vain, she turned back, mad with rage.
Gabby was spinning in all directions, she was shaking under the sheets, one minute she was too hot, another one she was too cold, she covered herself, she took out a leg from under the duvet and sighed in frustration by thrusting her head on the pillow. She could not remove the images of the blonde from her head, she saw all her expressions, all her gestures towards Matt, her provocations.
« Gabby, stop moving! » Matt groaned, his voice hoarse, sleepy.
« I cannot sleep! » She, in turn, manifested her bad mood.
« Yeah, me neither, believe it or not! » He pointed out in a drier tone than he wanted. After all, it was three in the morning, the day before a new shift and he needed sleep.
« Sorry about that, » she said, turning to face him. He was now lying on his back, his arms under his head.
« Come here, » he said, running his right arm under her head to pull her towards him. She laid her head on his chest, her right hand caressed his skin at the level of his heart where she laid a little kiss and her left arm lands on his toned stomach until her hand came to find his own, resting on the mattress, along his body. She squeezed his hand tightly, their wedding rings touching each other and making a small noise that made her smile. « What's going on in your little head? » He asked, stroking her hair.
« Nothing, » she cursed, annoyed that he knew how to read her so well.
« Oh, come on, baby. I know you better than anyone, » he insisted. « It has nothing to do with the new candidate, by any chance? » He pricked where it hurt. She pretended not to have heard, she did not answer, she just kept playing with his little blonde body hairs. « I thought that you, more than anyone else, would always support women wanting to become firefighters. You were in the same situation a few years ago, you know how difficult it is to get ntegrated in this male world and to find a place. I thought you'd support her rather than give her the cold shoulder. Same for Kidd… » he said.
« It has nothing to do with it… » she growled against his chest.
« What's the problem then? Damn, tell me, it's enough now! » He began to get angry. « It is three in the morning, you won't let me sleep properly and you're sulking since yesterday, so go ahead, say anything you got on your chest! » he says.
« First, you need calm down. It's useless to take me in your arms to yell at me after! » She pulled herself out of his arms and sat up against the headboard.
« Tell me then, what is it? »
« You want to know what it's going on? Fine! The problem is that bimbo is hitting on you, that she just flirts with you in front of my eyes, Matt! Here's the thing! It's a bimbo that just seeks to seduce his captain, everyone sees it, except you! You are blindsided! » She says, furious.
« Do I detect a note of jealousy in your voice? » He stands up, surprised by the behavior of his wife. « So that's the problem? In fact, you are just… jealous? » he looks at her.
« It's not jealousy, damn it! » She defended herself. « She's not someone you can trust, Matt! This is the kind of girl who makes her way seducing everything that moves! » She continued as he began to get up.
« You know what, I've heard enough! Are you so insecure about my feelings for you? » He took his pillows and walked around the bed.
« But that has nothing to do with that. I love you and I love the fact that you are always the one who sees the good side of people and gives them their chances, Matt, but then you're going to get sucked... It's the kind of girl that can ruin a career! Do you remember Severide with Tara? It will lead to the same situation! » She screamed as he walked off to the living room.
It was Hulfinger's second shift at the firehouse 51 and the tension was palpable. As everyone arrived, she was already in the kitchen preparing a real feast. Gabby and Stella did not even bother to show up in the common room, Stella had bough breakfast for the two of them on her way to work, and they tasted it on their bench outside.
« You look tired! » Stella pointed out.
« I could not sleep, and we had a fight with Matt… » she sighed.
« Let me guess! Something related to the Blondie? » Stella smiled.
« Hey, gossip girls! » Kelly greeted them while he's running late.
« It's not the right time, Kelly! » Stella said, noticing Gabby red eyes. For only answer, Kelly squeezed Gabby's shoulder and entered the firehouse, determined to have a talk with Matt. He found him in the locker room, putting on his jacket, and once again, as luck would have it, the candidate was around. She undressed without embarrassment under the eyes of the Captain who did not know where to put his eyes once again. He had never been disturbed by his female colleagues changing in front of him, but something with her bothered him. Provocation, surely. She was changing her black lace lingerie to a more comfortable bra for the job. Kelly looked away, as Gabby and Stella entered the room.
« Uh, you know, there are more private places to change? » Stella pointed out to her as the blonde was topless and took all her time. Gabby looked at Matt, and shook her head in despair.
Molly's was crowded, it was the weekend and everyone enjoyed having a good time with friends or family. Firefighters, police officers, doctors, all met to discuss in a friendly atmosphere. The bottles of beer paraded, the cocktails were made in the chain, the background sound was absorbed by the hubbub. Dressed in a rather provocative outfit, blondie entered the bar and went to sit, without permission, at the table that Matt, Kidd and Severide were sharing. With her high heels, she pretended not to be able to get on her stool, and put her hand on the top of Matt's thigh for help, which did not go unnoticed in the eyes of Kelly and Stella, and which left Matt somewhat perplexed. She interfered in the conversation as if nothing had happened, trying to get as close to her captain as possible. She touched his shoulder several times, laughed at all he could say, although some words were not funny, she even stroked his hand without any embarrassment, even going so far as to refer to his lips that looked so soft, under the exasperated and embarrassed heads of the other members of the barracks. Matt tried to keep his cool, but he felt the dark persistent look of the brown eyes he knew so well behind him. At this moment, he realized that his wife might not have been so wrong and that it was not than a simple fit of jealousy.
« Uh, Hulfinger, » Matt was determined to make things clear.
« Oh, you can call me Vera, » she replied.
« I prefer Hulfinger, it's more professional, » he insisted.
« But, you call all the others by their names, » she smiled at him, and he felt annoyance rise in him. He rolled his eyes before turning to her, which she found very satisfying. He took his left hand from under the table and proudly displayed it in front of her eyes.
« Do you see that? Do you see this ring? It's my alliance. It means that I am married to the woman I love, it means that I am taken, it means that I am happy and in love. Even, more in love than ever. I'm deeply in love with my wife. You would have known if you were paying attention to others, but it's been only two shifts that you are among us, and believe me, you're not part of this family that I used to call by their first names outside of work, and you will never be part of it. Your days are counted on the truck 81, trust me. I have the power, and I intend to use it, » he threatened. He stood up and turned to the bar where Gabby was watching him, her eyes glistening and a smile on her face, her proud eyes rising as he's defending his love for her in front of everyone and especially the bimbo. « Oh, and one more thing. You see that pretty brunette behind the bar? » Hulfinger followed his gaze and nodded. « Yes, that's it, it's Gabby. Well, you see, she's my wife, and believe me, she's never wrong about people, her first impression is always good. I should have listened to her, she had doubts about you from the beginning, but I wanted to give you a chance and you missed it, » he glared at the candidate before taking his beer and heading towards his wife, not without looking back one last time: « And for your complete information, the only lips that I want to kiss are those of my wife… ». Under the proud glances of Kelly and Stella, he went back to the bar, leaned on the wood and leaned over to Gabby to kiss her passionately under the bar's cheers.
When the need for air was felt, Gabby moved her lips away from Matt's, lovingly caressing his cheeks and neck, and tilting her head to her side to the blonde who was wearing a decapitated face, « Yes, I confirm, his lips are more than sweet, » which triggered the laughter of regulars. Without waiting any longer, humiliated, the blonde got up. With her heels ten times too high and her mini skirt, she left the bar, failing to fall several times.
Matt turned to Gabby, « I'm sorry, I did not realize until tonight. »
« You must always listen to your wife, Captain! » Kelly intervened by joining them and winked at Gabby.
« I love you, I'm going to make it up to you, » Matt said to his wife before kissing her again and whispering in her ear words that made her blush instantly.
« I don't want to know anything about it, but I think a certain Captain is going to drop the pressure tonight! » Kelly pretended to clog his ears before setting off again to goo back at his table with the beer that had just been served to him.
A/N: I hope you liked it. I count on your reviews, Love, G.