Gabby held on to Matt before hearing someone clear their throat causing her to break the hug." Um." Gabby looked up to Matt giving him a quick smile before turning her attention to the room." Matthew, um Matt, or I guess lieutenant." Gabby stuttered her word.
"It's lieutenant." Matt nodded never taking his eyes off of Gabby.
"So you too know each other we got that." Shay jumped in breaking the akwardness." But how do you know each other?" She links her arm around Gabby's smirking." I'm Leslie Shay by the way." She held her hand out." Gabby's partner."
"Paramedic huh." Matt smiled looking back at Gabby as he shook Leslie's hand." Matt Casey." He turned his attention back to Shay for a moment.
"Well these guys here are your crew." Gabby points ." Hermann,Otis,Mill the candidate." She chuckles." Cruz, Mouch..."
"Mouch?" Matt raises an eyebrow looking to the man on the couch.
"Long story." Mouch jumps up putting his hand out." Nice to meet you Lt.
"I'm hearing that alot today." Shay chuckles to herself getting a glare from Gabby and a confused look from Matt." Just saying
"Why don't you go restock the ambo." Gabby suggests with widened eyes.
"I think I need your help with that." Shay tugs her arm.
"Sorry ." Gabby glances back to Matt." It's really good to see you." She smiles holding his gaze til the rest of his crew stand to introduce themselves taking hs attention away from her.
"Oh my god." Shay practically shouts." Are you gonna not tell me how freaky that is."
"Shay keep it down." Gabby glances back thru the door seeing Matt still distracted by the guys." Don't make such a big deal over this."
"Gabby Dawson don't be so nieve." Shay pulls her across the apparatus floor to the back of the ambo." That is they guy you were telling me about with the letters right?"
"That's him Matthew Casey." Gabby glances in the direction of the common room." Damn it's been 15 years." She shakes her head.
"Was he that good looking as a kid?" Shay asks poking Gabby's side." Cause damn girl he's looking pretty good now."
"Hey I thought you like women?"
"Oh hell yeah but I can still spot a good looking guy." Shay teased." And by the look of it he still has a candle burning for you."
"Oh stop it's been years." Gabby says bashful." How can you tell?"
"I think everyone in that room there felt the heat coming off your bodies, It's a good thing were in a firehouse." Shay chuckled." I was about to grab an extinguisher."
"Oh stop." She blushes." I wonder where he's been all these years?"
"Well there's only one way to find out." Shay nudges her back towards the door." Go talk to him."
"Shay." Gabby huffs." What do I do go in there and just say hey Matt where have you been all these years, and oh are you married also." Sarcasm filling her tone.
Just then Matt walked the the set of doors onto the apparatus floor noticing the commotion between the two paramedics." Hey Gabriela." Matt gets her attention as Shay lightly pushes her closer." Where is the gear room?" He asks lifting his shoulder that has his bunker coat hanging from it.
"What they couldn't show you. Any of those guys." Gabby walked closer." Come on it's right over here." She points as they start walking side by side.
"How long has it been?" Matt smiles glancing over to a blushing Gabby." You definantly have changed." He turns facing her as the stop walking inside the closet.
"Fifteen years." Her voice barely a whisper." Under the tree was the last time I saw you." She stepped closer to him." You've changed too."
"How long have you been at this house." Matt steps back from their closeness changing the subject." A paramedic,." He smiles." I always knew you would help people for a living."
"A lieutenant is something to brag about." Gabby looks to the floor feeling uncomftable since he stepped away from her." You will probably get along great with Severide, he's squad lieutenant your age as well." She met his eyes again feeling her heart race, he was better looking then she could have ever imagined all those years ago.
"Yeah he is pretty cool, we just spoke for a few minutes we have alot in common." Matt rubbed the back of his neck." We should try to catch up soon." He abrubtly stepped away from her wanting to leave the room.
"Oh yeah." Gabby turned to watch him step around her feeling hurt by his actions." By the way me and a few others from here own a bar called Molly's, you should definantly come by maybe we can catch up there."
"Sounds great." He smiles before walking out of the room.
Gabby slowly strolled back to the ambo playing in her head what just happened. She finds Shay sitting in the back with the clip board on her lap." Hey." She hops in the back." What are you up to?" Gabby glances at the chart.
"That was quick." Shay nudges Gabby's shoulder with her own." Did you make out, I mean catch up?"
"Neither." Gabby whispered." How could I think a child hood crush would ever be more, he forgot about me a long time ago."
Matt looked around his new officers quarters before mind wanders back to a few minutes earlier in the coat room with Gabby. She's more beautiful then he ever dreamed and seeing her again only made those old memories come rushing back good and bad." Fifteen years." He whispers to himself before sitting down at his desk. He then pulled out a very crinkled old envelope from his pocket staring at the faded lipstick kiss placed just below the name on the return address.' Gabriela Dawson.' It read . He ran his fingers over it before placing it back in his pocket, putting his head in his hands now.
"Casey." Severide spoke standing in the doorway." Getting settled?"
"Yeah thanks man." Casey nods in appreciation." Hey we should get a beer sometime."
"Yeah absolutely, you can come to my place I live with Shay, or we hang at a local place that a few of the guys here own."
"Molly's." Matt let's him know that he already knew." Are you and Shay a um a thing?" He asks motioning with his hand if their together.
"No just great friends." Severide chuckles." She bats with the same team."
"Ah." Matt caught right on.
"So you and Gabby?"
Matt looked up at his rather quickly made friend." We knew each other as kids." Was his answer for a rather private guy." A long time ago." He looks away.
"Got it." Severide takes the hint." So first round is on me tomorrow night."
"Sounds good." Matt watches him walk away before looking down at his pocket letting out a deep sigh." This is gonna be complicated." He mumbles to himself just as the bells go off as he jumps up to head out on his first call on truck 81.
