A/N: I can't even express how blessed I am feeling by all the reviews, story favorites, story following, and author stuff, etc! You guys mean a lot to me and I look forward to writing each and every chapter for you! This chapter is dedicated to ahuntress for her idea of what Dawson will talk to Casey about! Thanks again for all the continued support! On to chapter 4!
Disclaimer: Still own no rights to Chicago Fire, NBC, or anyone associated with such!
Warnings: Flashbacks to the prison will occur, more explicit language, and of course the fluff!
Pick Up Point: Dawson and Casey are lying in Casey's bed, getting ready to have a deep conversation. Dawson asked Casey if she could ask him a question, he said sure, anything.
…
Dawson closed her eyes, millions of questions overwhelmingly filling her mind. She took a deep, shaky breath and opened her eyes again, meeting the stare of beautiful ice blue eyes.
"Well," Casey started, "What is it you want to ask me?"
"Well, um…" Dawson took another deep breath, feeling knots twist in her stomach, "I want to ask you about…what went down in the prison the other day…" Her eyes glanced to the wall and then briefly back to his.
Casey raised his eyebrows, almost in shock that of all the things she could ask him, she went with this one. He rolled over on to his back, staring up at the ceiling, his memory recalling every last little detail of being stuck inside that prison.
"Casey?" Dawson's voice barely whispered.
"What exactly do you want to know?" he responded slowly.
"Hermann told me he was taken as a hostage…"
"Yeah, he was."
"But he told me you willingly were throwing yourself at this guys feet, offering your own life in replace of his…"
"That's what I do for my men, Dawson."
Dawson rolled over on to her back, closing her eyes as she asked, "Was that really all it was about?"
Casey felt her movement and looked over at her, noticing the worry that now covered her face, the frown that was beginning to form along her small lips. He hesitated, but knew he couldn't lie to someone he considered to be his best friend.
"No…that wasn't just it…"
Dawson's eyes popped open, the reality of her fear sinking in. 'He was really going to give up his life…but why?' She couldn't contain her curiosity.
"Why?"
"Dawson…it's complicated." Casey's hands moved from his side to cover his face, rubbing it and then sliding his hands through his hair as he let out a sigh of frustration, "I have nothing left. The love of my life was murdered because of me. I deserve nothing less than death as well."
The reality of his words hit home in Dawson's heart. 'I have nothing left.' He had stated, 'The love of my life…' Those words tore her own heart into what felt like a million little pieces. As if her heart was made of glass and he had taken it and slammed in on the ground.
"Oh…" was all she could mutter.
"What?"
"You said you have nothing left…do you truly believe that?" Dawson tried to maintain the anger that was rising within her. 'Does he cherish our friendship at all?'
"For the most part…yes…" he responded, searching her eyes for a response as her face remain still as stone. "Dawson, don't get me wrong, I love the guys I work with, and you and Shay mean a lot to me too, but I feel like Hallie dying was my fault."
"But it wasn't!" Dawson's anger finally came pouring out, "You didn't put her in that clinic at the time. You didn't make her go into that room, and you didn't hit her in the head with some heavy object, causing the brain hemorrhage. She put herself in that place at that time. But it wasn't her fault that someone unbeknownst to everyone went in there are cold heartedly killed her! It's not your fault, it's not her fault, it's the fault of the killer's alone, do you understand that?"
Casey's expression changed from worry to anger to sadness, to almost nothing at all. He took in all of what Dawson had just thrown at him, and was trying to comprehend it.
"I'm sorry, Casey, that was totally uncalled for…" Dawson sat up, shaking her head as she stared at the floor, "I shouldn't have said anything."
"No…I'm glad you did. Something about what you just said actually makes me feel a little less guilty, a little less like I got her into this mess…" He touched her shoulder, "thanks, Gabby, you really do mean a lot to me."
She hesitated to look at him and turned her head slowly, meeting his gaze. She could see in his eyes that he was truly hurting deep down inside, and that everything he had just said was genuine and true.
'I wish I could make this all go away!' Dawson thought.
"You ok?" Casey shook her a little, his hand still on her shoulder.
"Yeah," Dawson faked a smile, "I'm all good. Are you ok?"
"Ya know…I think I will be," he hand fell down her arm, brushing against her hand before he pulled it back and rested both hands behind his head.
Prickly heat now remained where Casey had touched Dawson. 'Oh my…' Dawson kept herself from outwardly reacting. She scanned Casey's body again, realizing he was still very shirtless lying next to her. Something caught her eye as she scanned over his upper body, "Hey, does this hurt?" She gently brushed her fingers over and area that was red and swollen.
"Ah," Casey gasped, "Hell yeah it does!" He sat up, looking down to where Dawson had just touched. "What the hell?"
"Um, I think that might be from the coffee. Come on, you're my patient now!" Dawson crawled over Casey and put her feet on the floor, standing with her knees against the bed, "Up…up!"
"Chill, doc, I'm going," Casey swung his legs over the edge of the bed, placing his feet on the floor next to Dawson's. He stood in one swift movement, "Where to, boss?"
"To the bathroom, now march!" Dawson tried to sound forceful, but only made herself laugh in the process.
Casey laughed with her as they walked out of his room and down the hallway to his bathroom once again.
Once inside, Dawson ordered, "Sit on the edge of the tub, please!"
"What for?" Casey asked, puzzled.
"I've got to clean off the stickiness around the burns first!"
"Fine," he sat down, pretending to pout.
"Suck it up, Matt!" Dawson laughed, "It won't take long. Now, where's a washcloth, since we used the one on the rack on my knee earlier."
"Second drawer from the bottom, right side."
Dawson followed his directions, pulling out a white washcloth. She slid the drawer closed and then rolled up her sleeves. To her dismay, they fell right back down to her wrists. "Damnit!"
"What?"
"Stupid sleeves on this shirt suck! Hold this," she handed him the washcloth. Once it was out of her hand and in his, she grabbed the bottom hem of her shirt and pulled it up over her head, revealing a thin, black tank top underneath.
"Woah, is this a game of doctor patient strip?" Casey smiled.
"Haha, very funny!" Dawson stuck her tongue out at him.
"Alright, it's official, my doc is five years old!"
Dawson shook her head, snatching the washcloth from his hand, "Guess what, patient! We aren't even going to use this!" She dropped it to her feet and kicked it backwards into the hallway, "We're going to do this an even easier way." She reached behind him, taking down the water sprayer.
"You wouldn't dare…"Casey's face went blank.
"Want to bet on that?" She reached down and turned the knob, twisting it to a warmer temperature.
"Trust me, I know you, and it's not in your natu…"
Suddenly, water came rushing out of the spout of the hose, spraying Casey directly below his chin. He fell backwards, landing butt first into the tub.
"Told you!" Dawson continued spraying him, laughter flowing freely from her.
"You're going to get it now!" Casey slipped and slid as he fought his way out of the tub and into a standing position. He sprung forward at Dawson, getting a hold of part of the hose, twisting it so that the water was now spraying on her head, face, and neck.
"Casey!" she screamed, "Seriously?!"
"I told you that you were going to get it!" he laughed, trying to get her to let go. She, however, fought back, twisting the hose so that it was now spraying him.
This game went on for another five to ten minutes, the end result being two soaked humans, a soaked bathroom floor, and a wound left untaken care of.
"Did we really just have a water fight?" Dawson leaned against the bathroom door, sliding down and plopping to her butt, pushing the wet hair away from her face.
"Yes…yes we did…" Casey smiled down at her, reaching out his hand, "Let's go find something dry to put on."
Dawson smiled back, a true, genuine smile, something she did most often when she was with him. She took his hand, stood, and walked with him back to him room.
'Oh my…he's going to let me wear his clothes…' Her stomach fluttered as each step led her closer and closer to his closet.
…
A/N: Oh my, why did I have to end it there? I'm so mean! But I promise, if you stick around, something juicy is bound to happen in the next chapter…or will it be nothing more than letting a friend borrow some PJ's for the night?! Oh boy, even I'm excited! Please review and let me know what you thought about chapter 4 and what you'd love to see in chapter 5!
