Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter or who checked in to say they missed the story.
Apologies for the long delay again. I'm still struggling with my writing and still trying to get past it so I can't promise the next chapter will be up any faster but know that I have every intention of continuing to write.
Anyways, I hope this is at least worth the wait. And as always, when you get to the end, please let me know what you think.
Until next time : )
Chapter Seven
"Would you mind putting my bag in your locker so I can get started on breakfast?" Gabby asked as she and Matt got out of his truck to head into Firehouse 51. The fact that she had breakfast duty this morning serving as a convenient excuse for avoiding the locker room. She was pretty sure she'd seen Cordova head into the house as they'd pulled up, and after he'd unknowingly interrupted their date the other night, she just wasn't in the mood to deal with him. He clearly wanted to be friends, and that wasn't something she was interested in. Not so much because of their past, at least not anymore, but because the more time she spent with him in the present, the more unlikeable she found him.
"Sure," Matt said.
"Thanks babe," Gabby told him.
When they entered the firehouse, Gabby handed him her stuff, and then the couple went their separate ways. Matt to the locker room and then his office. Gabby to the kitchen with shopping bags containing bread and eggs in hand so that she could make french toast. She had just put the first batch of coated bread in the frying pan when she discovered that her plan hadn't worked out nearly as well she'd hoped, only buying her a few extra minutes.
"Hey," the sound of Cordova's voice startled her.
"Cordova," she said quietly not taking her eyes off the stove.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he must have noticed how she'd jumped when he first spoke.
"I just wasn't expecting anyone to come up behind me," she replied. At least she wasn't expecting him. One of her friends wouldn't have startled her that much.
"I wanted to check in and see how your neck was. I never really to ask about it the other night," Cordova informed her. As he spoke, Gabby's hands automatically went to the bandage that was still covering up her stitches.
"Ummm…It's fine. Thanks for asking," she figured that was the polite thing to say.
"I'm glad. I get that you don't want to talk about it, and I won't try pushing again, but you had me worried. I was glad to see you seemed okay at Molly's," he added.
"I'm pretty sure I had everyone worried," Gabby demurred. "Especially my husband."
"You know it's been good to see you again after all this time," Cordova paused hoping Gabby would agree. When she didn't say anything, he continued. "We should hang out sometime and catch up. I'd love to know what you've been up to over the years."
"Nothing all that exciting," Gabby finally said something, hoping to cut him off at the pass.
"I somehow doubt that. How about breakfast after shift tomorrow?" Cordova didn't get the hint.
"Well, Matt and I came together this morning so," Gabby started, hoping it would allow her to turn Cordova down without hurting his feelings.
"I can always drive and then drop you off at home," Cordova offered. That would actually work well; it would give him a reason to spend more time with her.
"I can't do breakfast tomorrow," Gabby said as her eyes started roaming the room, looking desperately for one of her friends to come over and get her out of this conversation. She didn't want to be rude, but she also had no desire to catch up with Cordova or grab breakfast with him or really do anything other than be polite and cordial coworkers.
"How about –" Cordova started to offer another idea only to be cut off by Kidd, who'd noticed the pleading look in Gabby's eye.
"Hey, what's for breakfast?" Kidd interrupted as she approached.
"French toast," Gabby replied before giving her friend a subtle, grateful smile.
"Oh. Yum," Kidd said. "Need a hand?"
"Sure," Gabby accepted Kidd's offer, grateful for the chance it gave her to avoid any further one on one with Cordova. Although maybe it would have been better if someone else came to hang out with her. If Cordova kept trying to get her catch up with him, Kidd would probably think it supported her ridiculous theory that he was interested in her romantically when it was likely nothing more than him seeing her as an ally in a house that was still against him and trying to be friends. In hindsight, maybe she shouldn't have tried to be welcoming when he'd first shown up.
For his part, Cordova stood awkwardly watching the two women cook and trying to figure out what to do. He was annoyed that Kidd had interrupted his conversation with Gabby, and he wasn't quite sure if he should continue to make plans with Gabby with Kidd right there. It's not like he wanted Kidd there when he and Gabby got reacquainted, but the woman might consider it offensive if they made plans right in front of her and didn't include her. And given how defensive Gabby was around him the other night, she'd probably rope Kidd into it to keep herself form winding up in a situation where she'd be able to rediscover her feelings for him let alone acknowledge them. Yet, he really wanted to have something planned now. Then at least he'd have a definitive opening with her. Still, with twenty four hours left in the shift, he should have plenty of other opportunities to find a time to hang out with Gabby. He'd just need to make sure he could get her alone again.
Now that he'd decided to wait to finish his conversation with Gabby, Jake needed to decide what to do next. Given how annoyed he was with Kidd interrupting his moment, he had no desire to talk to her. He had a strong desire to stay near Gabby though, and it might look weird if he wandered off simply because someone else had joined their conversation.
"Everything go okay with your neighbor's dog?" he asked Kidd, deciding it would look good if he stayed and talked to both women and that the time with Gabby was worth it. Hopefully, his tone didn't betray him.
"Huh?" Kidd asked, forgetting the lie she'd told him so that she and Severide could ditch him at Molly's.
"He wasn't all restless from being in the crate for the evening. You said he couldn't handle it," Cordova added. The words were enough to bring the story back to Kidd.
"He was barking a bit when we got home but was fine as soon as we got him out of the crate. Didn't have any other problems and Cristina was by around 9 to pick him up," Kidd claimed. "How was the rest of your night?"
"I wound up leaving not long after you did," Cordova answered.
Before anyone could say anything else, the alarm went off, calling the house to a fire. While Cordova immediately started to follow the rest of the men towards the apparatus floor, Gabby and Kidd had to take a minute to turn off the stove, allowing them to follow a safe distance behind.
"I thought you were allergic to dogs," Gabby said quietly in order to ensure that Cordova was far enough ahead to not overhead.
"I am, but Severide and I needed an excuse to head home and dog-sitting was the first thing I could think of," Kidd explained. "It's not like Cordova would have any reason to think I'm allergic or that wasn't really a dog in our apartment."
"True," Gabby said as they stepped onto the apparatus floor. "When we get back, I need to talk to you."
"Sure," Kidd said right before the two ladies went their separate ways, Gabby turning towards the Ambo and Kidd going straight towards the Truck.
"Hey Captain. Do you have a minute?" Kidd stuck her head in Casey's office shortly after Truck, Squad, and Engine returned from the fire. Casey had headed straight to his office when they got back, presumably to get started on the paperwork, while most of the men had retreated to the common room. She'd joined them at first but quickly grew restless, and it didn't help that she could have sworn that Cordova kept glancing towards the door that led to apparatus floor right by where 61 was usually parked. Ambo had taken someone to Med instead of returning directly to 51, and it was as if Cordova was looking for Dawson or at least waiting anxiously for her return. That was enough to make her decide that she needed to talk to Casey.
"What can I do for you Kidd?" Casey turned towards her and leaned back in his chair.
"I need to talk to you about Cordova," she closed the door behind her.
"I know he hasn't been easy to work with. He's brash and arrogant and goes off on his own, but it's only temporary. Otis will be back, and he was better about listening this time," Casey started.
"Not that he's been a joy to work with or anything, but that's not why I wanted to talk about him," Kidd cut in. "You're my boss and we're at work so maybe this is out of line, but I need to talk to you about Cordova and Dawson."
"Gabby mentioned that you think he has feelings for her," Casey replied.
"Yeah. At first, I was teasing her more than anything. She told me about her past with him, and –" Kidd started.
"She did?" Matt couldn't help interrupting. The idea that Gabby had willingly told Kidd everything when she hadn't been able to tell him everything stung. To be fair he didn't actually know the extent of what Gabby had told her let alone if it was everything, but it sounded like that was at least a possibility.
"Well, she told me he was the guy she was dating back when I knew her before and that she'd hurt you when she didn't tell you. I think she just felt bad about how upset you seemed to be and needed a friend," Kidd reassured him. "I don't know if I would have seen it if she hadn't said anything, but the way Cordova was acting when that guy grabbed her last shift, and I swear I saw him staring at the ambo like a lost puppy when I looked out the sideview mirror as we left for Med. It looked to me like he sees her as more than a colleague, like maybe he still cares about her or wants her or something. Dawson thought the whole idea was ridiculous, and at first, I figured the whole thing was probably harmless and didn't really mean anything. Now though I'm not so sure.
"Dawson would tell me I'm crazy if I said this to her, but something just doesn't seem right. I told her I was going to keep an eye on Cordova. I thought that I was pretty much joking around when I said it though, you know ribbing her about the idea that even after all these years her ex might still have feelings for her. I guess I really have been keeping an eye on him though. I didn't mean to, but the more I see of him, the more alarm bells start going off, and I can't help it. And yes, some of it is little things like how he didn't want dinner until Dawson showed up the other day and how after he upset her when he wouldn't let that guy grabbing her go and she left, he tried to follow her too. But some of it is bigger things, patterns really. Have you noticed how whenever she's not around, he seems to be looking for her or lurking like he's just waiting for her to show up? Then when she's around, it's like she's all he sees. Did you notice how when he ran into the four of us at Molly's the other night, he practically ignored you, me, and Severide but was all about Dawson. He kept looking at her and trying to talk to her and only her. It was almost as if he was pretending we weren't there. Then there's the way he looks at her and you. I swear he just stares at her with lust in his eyes and then looks at you with nothing but disdain. And he was disturbed anytime he saw the two of you being all happily married. I saw a couple flashes of it last shift and then all night at Molly's. They didn't last long. It was like he was on guard to squash them as soon as they appeared, like he knew he had to hide it. They were there though. I know they were, and nothing about any of this is how someone normally acts around their ex whether they still have feelings for them or not.
"I'm not saying you have any reason to be jealous. We're talking about you and Dawson, and we both know how much she loves you and the type of person she is. But I think you should be concerned. If you still had feelings for your ex and had to watch her and her husband, wouldn't you just try to avoid them instead of interjecting yourself into their lives and secretly making faces?"
"Kidd, I get your point," Matt finally interjected as the firefighter continued to ramble on.
"Good. I don't know what he's going to do or what he's capable of, but I know this isn't all in my head so I wanted to make sure you knew too. I know you'll keep an eye out and would never let anything happen to her," Kidd said.
"And I appreciate you letting me know what you think his deal is," Matt told Kidd. He meant it, but he wasn't sure he completely bought Kidd's view of the situation. Sure, Cordova had continually rubbed him the wrong way and grated on his nerves, and something had felt off about the man's attitude towards his wife for a while now. At the same time, he had to agree with Gabby that the man harboring feelings for her after all this time seemed like a stretch, especially considering how Cordova had had another serious girlfriend back then. He still thought his theory that seeing a woman he used to date happily married to someone else was an affront to the man's ego. But if he and Kidd both felt that something wasn't quite right with the man, that was something he couldn't ignore, especially not when his wife was potentially in the middle of it.
Once Ambulance 61 returned to quarters, Gabby found herself on a mission. Hopping out of the ambo, her eyes quickly scanned the apparatus floor. Not seeing who she was looking for, she headed inside. Her first stop was the common room, where her attention was momentarily pulled away from her search by a voice calling for her.
"Hey Gabby," Cordova said as he got up and started walking towards her.
"Hi. Have you seen Kidd?" she asked when she didn't see the woman.
"No. Sorry," Cordova hadn't been paying attention to whether or not Kidd was there, but he assumed Gabby wouldn't be asking the question if she was in the room. Figuring it might be beneficial to help her look, he quickly added. "Do you want –"
"She was here earlier. Not sure where she went," Hermann piped in, cutting Cordova off.
"Thanks," Gabby replied.
She turned and headed out of the common room before Cordova could even speak again. He was tempted to go after her but didn't want to look suspicious. He'd have to settle for catching her later and silently cursing Hermann for interrupting his moment.
Meanwhile Gabby continued her search, heading into the bunkroom. When she realized that Kidd wasn't on her bunk, another wave of disappointment initially hit her. She was about to round the corner towards the locker room when she glanced towards the laundry room to check if Kidd was in there. In doing so, she was able to glance into Matt's office where her friend appeared to be talking to her husband.
She approached Matt's office and knocked on the door. A moment later, Kidd had turned around and opened the door, allowing her to poke her head into the room.
"I'll leave the two of you alone," Kidd assumed Dawson was here to see Casey.
"Actually, I was looking for you," Gabby informed the other woman. "I need to talk to you privately."
"Okay," Kidd said.
Gabby turned to give her husband a smile before starting to guide Kidd out of Matt's office.
"Hey Kidd," Matt called after them. "Thanks."
"You're welcome Captain," Kidd replied.
"Should I ask what you were talking to my husband about so privately?" Gabby asked once she and Kidd were hidden by the washer and dryer.
"He is my commanding officer," Kidd demurred since she didn't think Dawson would be receptive to her theories about Cordova.
"I know. I know, and that's not really what I wanted to know anyways. I need to know what you told Severide," Gabby replied.
"What I told Severide about what?" Kidd wasn't following.
"About me and Cordova. The other night you promised Severide that you'd fill him in on the way home," Gabby didn't want to think Kidd would betray her confidence. That didn't sound like the friend she knew, but Kidd's whole attitude towards Cordova that night and her comments about Gabby and Cordova must have been explained to Severide.
"I didn't tell him that the two of you had dated or anything. I promised not to tell anyone," Kidd reassured her. "But I didn't lie to him either. I told him that Cordova acts like he has feelings for you and wants to get in your pants, and that for some reason you think the whole idea is ridiculous even though if you look closely enough it's obvious."
"And I bet you he thought you were crazy too, didn't he?" Gabby replied.
"He didn't really say, but he's a guy. It's not like he'd be looking for or picking up on those things," Kidd defended her position. "I on the other hand know exactly what to look for."
"Notice how you're the only one who sees anything there. The possibility that he wants me or something hasn't crossed anyone else's mind. Has it occurred to you that maybe you just got this idea in your head and are seeing things that aren't there because of it?" Gabby asked.
"Well aside from Brett, they're all guys. Again not exactly the type of people who would be picking up on anything, especially when it seems like Cordova's trying to hide it. And aside from Casey, I'm the only one who knows that you two were ever more than colleagues so that gives me an advantage," Kidd argued. So much for not getting into this with Dawson. "It seems to me that for some reason you're in denial about what's really going on with the guy, and I know you love Casey. Maybe that's blinding you to –"
"My marriage isn't blinding me to anything," Gabby disagreed. "I know what happened between me and Cordova. You don't. I'm the one who was there and lived through it. That means I'm the one who can see things clearly here."
"Or maybe that's what's blinding you to what's right in front of you," Kidd replied. "Look I'm not asking you to tell me what exactly happened between you and Cordova. You clearly don't want to talk about it or you would have told Casey everything from the get go, but can you at least explain to me why you think Cordova having feelings for you is so crazy?"
"Because for him to have feelings for me and want me back, he'd have to have had feelings for me in the first place, and he didn't," Gabby gave in and started to explain. She wouldn't tell Kidd the whole story. Between how hard it had been for her to tell Matt, how he'd reacted to her not being able to tell him, and the fact that she really didn't want to say it all again, that wasn't even an option. But she'd say enough to hopefully get Kidd to see that there was absolutely no way Cordova was interested in her.
"He was just using me for sex. The dates and the conversations and the flowers, those things weren't because he liked me or enjoyed spending time with me. Okay maybe he did enjoy spending time with me, but it wasn't because of those things. He enjoyed the time he spent fucking me. It wasn't about me as a person or because he cared about or liked me never mind loved me. The whole relationship only happened because he knew I wasn't going to let him put his dick in me if he wasn't my boyfriend, and that was all he wanted from me," she continued. "How long it took me to see that is embarrassing, but when I broke up with him, it was because it was finally obviously that to him the whole point of our relationship was sex. All he really wanted from me was what he getting in the bedroom not love.
"And if that was all Cordova wanted back then, why would he want something else now? Why would he suddenly years later, after not seeing me for over a decade, decide that now, when he barely knows me, he has real feelings for me? The idea that he wants a real relationship with me now just doesn't make sense. If he wanted anything from me, it would just be sex. Who has meaningless sex with someone and after not seeing that person for years, decides they need to have sex with them again? No matter how great the sex was that's just absurd. Besides for meaningless sex, I'm the last person it would make sense for Cordova to go after, and there's a lot of other women he'd have an easier time getting into bed. I mean there's no chance he'd ever get me into bed again. No one other than Casey ever will. I mean going after someone who's happily married is a waste of time. Plus, going after your boss's wife is always a bad move. I happen to be both so I'm sure I'm the last person whose pants he would want to get in, especially when trust me, the guy's smooth and wouldn't have any problem finding someone to sleep with."
"But –" Kidd started.
"No buts," Gabby cut her off. "I appreciate you looking out for me, and I know you honestly think Cordova wants me back or something and are trying to be a good friend. The thing is for there to be something there, there would have had to be something there in the first place, and there wasn't. And it's not like he's some psycho stalker who'd try to hurt me or Matt so there's no reason for you to worry. He's got a massive ego and he's a lousy boyfriend, but he's also a firefighter so there's some amount of human decency in him."
"Whatever you say," Kidd replied. She didn't completely agree with Dawson. While she thought her friend had made some valid points, she also thought the woman's perspective was colored by her view of her own past and that view didn't exactly mesh with the present. Dawson's argument made sense if you were talking about a rational, logical man. She knew what she was seeing though, and she was an objective third party. Her instincts were screaming at her, telling her that Cordova was not a rational, logical man, and that meant Dawson's argument might not hold water. No. She was still going to worry and still try to keep an eye on things. She just wasn't sure what to say to her friend.
"Ambulance 61," the alarm suddenly sounded.
"Gotta go," Gabby said once the call had finished coming in before turning and running towards the ambo.
"Saved by the bell," Kidd muttered as soon as Dawson was out of earshot.
Jake was bored and irritated. Why couldn't Gabby have stayed and talked to him? What could she have needed Kidd for that he couldn't provide? Maybe he should be grateful that it hadn't been Casey she'd been so determined to see, and he was, but how was he supposed to win her back if he couldn't get her to spend time with him? Instead he was stuck here by himself, listening to how everyone else was happily engaged in conversation and that just rubbed salt in the wound. He should be happily engaged in his own conversation with Gabby right now.
The sound of everyone's voices was getting on his last nerve. He wasn't exactly sure how long it had been since Gabby left the room. It felt like hours, but he knew it couldn't have been nearly that long. Probably not even ten minutes. Five might be a reasonable guess. Still, it had been long enough that he was sure no one would tie his exit to Dawson, and he needed to walk off the irritation that was building within him so he quietly got up and headed out of the room.
As he walked through the hall, his intent was to just wander aimlessly and try to clear his head. Passing the door to bunkroom, he headed in there. After taking several steps into the room, he realized he heard voices. Female voices. Gabby must have found Kidd. Only as he looked around the room, he didn't see them. It was only when he walked further into it that he realized the voices were coming from the laundry room. A smile formed on his face when he realized that no one else was around. Well, Casey was in his office, but the door was closed, and the captain appeared to be immersed in something on his desk, probably paperwork. The specifics didn't matter though. All that mattered was that it meant he wasn't paying attention to what was going on in the bunkroom so Jake was free to eavesdrop. Quietly, he continued his trek through the bunkroom, stopping so that he was leaning against the wall in front of the bed closest to the laundry room.
"The whole relationship only happened because he knew I wasn't going to let him put his dick in me if he wasn't my boyfriend, and that was all he wanted from me," he heard Gabby say, and he couldn't help wondering what this was all about. As much as he wished this was a reference to something in her marriage, it didn't sound like that was the relationship she was talking about. But then why was she going into some past relationship with Kidd now? What made that so urgent? And how could someone do that to her? He promised himself that once they were back together, she'd always feel completely loved and never have any reason to think about past relationships.
"And if that was all Cordova wanted back then," the sound of his own name caused Cordova to once again focus on Gabby's words. The past relationship she was talking about was their relationship. He wasn't surprised she thought he'd simply been using her for sex. Given her reaction when she'd found out about Diana, he'd long suspected it, but it still hurt to hear her say it out loud. At least she was thinking about him though. His return to her life must have stirred up something within her. Things just might be moving faster than he'd realized. Why else would she be talking about their past with Kidd right now? She was probably hoping her friend would tell her to let it all go or at least seeking advice from someone she trusted.
"The idea that he wants a real relationship with me now just doesn't make sense," it sounded like she was trying to talk herself out of thinking they could have a future. He must have definitely stirred up feelings within her. Her heart must still want him, but her head was telling her it was a bad idea.
"No matter how great the sex was that's just absurd. Besides for meaningless sex, I'm the last person it would make sense for Cordova to go after," finally something that was nice to hear. They did have great sex, amazing really, and for Gabby to still be acknowledging that years later was a compliment. And at least that wasn't something he'd have to remind her of. Instead the moment they got back together, she'd probably be filled with anticipation and eager to have him touch her and inside her again.
"I appreciate you looking out for me, and I know you honestly think Cordova wants me back or something and are trying to be a good friend," hold on had Kidd figured out that he wanted Gabby back? Was the whole reason the two of them were having this conversation because Kidd knew he was determined to end that ridiculous marriage? If so, did that mean he had misinterpreted the whole exchange. No, he couldn't believe that he had. Gabby had to be trying to convincer herself just as much as she was trying to convince Kidd. What they shared was too special for her not to still feel something strong. That really shouldn't be his concern right now though. If Kidd was indeed onto him, he was going to need to come up with some way to distract her. There was no doubt in his mind that his plan would still work even if Kidd, who clearly wanted Gabby with Casey, tried to interfere. He and Gabby were soulmates after all, but it would be harder and take longer if Kidd was working against him. He needed her, and everyone else, thinking that he had no interest in Gabby at least not as anything more than a friendly coworker.
The bells went off, making it likely that at least one of Gabby and Kidd was about to come his way. He couldn't let either of them realize he'd been eavesdropping, especially not if Kidd was already suspicious. While the details of the call were still coming in, he quietly made his way back towards the door. He opened it and then let it loudly close, taking what would appear to be his first few steps into the bunkroom just as Gabby emerged from the laundry room. As he walked further into the room, towards his bunk, she rushed by him, not even acknowledging him. He couldn't really blame her for that though, not when ambo had just been called out, but he couldn't help wishing she had. Reaching his bunk, he took a seat. He wasn't really sure what he was going to do to make it look like he'd come in here with a purpose but figured it would look suspicious if he came in and then immediately left so he needed to come up with something quickly.
"Cordova," Kidd spotted him as soon as she emerged from the laundry room.
"Kidd," he acknowledged in return.
"You and I need to talk," she informed him.
"Okay," Jake tried to sound like he had no idea where this was going even though after what he'd overheard, he was pretty sure he could make an educated guess.
"What was that the other night?" Kidd crossed her arms as she stood at the foot on his bunk.
"What was what?" at least he didn't have to put on an act for the moment. He really wasn't following right now.
"The way you were acting when we were at Molly's the other night. That was supposed to be a couples' evening by the way," Kidd clarified.
"Sorry. I didn't realize," Jake lied. "But I'm not sure what you mean by the way I was acting. I was just trying to be friendly and fit in."
"Yeah, friendly to Dawson," Kidd retorted. "Seemed to me like you wished the rest of us weren't there. I mean you practically ignored Casey, Severide, and me while constantly staring at and talking to Dawson. You were as all over her as you could be without actually being all over her."
"I'm sorry you felt that way," this time his words weren't a lie. He was sorry she felt that way. She'd clearly picked up on something she wasn't supposed to.
"Look, Dawson and Casey love each other. They're happily married, and it's pretty clear to anyone who actually knows them that they're meant to be," Kidd explained. "I don't know what exactly your relationship with Dawson was, but it's in the past. She's not gonna leave her husband for you or anyone else so any feelings for her that you're holding onto you need to let go of. They're just a waste of your time."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Cordova hoped she'd interpret it as a reference to him holding onto feelings as she'd put it. In reality though, it was about Gabby and Casey, the idea that they were meant to be, that she'd never leave Casey. He couldn't disagree more, but he couldn't risk her realizing that. To be safe he added, "Maybe I do find it easier to talk to Dawson than the rest of you. I knew her once, and she's the only one whose welcomed me here. The rest of you clearly just resent me because I'm not Otis, but I'm not holding onto any delusions about her and me. If anything, I want what's best for her." And that was the truth. He was what's best for her, and eventually Gabby and everyone else would see that. And he wasn't holding onto delusions, he was holding onto reality: he and Gabby belonged together. It was Kidd who was delusional, thinking that Gabby could possibly belong with Casey let alone be happier with the man.
"Good," Kidd said before turning and walking away, leaving Cordova alone in the bunkroom.
Yeah, he was definitely going to have be more careful, especially around the female firefighter.
Cordova found himself once again being ignored as he made dinner. Squad wasn't in the room. He suspected that they were probably out at their table on the apparatus floor; they seemed to spend a lot of time out there. Truck was gathered around the common room along with the medics. The whole group was hanging out together, engaged in conversation, the strong friendship between them all shining through. No one had even made an attempt to pull him into the conversation though. He thought about trying to interject but wasn't even sure where to begin.
Just as the oven beeped to signal that he could put the food in, he was pulled back towards the conversation by the sound of Gabby laughing. It was a great sound, and he couldn't help looking up towards the table where she sat, trying to pick up on what was said, only to be greeted by the image of Casey wrapping an arm around her as she leaned into him. Not wanting to see any more, he turned his attention back towards the food.
"What's for dinner?" Cruz suddenly asked as he came in from the floor and headed towards the kitchen.
"Salmon teriyaki," Jake answered as he looked up and realized that Cruz's question had brought the conversation to a halt. Everyone's focus was on him now.
"Fish seriously," Otis made a face.
"What's wrong with fish?" Jake asked.
"Ummm…let's see. It smells and is all slimy," Mouch replied. "I eat too much of it at home. Since my heart attack, Trudy makes it all the time. You couldn't have gone with actual meat or something."
"Told you," Kidd smirked as she remembered their conversation on this exact subject at Molly's the other night.
"Well, I for one like salmon and am looking forward to it. I'm sure it'll be great," Gabby interjected. She didn't mean anything by it. She was just stating a fact and trying to calm the house down. The last thing anyone needed, especially Matt, was to have Truck 81 fighting over dinner.
"Thanks Gabby," Jake said. What she meant wasn't going to stop him from interpreting her words how he wanted to. As far as he was concerned, this was her standing up for him against her friends, and that made him happy. Despite Kidd warning him that 51 would react this way, he'd made the salmon for Gabby. He'd wanted to make her happy, and maybe on some level he was hoping it would turn out this way, that she'd appreciate the mean and take his side against her friends.
Meanwhile, Kidd gave Gabby a quick glare. The last thing Dawson should be doing was encouraging Cordova, and judging by the man's body language, that seemed to be what had happened.
"I think salmon was a great idea too. We never have fish here," Brett smiled at him. "And Mouch, its good for you and your heart. That's why Trudy keeps making it."
Jake checked his water-proof watch in order to make sure he timed this right. Satisfied that shift would have ended a few minutes ago, he turned the shower off and grabbed his towel. Gabby should be in the locker room getting ready to head out. With any luck her husband wouldn't be with her, but even if he was, Jake trusted that she'd still get a nice look at his dripping wet chest. Another, better, idea quickly came to him though. He'd "accidentally" dropping his towel so that she could see him in all his glory.
With that idea in mind, he loosely wrapped his towel around his waist. This way it was well positioned to fall down without him having to do anything, and he'd be able to get away with it. Then he headed towards the locker room, pleased to discover that he heard Gabby's voice. And best of all she was talking to a woman, not Casey. Although he couldn't tell who.
As he waked further into the room, he found Gabby already in her civilian clothes, leaning down to tie her shoes, her back was partially turned towards him. Brett was the woman with her; the blonde leaning against the lockers, blabbering about something. He tried to tune her out so he could focus solely on Gabby. Passing by where they were standing, he felt a pair of eyes on him. He hoped it was Gabby, but when he looked, he saw that Brett was the one staring at him. At least Gabby looked up after a moment to see what had grabbed her partners attention. He smiled at Gabby only Brett must have thought the smile was intended for her. The blonde was the one to smile back.
"Cordova seems like a good guy," Brett commented, her eyes still on him.
"Yeah," Gabby mumbled in response.
"I'm always looking for one of those," Brett added. "And he's hot too. I mean did you just see that body."
She must have thought she was being quiet, especially when she'd said that last part about him being hot, but Jake had heard every word. He decided he'd keep listening, but Gabby didn't reply. Instead he heard Casey's voice a few seconds later as the captain came walking into the locker room. When he joined Gabby and Brett, the conversation shifted to other topics.
As he grabbed his clothes out of his locker and started putting them on, Jake was disappointed that his towel hadn't fallen. He should have made it even looser. The disappointment was quickly pushed aside though as Brett's words from earlier reverberated in his head. She thought he was hot. She liked him and that gave him an idea. A way to get Kidd to let go of her suspicions, and hopefully, a way to make Gabby jealous and help his cause. There couldn't be any real harm in it. It was simply a misdirect, and when they got back together, everyone would believe that he'd respected that Gabby was married and appeared to have moved on, not that he'd schemed to get her back.
"Hey Brett," he called once he was fully dressed. Turning towards her, it looked like she appeared to be going through her bag, like she was looking for her keys. She must be getting ready to leave. Gabby was still there too, now sitting on the bench while Casey's head was in his locker.
"Yeah," Brett looked up.
"Do you want to have dinner sometime?" he asked.
"Sure," she smiled at him again.
"How about Friday night?" he followed up.
"Perfect," she replied.
With Jake now fully dressed, he and Brett headed out of the locker room together so that they could plan their date.
Meanwhile, Gabby watched them leave, wondering what she should do. Only Matt and Kidd knew that there was more to her past with Cordova, and she really didn't want anyone else to know. Now Brett was about to go out with him, and she also didn't want her partner to go through what she went through or what Diana went through. This turn of events meant she was going to have to figure out what to do and when, how much to share with Brett or if there was another way to protect the woman. Whatever happened, she was pretty sure it wasn't going to be fun.
