Six months later.

''Hey, we have to get to work.'' Gabriela's lips touched his cheekbone and he woke up, pulling her on top of him; ''Do we really have to?''

''We can't both call in sick.'' She mumbled, wiping her hair behind her ear while she looked him in the eyes. ''Although, we could say we are busy producing little Daseys for the firehouse.''

''What.'' he said frowning.

''Dasey's. Dawson Caseys.''

''Okay, you got me out of bed.'' Matthew jumped out of bed, pulling his sweatpants out while he ran towards the bathroom to take a shower. Gabriela looked at her hands while she sat on the edge of the bed, biting her lip. Her stomach hurt and she felt sick, as she always did when they had a fight. Every time she started about children, he fled. She didn't want children straight away, but after six months, she at least wanted to know how he saw their future together. She knew it still had to do with Hallie and she understood but even though she loved Matthew, she was done waiting, not to get children, but know where she was at. She had been waiting for two months when he was in England, when he had comeback, he was different. Every boyish part of personality was gone. He walked back into the bathroom with a towel wrapped around him, folding the sweatpants on the floor and laid it back under his pillow.

''Why, Matthew?''

A silence filled the bedroom. This was what happened every time she wanted to talk about something he didn't want to discuss, or when it was too hard for him. She knew that he still hadn't overcome Hallie's dead, but that he was dealing with it well enough for them to be together and to function properly.

''Matt, I am talking to you.'' She mumbled when she heard his quick footsteps of the stairs. Annoyed she walked down the stairs, not even dressed fully with quick steps. She heard him grabbing the lunch bag she had already prepared for him when he was still asleep and to her big dismay she heard the front door before she was even down the stairs and she saw his truck pulling out of the driveway.

Usually she tried to keep their private lives separated from their lives at the station but now, she needed to. When she arrived at the fire station she dropped her bag by the locker and right after she changed clothes she walked to common room and walked to her boyfriend, hidden behind a newspaper. The rest of the fireman looked as she walked towards him with firm, angry steps and she snatched the newspaper out of his hands, grabbed his shirt and pulled him after him towards his tiny office. She nearly pushed Shay aside in the hallway and walked towards the office in one straight line, pushing him in and locking the door, standing against it.

''What was that this morning?'' She crossed her arms, frowned at him while he sat down on the edge of the bed, knowing there was no way to go instead of listening to her.

''I didn't want to talk about it.'' He just shrugged and she rolled her eyes.

''What are you, 16? Walking away from a conversation like that?''

''I just didn't want to talk about it. I just need some time.''

Dawson felt bad that she had to say this, but she had been keeping it in too long.

''I understand that you needed some time, but it has been nearly a year now. We don't need to have kids next year, I just want to know what I can expect from the future, without you storming out when I even mention a word about it.''

He nodded; ''Fair enough.''

But instead of saying something it was silent again.

''You don't want kids, right? That is why don't want to talk about it, because you know that I want them at some point and in not too many years.''

''Gabby, it is not that I don't want kids. Just not now.''

''When? Ever?''

He shrugged again. ''Maybe, I don't know.''

Gabriela laid her head against his shoulder; ''Just be honest, okay. I just want to know what i can expect from our relationship and if that doesn't include children, I can live with that. I just want to know that. If you never tell me, I will be having hope and I don't want to have false hope.'' She mumbled while picking on the fabric of her t-shirt.

''I don't think I am ever going to want children. I always wanted to be a dad, but now, I don't know anymore.'' He admitted then.

''Can you at least tell me why?''

But she already know the answer. He wanted children with Hallie, she was just his surrogate. He was loved now, he had a woman to come home to but she still wasn't Hallie and she was never going to be Hallie. The moment she got together with him she knew to expect this and she hadn't expected that it would hurt her so much, but now they were, it did hurt her that she still was the second choice. She was the best he could get at the moment, but not the mother of his children.

''Gabby, I can't te-'' He started but she interrupted him. ''Don't, I understand.''

''Gabby, wait!'' But she already walked out of the office. Maybe she should have listened to her, but she knew that she still wasn't going to get a clear answer. Walking into the bathroom she walked into in one of the stalls, sitting down with the lid closed, trying to contain her tears. She heard the bathroom door opening and a few seconds later there were a few knocks on his door.

''Gabby, are you in here?''

Instead of answering she kept sitting.

''Sweetie, can you please listen to me first before drawing your own conclusions?''

''Both of you sweethearts, could you please continue this conversation in a more private place? I am trying to take a dump in silence.'' Otis voice sounded from the stall next to Gabriela's and she heard Matthew leaving the bathroom.

''Trouble in paradise?'' He said after a few seconds.

''Remember, dumping in silence.'' She sighed while standing up. Their privacy level was zero, even from each other. At work and home they were together and that was probably one of the factors that drove them apart. She also left the bathroom, slightly embarrassed by what just happened. She felt sick, as she always felt when she felt bad about their relationship, or in any relationship she had been. She just wanted to solve to the fight.

''Matt!'' She called after him as he walked over the hallway. He turned around, waiting for her. She walked towards him.

''let's just finish this shift and talk about it. I promise I will tell you everything'' He said, nodding at her.

''Just 23 hours more to go.'' She sighed, there wouldn't be any talking between them for nearly a whole day. Tomorrow morning they would arrive at home and he would probably be to tired.

''Are you okay?'' Matthew grabbed her shoulders, worried.

''Yeah, I just don't feel so well, I am sure it will be gone when I eat something.''

''Are you sure you shouldn't go home?'' Matthew said, even more worried. All the color in her face was gone and she stood a little unstable, her legs shaking.

''Dawson, you are dismissed for today.'' Chief Boden was leaning in the doorpost of his office, on front of which they had been standing.

''For your own good, as well as for the people you should help today.''

''Chief, I am okay.''

The chief shook his head. ''it was not an option, it was an order.''

Dawson nodded, a little unsure, since she was sure she felt good enough to work today. What would she do at home? She was fine. But instead she just kissed Matthew on his cheek, walked out, greeting everybody. Luckily the way home wasn't so long as she was living in Matthews house now. At home she walked upstairs, figured she would feel better after some sleep. With hey pajama's on she walked to the bathroom, opening the small cabinet behind the mirror, looking for some acetaminophen. Incidentally she knocked another box of the shelf, her birth-control pills. Cursing, she picked them up, mad that she had to be reminded of the whole morning again. Another strip slipped out of it, dropping on the floor, she picked it up, looking with open mouth at the five pills still in there at the end. These had been from weeks ago, when she had the flu and wasn't able to take them. Her hands started to shake as she remembered she had stopped after that for a another week.

''Shit.'' She just mumbled. Her hands started to rumble through the cabinet again, rumbling to another one of her bags. Suddenly she felt the carton box, lifting it out. It had always been in her bathroom for years, just in case she ever needed it, although she was sure she never would and know she did.

With shaking hands she opened the box, pulling the pregnancy test out.

After a few minutes she dropped down on the bed. How could she be so stupid? Her hand was searching for her phone on the bed. There was only one person she could call now.

''Hey, how are you?''

''Shay, I need to talk to you. This is important, are you alone?''

''Yeah, I am cleaning out the ambo on my o-''

''Good.''

''What was that about you and Matthew this morning?''

''We had a fight about..'' she bit her lip ''about our future, he doesn't want children.''

''Is that why you went home?''

Dawson shook her head while calling, as if Shay could see her. ''No, I went because I felt actually sick.''

''Get well soon.''

''Who, wait, I am not finished yet.'' She said as Shay was nearly hanging up the phone.

''Go on then.''

''I got home an realized that I am overdue.''

Shay gasped; ''No, do you want me to bring you a test?''

''I already did.'' Gabriela started to panic.

''What did swaby say?'' If it wasn't for the situation she was in, she would have laughed about Shay's word for the pregnancy test. Now she just took a deep breath:

''Swaby said baby.''

...

At night, she couldn't sleep, afraid for what was going to happen in the morning, all she could hope was that Matt was happy about the news, even though it hadn't been what he had expected, but neither had she. She hoped that he had been wrong this morning, that he would want to have kids. The morning came earlier than she was ready and with a terrible feeling in her stomach she walked down the stairs. Afraid Gabriela put the breakfast plates on the table. She was sure now and she had to tell him, no idea how Matthew was going to react, probably good, but they only had been together for six months now. As always on Thursday morning after their overnight shift, Matthew was later as he was out getting the groceries. Nervous she sat down on the couch, jumping up when she saw his car on the driveway and he jumped out of the car, his shoulders up as he ran towards the house through the drizzling morning rain.

''Who ordered this weather?'' He mumbled annoyed, walking with the bags to the kitchen while his shoes left a trace of footsteps on the floor. ''Is it me or are we getting more stuff every week?'' He complained again, while sorting everything from the bags.

''I am sorry, how are you sweet heart?'' He mumbled, kissing her on the cheek as she walked into the kitchen.

''Matt.'' She leaned against the doorpost. ''We are going to need more.'' she said pointing at the groceries, she couldn't even lie now that she was fine.

He looked back, worried but frowning at the same time; ''Are you hungry? Did I have to take you something special.''

''I didn't mean food, although formula might be necessary. Also diapers and -''

Before she could finish her sentence a gallon of milk was spreading over the kitchen floor and Matthew looked at her, thunderstruck. For a second she was afraid that the was going to faint but instead he picked up the broken milk pack, milk still dripping out and threw it in the trash and grabbed some cloths to clean up the milk. Dawson bit on her lip afraid that they didn't share the same excitement. In silence she helped him cleaning the floor. Had she been wrong that what he said earlier was actually true and he didn't want any kids with her?

''We are also going to need wood, so I can make the little Dasey a crib.'' He suddenly said, looking up at her, the corners of his mouth curled up.

...

NOTE: Who expected their relationship to be all rosy? Will it all be now?

I hope you liked this chapter, that the characters weren't too much OOC and that it was believable.

Thanks for reading again! I am glad you are still sticking up with the story. Please leave review!