A\N: I want to give a huge thank you to everybody who has read, reviewed, favourited me or the story, added me or the story to their alert list and voted in my poll! :) I hope everyone likes this chapter, please remember to review and vote in my poll on my profile if you haven't already.
Disclaimer: I do not own Chicago Fire, NBC, Global, or Barbie. Oh and I only like Taylor Swift's songs I'm not associated with her at all.
Spoilers: Post "God has Spoken"
Warnings: None
Christmas Day
"Mom said we could just walk in," Gabby said as she and Matt walked up the front steps of her parents' house, each carrying a bundle of presents. "That is if we can open it," She added just as the door opened and she heard giggling behind the door.
"The door opened all by it's self," She walked into the house and took off her shoes. "It looks like nobody's here to open the presents Santa left at my house my mistake.
"PRESENTS!" Maria and Diego suddenly jumped from behind the door and examined the boxes.
"Come here!" Casey placed the presents on the floor and picked both children up and began tickling them enjoying their laughter.
"Auntie Gabby!" Maria and Diego squealed as Casey carried them into the living room.
"I don't know," Gabby smiled, "The tickle monster might come after me next."
It was then that Maria noticed the ring on Gabby's finger, "Pretty ring!" She smiled, "It looks like Mommies."
"No it doesn't," Diego chimed in next.
"Does it look like yours Mommy?" Maria asked as Casey placed both her and Diego on the ground.
"No it's a little bit different," Dani sent apologetic looks to both Gabby and Matt knowing that they might have wanted to wait before officially announcing their engagement.
"We were going to wait until after the presents were opened but..." Gabby took a breath before continuing, "Matt and I are engaged."
The adults all stood up to congratulate the couple.
"Uncle Matt," Diego pulled on his pant leg.
"Yeah buddy," Casey looked at the young boy.
"Does this mean you're really going to be my uncle?"
"Yep," Casey knelt down to the young boy's level, "I am, is that alright with you?"
"Uh-huh, you're almost as cool as Daddy,"
"Well I'll take that as a compliment," Casey stood up with the young boy in his arms.
"Okay kids," Now that everyone's here, Carla and Freddie can start handing out presents," Esmeralda settled on the couch next to her husband.
"I'll help," Diego scrambled off Matt's lap and onto the floor where he crawled under the tree and pushed all the presents behind him.
"Only a few at a time bud," Gabby who was sitting on the floor at Matt's legs gently pulled on his feet, "Let other people find presents."
"Okay," Diego sulked as he leaned into Gabby's body.
"TAYLOR SWIFT TICKETS!" Carla ripped open an envelope and screamed her voice echoing off the walls, "THANK YOU MOM AND DAD!" She ran to her parents and engulfed them into a gigantic hug.
"Who's Taylor Swift again?" Tim Dawson joked good-naturedly about his granddaughter's favourite singer.
"She's only the best singer EVER!"
"Okay Carla, Freddie chose that gift for you, you pick another gift for somebody else." Dani instructed her daughter.
Carla chose the present nearest to her and read the nametag. "This one's for you Diego," She told her younger brother, "It's from Aunt Gabby and Uncle Matt."
Diego tore through the tissue paper of the bag and pulled out the folded t-shirt, "S-T-A-T-I-O-N F-I-F-T-Y –O-N-E." Diego sounded out every letter of the small writing.
"That's where Aunt Gabby and Uncle Matt work," Antonio told his son, "I think it's one of the shirts Uncle Matt always wears, turn it over."
"Truck!" Diego easily recognized the word in bold white letters, "That's the team you work on, he turned to Matt, "You said it was better then Squad, but Mr. Severide said you were wrong." He retold of his chat with Squad Lieutenant Kelly Severide.
"Yeah well you don't listen to him," Matt ruffled the young boys dark hair.
"Matt!" Gabby hit his leg.
"I want to wear this right now!" Diego ran out of the room and returned seconds later wearing the t-shirt Matt had gotten him.
"Thank you Uncle Matt!" Diego hugged his soon to be Uncle.
"What about me?" Gabby turned around playfully pouting.
"And you!" Diego sat in her lap and hugged her neck.
"Better," Gabby kissed his cheek now go find a present for Freddie or Maria," She instructed.
"Okay," Diego crawled towards a large present and said "Maria this one's for you. It's from Santa!"
"Yay!" Maria ran towards the present and tore the packaging off. "Look! Look!
Santa got me a dress-up set!"
"Well wasn't that nice of him, that's just what you wanted," Esmeralda said, "You must have been a very good girl this year."
"I was!" Maria nodded her head with excitement.
"Here sweetheart lets find something for Freddie to open," Gabby sat on her knees as she looked through the presents.
"Who's that one for" Maria noticed a green garbage bag, one that Matt had been carrying against a corner.
"Lets see," Dawson stood up, "It's for Freddie," She said, "Freddie do you want to open this one."
"It's for me?" The twelve year old looked somewhat confused, "I didn't ask for anything that big."
"Santa knows you better then you think," Gabby spoke as Freddie walked towards the present and opened it.
"A skate board?" Diego looked in amazement at the new skateboard and helmet, "This is so cool!"
"Oh that's awesome!" The new skateboard also amazed Carla and Diego.
"I want one!" Diego suddenly announced to no adult's surprise, he wanted everything his older brother had.
"Maybe when you're older," Antonio told his son as Freddie had already retrieved a present from under the tree and handed it to Matt.
"Who's it from Uncle Matt?" Carla asked,
"Aunt Gabby," Matt opened the bag and pulled out a Chicago Bulls ticket holder, "Gabby you didn't have to get me these," He held two courtside seats to a Bull's game
Two hours later all of the presents had been opened and the living room was relatively cleaned up.
"Mom, Dad can I go outside and ride my new skateboard," Freddie asked as he put the last piece of wrapping paper in a garbage bag.
"What are you going to do to help with dinner?" Dani asked. She and Antonio liked to have their children help out with work around the house and making dinner. Antonio's parents were also in agreement to this as that had been the way they had raised Antonio and Gabby.
"I'll set the table," Freddie said.
"I'll make the name cards, help Mom make the mashed potato's and help Grandma with the turkey," Carla said next, "Can I go and watch my DVD?" She asked holding up her favourite movie The Hunger Games.
"Yes and yes," Antonio gave both of his eldest children permission as they scurried out of the living room with their Christmas present. "Now as for the two of you," Antonio spoke to Diego and Maria, "You are going to help me make the stuffing."
"I'll help you guys too," Matt said, he was sitting against the wall playing Barbie with Maria.
"Okay but I'm still doing your make-up later," Maria took Matt's hand and stood up.
"Okay," Matt smiled as he let the four year old lead him into the kitchen, "Are you going to make Auntie Gabby look beautiful too?" He smirked as Gabby followed them into the kitchen laughing.
"Good idea!" Maria beamed, "Auntie Gabby wear's make-up anyways, she's a girl."
Antonio chuckled, "Yeah I think that's why Uncle Matt likes her."
"No it's because she's pretty," Maria didn't understand her father's hidden meaning.
"And you know what," Gabby set Maria on the counter, "Girls can like other girls and boys can like other boys."
"Yeah they can," Antonio knew his sister's best friend was a lesbian.
Walking into the kitchen and hearing her children speak Esmeralda had a thought, "Gabriella have you told Leslie about your engagement yet? I'm sure she'd be thrilled to know.
"No, I haven't," Gabby, said, "I might wait until we're make at work." Leslie Shay, her best friend was roommates with Squad Lieutenant Kelly Severide who Matt had a complicated relationship with. They used to be best friends but after a fellow fire fighters death had drifted apart. Gabby was not sure if Matt wanted to tell Severide or even if he wanted Severide to know yet.
"You kidding? Shay'd be furious if you waited until Saturday," Matt was silently telling her that it was okay and that Shay could tell Severide.
"Okay," Gabby walked out of the kitchen.
"Did you have a nice nap honey?" Esmeralda asked her daughter as Gabby walked into the kitchen around one o'clock.
Gabby blushed, "Yeah sorry about that Mom, I was talking to Shay and then Ana, then Chloe called and I was just going to close my eyes for a minute.
"You do realize all of Chicago knows you're engaged now right?" Antonio commented on the fact that his older cousin Ana was a professional gossiper, or at least that's what he called her.
"So Mom what can I do?" Gabby ignored her older brothers comments.
"Well you help me with the turkey," Esmeralda told her, "Or you could start preparing more stuffing that doesn't go into the turkey."
"Whatever you need."
"Actually you know what would be great," Esmeralda clapped her hands together, "You could make desert, I was going to ask you last night but…"
"Yeah sure," Gabby smiled, "What kind of pie do you want me to make?"
"Cherry," Antonio quipped.
"Just for that I'm not making cherry."
"You know what now that I think about I don't have the ingredients you'll need."
'That's no problem I have lots at my house, I'll go there and make it then bring it back in time for dinner, is that okay."
"Or you know you could just find a store that's open an buy one." Antonio offered is opinion.
"Isn't there something else you could be doing?" Dawson asked, she was somewhere between annoyed an amused.
"No, not really," Antonio smirked, "Unless you want me to play Barbie dolls or-"
"Daddy can I go skating outside?" Diego walked into he kitchen.
"Or skating," Gabby repeated her nephew's words as she walked to the balcony entrance and stepped outside.
"Matt, I'm going home to make a pie for desert!" She called over to where Matt was having a snowball fight with her father, sister in-law and the twins.
"Time-out!" He called as he jogged over to the porch, "Sorry I didn't hear all of that," He admitted.
"My Mom doesn't have all the ingredients to make a pie so I'm going home to make one and then bring it back in time for desert."
"Why do we need desert when you're already so sweet?" He kissed her.
Gabby blushed, "Ha-ha," She ruffled his hair, which was covered in snow, "I knew I should have gotten you a hat for Christmas."
"Ha-ha, it just so happens I forgot my hat at your place, actually you know what I'll come with you, I need to get changed I'm covered in snow."
"Yeah you are," Gabby agreed, "You really should have stayed inside."
Matt shrugged his shoulders "It's alright I mean I have mitts and a coat.'
"Yeah but your ears look like apples there so red and your pants look white."
"True," Matt walked inside with her.
"Uncle Matt isn't wearing his snow pants why do I have to wear mine!" Maria, who was obviously in another argument on proper winter attire pointed towards Casey's snow covered jeans.
"Yeah but I'm wet so I need to go home to get changed." Casey thought quickly on his feet, "When I come back though I'll bring my snow pants for sure."
"You promise?" Maria held out her pinky.
"I pinky promise," Casey smiled.
"Okay," Maria seemed satisfied with the answer and walked into the coatroom to get on her winter clothes.
"No, no stay away from the flour," Gabby dramatically moved the flour away as soon as Matt walked within arms reach of the kitchen.
"Why not?" Casey played along as he tried to reach for it.
"Because the last time you tried to use the flour you ended up making my kitchen a nightmare to clean."
"Really?" Casey raised an eyebrow, "Because if I remember correctly you were the one who poured flour on me."
Gabby licked her lips, "Yeah but you dumped it in the first place."
"So that makes me guilty?" Casey tried and failed to figure out her logic as she again licked her lips; and although he was almost positive she was doing it without knowing she was it still made him want to kiss her so that's what he did.
Gabby groaned as Matt kissed her and ran her hands over her body. "Matt," She hated herself for what she had to do, "I really need to finish making this, it's already almost two o'clock."
"Do you have to make it?" Casey offered her a boyish grin as he put a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Yeah I do," Gabby kissed him before returning back to her baking.
"Grandpa, Dad, Maria, Carla, me, Grandma, Aunt Gabby, Uncle Matt, Mom and Diego," Freddie counted out the seats at the living room table as he placed the name cards at everyone's spot.
"Looks good," Dani walked into the living room, "Are you sure you want to sit beside Carla? Will you guys be able to sit together nicely? She knew although Freddie and Carla usually got along they sometimes got into heated arguments that often led to physical violence and name-calling.
"I think so," Freddie sounded confident, "Carla knew where I was placing everyone, she didn't say anything, if you want though I could move people."
"We'll see how it works out, but if you two start arguing you might be moved."
"Okay," Freddie seemed to think that rule was fair.
TBC
A\N: What do you think of the family dynamic in the Dawson family? How about Antonio? Is there anything you want to see? Please tell me in your review and vote in my poll! :)
