A/N: Thank you all for your kind words. I appreciate all so much. I have another couple chapters mapped out to this story and I am so excited about where this one is going. This one has been a slow burn from the very beginning, and I am getting closer to the end. I can't wait for you all to see what is in store for this version of Dawsey.
I have a one-shot that I have been working on for about a little while now and has just flown off the page for the last few days. It will be uploaded very soon, so keep an eye out for that as well. It will be titled "Mercy" and is a continuation of 8x09 Dawsey.
As always, please leave me a review and let me know what you thought.
Casey
"This is ridiculous."
I hear Gabby muttering as she shoves her new favorite book, laptop and a sweater into her bag. I hold in my chuckle at her antics, though I knew the situation was frustrating for her; I was not budging on this.
She had been complaining all morning, ever since I got the call from Antonio that he wasn't going to be able to come to sit with Gabby today while I went back for my first shift. To say she was unimpressed was an understatement.
"I don't need to be babysat; you know? I am pregnant not a child." She continues in a huff, moving to the bathroom as quickly as her 8-month pregnant belly would allow. "And great, I have to pee, again." She rants, shutting the bathroom door behind her forcefully.
Gabby and I both had doctor's appointments a week ago. Mine was great, I was released to return to full duty. While Gabby's was great, she also was told she can't be left alone now that she was in her final month of pregnancy. There are too many risks. Too much opportunity for bleeding to occur. The doctor's words had haunted me since she said them, but what had haunted Gabby was she couldn't be left alone. It was too dangerous. If bleeding occurred it would be substantial, and Gabby would likely lose consciousness; the doctor not willing to leave it up in the air on whether Gabby would have time to call someone before that happened and with me working 24-hour shifts... the "babysitting" as Gabby called it ensued.
Her parents and Antonio had set up a schedule for when I was on shift. Today was Antonio's day because their parents were out of town. When Antonio called this morning saying he got a case last minute that was too big to get out of I had suggested Gabby come to the firehouse instead, we had beds and a couch, what could it hurt?
The look she gave me at that suggestion could have killed, but ultimately, I won out; Gabby knowing me leaving her alone was not going to happen after the doctor's warnings. I had tried to cancel shift, but she wanted that even less, so she was left with no option but to join Kelly and me at work today.
I zip up my own bag and grab the few things Gabby had gotten together for herself along with her pregnancy pillow and her favorite throw blanket off the bed. I tap lightly on the bathroom door. "Gabs, I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready."
I hear a huff on the other side of the door before, "Try not to leave without me." Is thrown back sarcastically.
Walking into the living room I meet Severide who is staring at me expectantly, "We ready?"
I shake my head, chuckling softly, "Not quite. She will be out in a few." I run a hand over the back of my neck, trying to ease some of the tension that has built up over the course of this morning.
Severide chuckles as well, "She is hating this isn't she?"
I nod. "She is, but she knows the doctor wouldn't have given this warning if it wasn't serious, so she is obliging, even if she hates it."
Kelly's head bobs in acknowledgment. "How you doing with all that anyway?" He asks gently.
I know Kelly has been worried about us, but honestly, we were doing good. We both had a mutual understanding that we loved each other, but there were talks that needed to be had before we could be together again. Our outbursts during our last fight giving way that neither of us were as over all of our issues as we claimed to be.
"We are good, Kelly. Really. I know we haven't been the two easiest people to live with lately, but we are going to be fine." I tell him honestly, and for once I really believed it. We would make it through this.
"Good to hear."
"Alright, let's go get operation babysit Dawson on the road." Gabby huffs, walking out of the bedroom and moving to the front door, abruptly ending our conversation.
Kelly and I both shake our heads at her nonsense but follow along anyway.
We get to the firehouse and split at the common doors, Kelly heading to the locker room to change right away, but Dawson and I head into the common room, Gabby deciding this was where she wanted to set up for the time being.
"Dawson!" I hear Hermann holler, obviously excited to see her. Cruz, Capp, and Sylvie soon follow, wrapping Gabby up in quick hugs. I set her pregnancy pillow and blanket down on the couch before turning to listen to their conversation.
"What are you doing here?" I hear Sylvie ask and don't miss Dawson's eye roll.
"Antonio bailed on his babysitting duties, so now you're all stuck with me while Casey and Severide are on shift."
Their brows furrow with amused confusion and I interject. "Doctors orders, no being left alone for extended periods of time during this last month of pregnancy." I clarify.
Sylvie rubs Gabby's shoulders affectionately, knowing she was less than impressed with the situation. "And since someone is still on bed rest, couch or bunk room is the only place we are allowed today."
Gabby huffs at my words before finally coming to settle down on the couch. I make sure she is comfortable and lay her blanket over her before getting what she needed out of her bag than swinging it over my shoulder.
The guys watch on in amusement before patting my shoulder, "Good to have to back Lieutenant."
I squeeze Gabby's shoulder before turning to go to the locker room to change out. It's only when I get to the doorway to the common room that I stop in my tracks as Mouch pauses once he walks in seeing his couch occupied. He stutters for a moment, looking between me, Dawson and everyone in the room.
Mouch point to the couch, going to speak but I cut him off, "Act right." I say seriously, before smirking as I walk away to the lockers, knowing this day could get interesting.
"Welcome back Lieutenant." Mouch hollers after me instead.
Welcome back indeed.
Hermann
I filled my plate of eggs and bacon and two pancakes setting it at the table before turning to look at Dawson on the couch, her feet tucked up against Mouch as he tried to bargain with her on how much more comfortable, she would be in the bunk room. Mouch and his damn couch.
I shake my head and walk over, flicking Mouch on the back of the head, "Leave the poor kid alone Mouch." I rest a hand on Dawson's leg, squeezing soothingly. "Want some breakfast, kiddo?"
Dawson smirks at Mouch's glaring stare at me before averting her eyes back to me. I watch as she looks over to the kitchen counter longingly. "Please." She sighs gratefully. I give her a reassuring look, I knew she hated being waited on and releasing control to anyone was not Dawson's forte. Bed rest, and now, babysitting as she called it was enough to drive her insane. The last thing she needed was to feel like a nuisance, I knew how much she was already beating herself up for being here.
"I'll take some breakfast." Mouch answers. I shake my head at him.
"Well, you got two feet." I gruff back.
I ignore his grumbles of distaste and Gabby's teasing to him of being the favorite and continue making Gabby a plate of what I knew she always liked while on shift. Scrambled eggs, three bacon, and a tall glass of orange juice. The girl was nothing if not consistent.
Casey enters a few moments later now changed into his work gear and the rest of the house welcomes him back, all just as excited to see him back in action as they were to have Gabby back in the house.
The Lieutenant moves to Dawson, leaning down in front of her and running a hand along her stomach, a large smile gracing his features at what I can only assume is a kick from his soon to be son. Watching those two together, I can't help but shake my head. The love between those two was something you could not deny, even Casey and Dawson themselves couldn't deny it. I knew it was none of my business, but I could only hope they would get their acts together soon.
I knew life had never dealt the two of them an easy hand, and God knew they deserved a break more than anyone else I knew. I could only hope and pray that Gabby made it through everything and baby Casey would be born happy and healthy and the two of them would finally catch that break they so rightfully deserved.
I'm snapped from my thoughts when I hear Casey get up. "Breakfast?" He questions Dawson and I quickly interject, grabbing a fork and making my way over to Dawson with her plate.
"I got her Casey, one step ahead of you."
Dawson takes the plate and I set her drink on the coffee table. "Thank you, Hermann." They both mimic back to me.
"Anything for you, kiddo." I squeeze Gabby's shoulder before moving back to my own plate at the table. I quickly dig in, only to have Otis staring back at me. "What?" I ask around a mouthful of pancake.
Otis leans forward, "I was laid up sick with pneumonia two months ago and you came and pulled me off the couch to work a shift at Molly's... but you are getting breakfast for Dawson?" He asks incredulously. "And you say you don't have favorites." He continues with a roll of his eyes. I shake my head shooing him away.
We all knew that was not true, I didn't have favorites per say, but I did have a favorite. She was like a daughter to me; Gabriella Dawson held a special my place in my heart. She always would.
The bells go off and we all pause, it's not until only ambo is called that we all return to our breakfast as Brett and Mills headed for the rig. I hear Gabby sigh in relief.
We all turn to look at her.
She shrugs, turning back to her food. "Ya know, I was not looking forward to being babysat here all day, but hearing the alarms go off and getting to continue eating... that is something I could get used to."
We all chuckle, there was no denying how good it felt to have Dawson back in the house with us, even if it wasn't the typical situation.
Casey
I pulled my turn out gear off, hanging on the door as I always did. We were returning from a high-rise fire and it was nearing ten at night. We had been at the fire since supper time, leaving just after six o'clock.
It felt good to be back. My first shift back in nearly two months had been eventful. We'd had a few traffic-related calls and a minor kitchen fire, but this last fire was a big one and we were all exhausted. I was ready to crawl into bed and hopefully get a few hours of sleep before the next call came through. Being off work for over six weeks had caught up to me and I was exhausted after just over 12 hours of being on shift.
I followed the guys into the common room, surprised to see it empty. I moved down the hall into the bunk room in search of Gabby, but looking around I didn't find her there either. It's then I notice the lamp on in my office and move there, pushing the cracked door open and finding her curled on my bed with her book in hand.
"Hey," she says once she notices me. Closing her book with the bookmark in place. "How was the call?" She asks, concern etched into her face as she took in my dark soot-filled appearance.
"Apartment fire was rolling by the time we got there. No casualties." I clarify, watching a smile grace her lips.
"It's good to see you back in uniform again." Gabby says and I hear the emotion creep into her voice, but she hides it just as quickly as I can pick up on it. "I'm sure the guys are happy to have you back at the helm."
I nod, a smile creeping onto my features. I was happy to back in the front seat of 81 leading my men. This was where I belonged.
"How you feeling?"
Gabby smiles, a hand running along her stomach, something I would never tire of. The love that creeped into her features every single time blew me away. She was going to be an incredible mother... she already was.
"I'm good. The couch was getting uncomfortable and decided it was time to try and lay down. I was going to go lay in my bunk, but I realized I wasn't sure if anyone had taken that over..." She trails off.
I smirk. "That bunk will always be yours, even if someone was filling in on truck, that wouldn't change."
Gabby nods. I can practically hear her thoughts racing and come to sit on the side of the bed near her. I tap the side of her head gently. "What's going on in there?" I question.
"I guess being here, it's got me thinking a lot. After Jesse is born when I go back to work if I want to finish out being a candidate... it can't be here can it?" She questions softly.
I squeeze her leg, "No. Boden all but confirmed that for me. If you want to be a firefighter, Gabby, we will have to find you a new house."
I see the tears sit in her eyes that she refuses to let fall, but she nods her head in acknowledgment. "The other part of me sits here and every time I have heard the bells call 81 I question if I could even bring myself to go. How is it fair to Jesse if both his parents are running into the same burning building? Even if I go to a different house, a different shift in this house..." She shakes her head and I see her struggling with the internal battle she has going on.
"You love being a firefighter, Gabby," I tell her softly, trying to understand where she is going with this.
"I do. I really do, but so do you, Matt." She sighs. "I'm not saying I'm done or quitting... I just can't stop thinking about what will happen if I come back. If I go to a new house, or a new shift to stay at 51."
"Gabs, we have at least another few months before we even have to worry about this. You said yourself you don't plan on going back to work until Jesse is at three months or so. Don't stress yourself out about this right now. When the time comes, we will figure it out. You know I will support you no matter what you decide to do."
He understood where she was coming from. He appreciated it, but he didn't want her making any hasty decisions right now.
Dawson nods, calming down and offering a weak smile to me.
I squeeze her shoulder ensuring she was good before I left my office for the bathroom to go clean up and get ready for bed.
I've already showered and am throwing a fresh shirt on when Chief comes into the bathroom. "Hey, Chief."
"Casey." He acknowledges. I move to leave, but his voice stops me. "How's Dawson doing?"
I turn to him a confused look on my face, seeing my confusion he clarifies. "With the diagnosis, she got, and now having to be watched so closely. I know none of this can be easy on her..."
I nod, "It's not easy, but we are handling it the best we know-how. I mean you know Gabby; she is as tough as they come, but this has definitely shaken us both."
Boden nods, "I can't imagine how this has been... on either of you. But you both know you have a family here that loves and supports you both no matter what. You just have to believe it's all going to work out the way it's supposed to."
"Thanks, Chief... and we uh, we really appreciate you letting Dawson hang out here this shift. I know it isn't ideal, but with the doctor's warnings we don't really want to take any chances."
"Ah, don't mention it. Dawson is welcome here any time, as will baby Jesse be when he gets here." Chief says, a smile on his tired face.
I nod, moving toward the door to head back to Gabby. "Thank you, Chief. Truly."
Moving to into my office a smile spreads across my face when I notice Gabby has fallen asleep, the book fallen into her lap. I guess I would be sleeping out on her bunk tonight. I pull the shades down, wanting to give her some privacy and shut off the lamp. I thought I was being quite enough, but as soon as I turned Gabby started to stir.
"Matt?" She murmurs groggily, looking around the now dark office. I move over to the bed and sit down beside her.
"Hey, go back to sleep." I soothe.
"Where are you going?" She questions, her sleep-filled voice was adorable and I can't help but smirk.
"I'll sleep out with the guys, give you some privacy and the comfy bed."
She shakes her head, "Lay with me?"
A soft smile fills me. We had spent so many nights together in my office, falling asleep curled together on the small bed. I nod, unable to ever turn those beautiful brown eyes down. "Of course." I get back up and shut my door completely. When I turn back around Gabby is under the covers and has scooted over and turned her back to me, making room for me to crawl in behind her.
I slid in under the covers and wrap my arms around her, pulling her back into my chest and resting my hand on her large stomach. It's barely a minute later that Gabby is relaxing back into my embrace and falling asleep.
Dawson
I move around the apartment slower than normal; my back had been absolutely killing me the past few weeks. I was officially 38 weeks pregnant and I was most definitely feeling it. My body aching in ways I didn't know possible. On top of that I had been experiencing Braxton hicks' contractions terribly. They had started up last week and were coming in full force lately.
Matt was off picking up some groceries and Kelly was in his room changing after shift. Matt had come home to ensure I was good and then left for the much-needed grocery items.
Things had been good here, calm, simple. Matt and I had a mutual agreement to keep things light during these last few weeks before Jesse's arrival. I knew Matt wanted to talk more about us, about my condition, and everything in between and I knew they were conversations that needed to be had, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Especially talking about my condition. As we approached my due date the fact that I could die giving birth was at the forefront of my mind and I was doing everything I could to hold it together. Talking to Matt about it all would break me. I couldn't talk more about it than what we had already done.
It was easier to just live in the now, to live in the bubble we were in. I didn't like bringing it up, and I knew part of that was selfish. If we didn't talk about it now and something happened to me, Matt would be the one left to pick up the pieces, not me. Same with us not talking about us... us not being together. The thought of dying as nothing more than the mother to Matt's child was gut-wrenching. Knowing we would never be together, never engaged again, never married. It broke my heart in two, and I know if I told Matt I wanted to get married today he would do it in a heartbeat... but that wasn't fair to him either.
As much as I loved Matt everything we had talked about before was still true, and as much as not being with him if something happened would be devastating... being with him, and then nothing happening, only led me to think that we would have more problems. If we got together again, I wanted there to be no regrets. I didn't want to question our commitment to each other at all. If I made it through this, if Jesse and Matt and I all made it through this at least then when Matt and I revisited us, it would be on our own terms, not out of obligation because I was pregnant and possibly dying.
I'm pulled from my thoughts when a pain ripples through my lower abdomen, I double over, holding onto the back of the couch that I was thankfully walking by. I take a few deep breaths, trying to breathe through the pain.
This felt different, this wasn't Braxton hicks. This was something else.
Another pain rips through me and I whimper in agony. No. This definitely was not normal. A second later I feel a gush of liquid leave me. My water broke.
I look down, only it's not just water, there is blood.
"Kelly!" I holler frantically, another pain rippling through.
I hear his door fly open, his face filling with sheer terror as he takes me in.
"Call 911, now," I say through clenched teeth, he nods, ripping his cell phone from his pocket and moving to help me sit.
"Just breathe Dawson, it's going to be okay."
I hear him rattling off the information of my condition and then our address to the 911 operator and it is taking everything in me to focus, to stay grounded. The pain was unbearable. Something was wrong.
Kelly gets off the phone and is immediately calling Matt. I hear Kelly curse when he doesn't answer. I try my best to focus on Kelly moving around the apartment, throwing on shoes and grabbing mine and Jesse's bags as I told him too all while trying to call Matt again.
I barely register the knock on the door and soon enough two medics that I recognized from my years with the CFD and moving into the apartment. One of them puts the oxygen mask on me, the other is starting an IV and hooking up the monitor. Kelly is explaining my condition to them. I can feel myself slipping, losing the battle of grounding myself right as I hear the door opening again.
The last thing I hear is Matt frantically calling out my name before everything goes black.
Another one down.
Next chapter we will finally get to meet baby Jesse.
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