Hi everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all. Thank you so much for the feedback you left me on the last one, I'm glad you all enjoyed it. Thanks for coming back to read this one.

I hope you enjoy. Stay safe, everyone.


FIFTY ONE


Gabby stepped through the doorway into her boyfriend's bedroom, the sound of the shower filling her ears as she carried the full laundry basket towards his dresser. Blowing out a heavy sigh, she pulled open his top drawer before reaching to grab a small pile of clothes, stacks of both his clothing and hers residing in the basket as she methodically put them away in their rightful place. It had been this way for a while, her clothes having their own spot in his drawers and his closet, just as his belongings had a home in her apartment as well, Gabby placing her clean underwear next to his before she continued on to the next drawer. While there hadn't been any talks of them moving in together, it was no secret how both their apartments looked like they were inhabited by two people. Parts of her were littered throughout his entire home, just as pieces of Matt had taken over her place as well, but she wouldn't want it any other way.

As she continued putting their clothes away, she faintly heard the water shut off, Gabby listening as Matt stepped out of his shower, no doubt continuing through his nightly routine before bed. Just as she had finished putting away the last of his sweatpants, she heard his feet padding against the hardwood floor, Gabby looking up from her squatted position on the ground as her boyfriend walked into the room, covered by nothing but the towel wrapped around his waist as water droplets ran down his chest. He flashed her a soft smile when he caught her gaze, Gabby reciprocating the gesture as she stood back up and grabbed the laundry basket off the top of the dresser so she could return it to its rightful place in his closet.

"How was your shower?" She asked as she walked past him, Matt grabbing one of his clean pair of boxers she'd just put away before turning towards her, watching as she moved comfortably around his room.

"It was good." He replied, Matt placing the clothing down on his bed before he reached for his towel and pulled it from around his waist, Gabby walking back towards him as he began drying himself off. As she moved closer, her gaze trailed over his bare form, Gabby's eyes lingering on the different bruises still marking his skin.

It had been a week and a half since his accident, and in that time the bruises littering his skin had slowly been healing. Some were completely gone, like the smaller ones on his arms, legs and face, those had healed relatively quickly. But the harsher ones, the deep bruise wrapping around his side, covering the entirety of his back and most of his chest, as well as a dark purple mark along his hip bone from where he took the brunt of the impact, those still hadn't gone away. Those bruises had lingered on his skin, reminding them both every day of what had happened. Just like the fading handprint bruises on her neck did.

But Matt was getting better, and that's what Gabby chose to focus on. Aside from his bruises slowly fading, his ribs were healing well, too, and any cuts he'd had were slowly getting better. With each passing day, Matt was getting back to his old self, and with him having only one shift left of serving out his suspension, he was itching to get back to work.

"You okay?"

His voice snapped her vision into focus, Matt noticing how she'd been staring at him, but her face had been blank, Gabby blinking quickly as he began to slowly put on his boxers.

"Yeah, I'm good… Sorry." She replied, Matt shaking his head as he pulled the clothing up his legs, his body still a little stiff when he moved.

"It's alright, just wasn't sure what you were thinking about." He responded, the elastic slapping against his skin as he got his boxers in place, Gabby's eyes moving down towards the ground as he picked his towel up off the bed.

"You, mostly." She spoke, her words bringing a soft smile to his face.

"Well, I can't say I blame you." He told her, Matt pressing a quick kiss to the side of her head before he passed her, the man moving back towards the bathroom to hang up his towel while Gabby stayed beside the bed. He was gone for all of a few seconds, Gabby fiddling with the hem of his shirt that was covering her body as he came back into the bedroom. "So… how would you feel about a movie before bed?" He questioned as he came to a stop beside her, Matt's hand immediately moving to wrap around her waist. He felt her tense for a split second underneath his touch, but she immediately relaxed, Gabby turning to look at him as his face was inches from hers.

"I'd say that's fine… as long as you let me choose." She replied with a soft grin, Matt narrowing his eyes teasingly as he rubbed along her side, his other arm wrapping around her front before he locked his hands together around her waist. "We had Thai for dinner because that's what you wanted, the least you could do is let me choose the movie." She told him with a knowing look, Matt sighing softly before giving her body a light squeeze, her shirt bunching up underneath his grip.

"Fine, I suppose we can do that." He caved, though he had no objections to her request in the first place. "But I want popcorn."

"I figured that was a given." She responded, Matt scoffing lightly before he closed the distance between them, kissing the smirk off her lips. He felt her body completely relax into his, Matt smiling softly against her as she turned in his arms, facing her body towards his before he pulled her flush against him. His hands slid down past her waist, finding themselves underneath her shirt, a low groan escaping the back of his throat when he was reminded of just how little was left to the imagination with the underwear she was wearing, Gabby slowly pulling back after a few long moments.

"So…" Matt spoke after they caught their breath, Gabby raising an eyebrow as she felt him squeeze her butt gently. "Are you making the popcorn?" He questioned, Gabby rolling her eyes before she carefully pulled away from his embrace, Matt missing her warmth instantly as she headed for the door.

Within minutes, Gabby found herself curled up on the couch while Matt was in the kitchen making the popcorn he'd tried to get her to make, the woman flipping through Netflix as she searched for anything they could watch, Gabby wanting to find something they'd both enjoy. Just as she made her selection, Matt stepped back into the living room, a bowl of popcorn in one hand, the boyfriend juggling a glass of wine and a beer in the other.

"Thanks, baby." She murmured before taking the drinks from him, Gabby placing them both down on the end table before he handed her their snack as well.

"Anything for you." He replied jokingly, Gabby chuckling dryly as she watched him move around the apartment, Matt checking to see if the front door was locked, as well as making sure to close all the curtains in the room before they started their movie.

As he was making his way back towards the couch, the faint sound of Gabby's phone ringing in the kitchen stopped him in his path, Matt glancing towards his girlfriend who had a soft smile on her face.

"Do you mind?" She questioned, Matt shaking his head before he took long strides towards the kitchen, Gabby staying in her comfortable spot while he searched for her phone. He soon found it sitting by the sink, Matt quickly picking it up and glancing towards the caller ID.

"It's Shay." He called before walking back towards the living room, Matt never receiving any response from his girlfriend. "Babe?" He asked as she came into view, Matt watching as she shook her head slightly.

"Just let it go to voicemail." She replied, Matt drawing in a deep breath just as the phone stopped ringing. Nodding slowly, Casey resumed his path towards the couch, turning her phone in his hand before he held it out to her, Gabby flashing him a weak smile before she grabbed it from him and placed it on the arm rest.

As Matt settled down into the couch, he kept some distance between them, Gabby mindlessly snacking on the popcorn in her lap before she reached for the remote, sparing a quick glance to her boyfriend.

"Ready for the movie?" She asked quietly, Gabby trying to avoid the heavy feeling that had settled around them.

"Yeah, uh-" He stopped himself, Matt clearing his throat as he angled his body towards her. "Before that… can we talk?" He questioned, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip before giving him a slight nod. "Have you spoken to them… Shay, or anyone?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer. But he was hoping it could be a lead-in to a much deeper conversation he needed to have with her, Matt watching as her eyebrows furrowed slightly at his question.

"No, I haven't… You know that." She murmured, Matt drawing in a deep breath before nodding.

"I know." He replied quietly, reaching out to place his hand over her blanket-covered leg. "I just wasn't sure if you'd thought any more about talking to Shay… I know from the few times I've spoken with her that she misses you." He continued carefully, feeling her body tense underneath his touch.

"I know she does… I just don't know what to say to her." Gabby admitted softly, Matt giving her leg another squeeze, silently encouraging her to look up at him. "She knows now." She continued, Matt remaining quiet while she spoke. "She knows that Bryan had been-" Gabby cut herself off for a split second, crossing her arms over her chest in a protective manner. "She knows about what he did, the entire house does, and I don't know what to say to them… Shay, and all of them- they're gonna wanna know what happened, and I can't…"

"You don't have to tell them anything you don't want to." He finally cut in when he saw her struggling to get the words out, Matt grabbing the bowl of popcorn from her lap and placing it on the coffee table, before he gently grabbed her legs and shifted her body so she was angled towards him. This was the closest they'd gotten to talking about any of this, and he wanted to make sure she kept talking for as long as she felt comfortable. "None of them would ever make you talk about it, Gabby… Especially Shay." He murmured, returning his hands to her legs as Gabby sucked in a deep breath. "Everyone's feeling awful, about not knowing sooner, and not being able to help you," Those words caught her attention, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as she met his warm gaze, "but that doesn't mean they'd ever try and force you to talk about the things Walker put you through."

"But they'd want to know." She replied, Matt stroking his thumb along the inside of her thigh. "They'd look at me, and even if they don't say it, I know that's all they'd be thinking about… They're never going to be able to look at me the same way because they know what he did."

"Gabby…"

"I don't know how to face them after this." She spoke, the tone in her voice surprising the both of them, Gabby closing her eyes as she brought her hand up to cover her face, Matt's eyes shining with sadness as he continued to rub comforting patterns over her leg. "I… Bryan nearly took everything from me." Her voice was barely audible, Matt feeling his stomach drop as he heard the pain in her words. "He tried to take everything, but the one thing I had was no one at the firehouse knew… No matter what Bryan was doing, they just saw me as Gabby. They didn't know what he'd done, they had no reason to treat me any differently… But now? That's all gone. He took that away."

Her leg began to bounce nervously underneath his touch, Matt's worried gaze focused on her as she looked down to her lap. "Gabby… I can't say for sure how they'll see you once you get back to work." He spoke honestly, Gabby's bottom lip trembling slightly before she bit down on it harder. "I wish I could say that won't happen, but I can't. I don't want to lie to you and say nothing will be different, but it's just because they're worried about you… And they feel awful for what had been happening and they weren't able to stop it. How they might see you now, that's not because of you, or anything you did. You didn't do anything wrong, baby." He told her, Gabby sniffling softly as he moved his hand up closer to her hip, Matt doing whatever he could to comfort her. "I know this isn't fair to you, the firehouse knowing things that happened between you and Bryan, when you didn't want them to know, but you have nothing to be ashamed of… If they treat you differently, it's because of how they feel. It's not anything you did." He paused to take a breath, Gabby slowly lifting her head to meet his gaze, finding nothing but love and honesty shining back at her. "And the entire house, especially Shay, just wants to know you're alright… That's all they're focused on right now."

"Okay." She murmured, Matt lifting his hand up to cradle the side of her face, his thumb stroking along her cheekbone softly as she leaned into his hand.

Their moment was interrupted by the sound of Gabby's phone ringing yet again, Matt slowly dropping his hand as she turned back slightly, her new position making it difficult to see her phone, the woman picking it up off the side of the couch and bringing it into view.

"Shay again?" Matt asked, Gabby shaking her head as she wiped away an unshed tear.

"My brother." She replied, Matt nodding understandingly as he watched her take the call, Gabby immediately putting it on speaker phone before placing the phone down on top of her leg. "Hey Antonio."

"Hey sis… How are you doing?" He asked, Antonio starting this conversation just as he'd done the many others they'd had over the last week and a half.

"I'm alright." She responded, catching Matt's knowing gaze before continuing. "Are you calling about the case?" She cut right to the chase, Gabby knowing the only reason her brother would be calling her this late was to talk about Walker.

"I am, yeah." He replied, Gabby and Matt both hearing him clear his throat before he spoke up again. "I was just calling to get you all caught up to speed on where we're at. Gabby, I know you told me about the few times Walker hurt you with witnesses around- when he shoved you into the bar at Molly's, and the time at that diner, and we've gotten statements from people who saw both of those instances. Burgess talked to Shay and Herrmann, got them to give their side of things from that night when he shoved you into the bar. And we found Maurice Fenton…" Antonio spoke up, confusion covering Matt's face as he spared a glance at his girlfriend.

"You were able to find him?" Gabby asked, her surprise evident. While she remembered the first name of the man who had helped her the night she went to that diner with Bryan, she didn't have much more than that to give her brother, so Gabby didn't have the expectation of her brother being able to find him. But clearly, Antonio was even better at his job than she thought.

"We were, Halstead and I tracked him down, and he gave us his version of what he saw that night… How you and Bryan were arguing, and he was trying to get you to stop, then he grabbed you as you were trying to leave. That you asked him repeatedly to let you go, and said he was hurting you, but Bryan refused. Then Maurice said that's when he stepped in and came over, told Bryan to let you go and then he stormed out." Antonio explained, Matt frowning as the pieces came together in his mind, the man being reminded of hearing about that night at the diner, and how he'd seen the bruise left on her arm because of it. "So we've got witnesses on our side for both of those instances, which only helps us prove he's been aggressive towards you in the past."

"Good… that's good." Gabby mused, the woman focusing on the feeling of Matt's hand gently rubbing over her leg, the action keeping her calm.

"And, uh, I know we've already talked to you guys, but I do need a few more things from you, from the both of you…" Antonio continued as Gabby's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Is Matt there?"

"Yeah, I'm here." Casey spoke up.

"Good. Matt, I'm gonna need to get a statement from you."

"From me?" He asked, confusion laced in his voice as he looked towards his girlfriend. "I mean, whatever you need me to do, I'll do it… But I wasn't there any of the times he-" Matt cut himself off, knowing he needed to be careful of how he approached this topic. "I haven't really seen anything." He rephrased, giving Gabby's thigh an extra squeeze. "I'm not sure how a statement from me could help."

"Trust me, it'll help. You were at Molly's the night he cornered Gabby when she was leaving the bathroom, you saw him holding her arm, and you had to make him let go… That'll help us." Antonio spoke, Matt quickly finding Gabby's gaze, the boyfriend giving her a supportive smile. "But more so than that, what I need from you is your statement on what happened after all those times where he hurt her."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you weren't there for anything that happened before they broke up, but after… You, more than anyone, saw how things affected Gabby. Not only did you see all the bruises, but you saw the emotional toll it took on her as well. So, hearing what that was like for her, from you.. that'll help us."

Matt drew in a deep breath before nodding, more so for Gabby's benefit than Antonio's, as he looked back to the screen. "Alright… I can do that. Like I said, whatever you need me to do, I'll do it."

"Thank you… And, uh, Gabby? There is one more thing I need from you…" Antonio spoke, both Matt and Gabby sensing the apprehension in his voice.

"What is it?" She questioned, Gabby hearing her brother take a deep breath before he responded.

"I need to know what happened… All of it."

Gabby's breath caught in her throat as her eyes immediately darted down towards her lap, Matt's sad gaze focused on her as a heavy silence filled the air around them.

"...I'm sorry, Gabs. I wish I didn't need to know, but we do. The last thing I want to do is make you go through everything, but we need to hear what all he's done. If this thing goes to trial, it's gonna come up, and we need to know."

Her jaw trembled as she drew in a deep breath, Gabby's eyes staying closed as she lifted her hand up towards her head, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose to try and get rid of the pressure building behind her eyes.

"I wish I didn't have to ask you to do this, sis. I really do." He continued when she had yet to say anything. "I've tried to think of any possible way for us to do this, without making you relive that again, but we can't. We're trying to show the pattern of abuse, and for us to do that, we need to know everything."

Blinking back the tears in her eyes, Gabby slowly lifted her head, quickly finding Matt's worried gaze before she cleared her throat, the woman trying to find her voice.

"Okay… Uh, when do you- when do we need to do this?" She asked unsteadily.

"As soon as possible… Casey, if you feel up for it, you two could come by the district tomorrow, and we could talk to both of you."

Matt heard his girlfriend release a shaky breath, the man's concern growing as he reached for one of her hands that were resting in her lap, Gabby giving it willingly before she nodded slowly.

"That's fine, Antonio." Matt spoke up, squeezing her hand gently before giving her a strong, supportive smile. "We'll stop by tomorrow morning."

"Alright… I'll see you guys then. I love you, Gabs."

"Love you, too." She murmured, her voice barely audible before she ended the call, the immediate silence around them nearly deafening. He gave her a moment to breathe, Matt sensing her immediate change in demeanor once she'd agreed to telling her brother all that had happened. It was something they knew might be a possibility, but one they hadn't really talked about. Because they hadn't talked about anything, not where Bryan was concerned.

"Gabby…"

"I'm fine." She quickly interjected, Matt taking a slow breath as he kept his eyes on her. He could see her pulling away from him, physically and emotionally as she slowly dropped his hand, her gaze focused anywhere but him.

"You're not fine." He replied softly, knowing he was approaching dangerous territory, Gabby's head lifting up to meet his eyes, an unreadable expression covering her face. "You're not fine, and that's okay. You don't have to be-"

"Please, stop." She spoke quickly, her words nearly pleading for him to drop this, Gabby knowing they were close to the point of no return for this conversation she'd been desperately trying to avoid. "I'm okay, we don't need to do this… I'll talk to my brother tomorrow, then it'll just be over, you don't need to worry about me."

"Gabby…"

"I'm fine!" She shouted, the tears filling her eyes betraying her as Gabby's jaw trembled, Matt feeling his heart tighten in his chest as he saw her slowly begin to crumble in front of him. While her words had been loud, they weren't filled with anger. They were Gabby trying to hold herself together, but he knew it wouldn't be long before she couldn't do that anymore.

"You can talk to me, baby." He murmured, inching closer to her as she brought her hands up to cover her face, Matt's frown deepening when he saw her shaking slightly, Gabby choking out a breath before she reluctantly looked back towards him.

"What is there to say?" She questioned roughly, Gabby angrily wiping under her eyes before she continued. "That I was an idiot, who stayed in a relationship with a man who hurt me?" She asked, her harsh words filling his eyes with fresh tears. "That I stayed with him just because I believed every stupid fucking lie he told me? Every time he said that he was sorry, that it wouldn't happen again… Every time he yelled or got mad, and made me feel like I somehow caused all this? That every time he got angry enough that he'd hit me, he made it seem like it was my fault?" Her voice faltered as those last words left her lips, a lone tear escaping down her cheek as Matt's heart nearly collapsed in his chest, the brutally honest words tearing through him as she finally admitted to what she'd been hiding for a long time. "Is that what you want to hear? That I was so fucking stupid to believe he actually loved me?"

He could barely hear her by the end, her voice breaking as more and more tears flooded her eyes, Matt's distraught gaze locked on her as he quickly shook his head.

"You weren't stupid, Gabby…" He murmured as Gabby blinked quickly, the action causing more tears to fall down her face as she slowly met his eyes.

"I thought he loved me."

The honesty in her words broke his heart, Gabby's small voice springing fresh tears to his eyes as he did his best to stay strong for her.

"I… God, I sound so pathetic. Of course he never loved me." She spoke, wiping the water from her skin as she shook her head angrily. "You don't do that to someone you love, and he did it over and over again." She could barely get the words out, Matt swallowing the thick lump that had formed in his throat as she spoke. "If he ever loved me, he would've never… he wouldn't have hurt me the way he did. But he kept saying he was sorry… how he just got mad, and he didn't mean to take it out on me. That he loved me, and it would never happen again… But it always did."

"Gabby…" He murmured, the two locking teary eyes, silence surrounding them for a moment before she spoke.

"...The first time it happened, I didn't know what to do." She said, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he braced himself for the conversation that was coming. "I… It was maybe a year into our relationship, he'd gotten his ass handed to him on shift for messing up on a call. Boden let him have it, and Stephens, the Lieutenant before you, he chewed Bryan out, too… He was so angry, he wouldn't even talk to anyone the rest of shift. When we got back to his place, I tried to talk to him about it… I tried to make him feel better, telling him that stuff like that happened, and pretty soon it would all be forgotten, but he was just so angry…" Fresh tears filled her eyes as she relieved the memory, Matt keeping his hands on her legs, trying to give her any silent comfort that he could. "And he just snapped… He got up in my face, screaming at me about how I couldn't understand because I was just a 'dumb paramedic'. Then he pinned me against the counter, so hard to the point I couldn't move… He'd grabbed my arms and just kept yelling at me. He held on so tight, I had bruises for weeks. And before he let me go, he grabbed onto my face, hard enough to hurt my neck, and told me that I needed to learn how to keep my mouth shut… and then he just left." She explained, her voice barely above a whisper as she relieved the memory she hadn't told anyone, compassion mixed with anger shining in Matt's eyes. "That was the first time he'd actually grabbed me and hurt me… and I just remember standing there, waiting for him to hit me. But he didn't… not that time." She told him, her heavy words hanging in the air around them, nearly suffocating them both.

"...But that was the first time I'd ever truly been scared of him." Gabby continued after she'd taken a moment to breathe. "He'd always been a little controlling, and would talk down to me… I guess I didn't realize it at first, or I ignored it. It was little things that, at the time, I didn't think mattered. But the signs were always there, looking back on it… Over time, it just kept getting worse. He'd get mad at me for everything, even before he started to get violent. But then he'd started hitting me, or grabbing me… It didn't happen all the time, but it got to the point where I was expecting it to. Whenever he got angry, I was just waiting for it." She breathed out, her words shaky as they left her lips, Matt drawing in an unsteady breath as his own emotions got the better of him, fresh tears streaming down his skin while he listened to her. "And the things he would say to me… sometimes that was almost worse than him hitting me. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's just… The times he'd hit me, that scared me and made me feel so… worthless. But some of the things he'd say to me, he knew exactly how to hurt me. And… I don't know, it all just made me feel so helpless."

Matt gave her a slow nod as she bared her soul to him, his hands sliding up and down her legs as he did anything he could to hold onto his composure. His body was flooded with a hundred different emotions, the man trying to control the anger he was feeling at what had been done to the woman he loved, the realization that they were barely scratching the surface of what she'd gone through settling like a heavy weight against his chest.

"I, uh…" She started speaking up, Gabby sniffling as she wiped away the fresh tears on her face, "I almost broke up with him after the first time. I told him I was done, that we were over because I wasn't gonna be with someone who hurt me like that, but as I tried to leave, he just… he begged me not to." She spoke, Gabby wincing softly at the bitter-tasting words leaving her mouth. "He kept apologizing, saying how he was sorry, how he took it out on me when it wasn't my fault and he was just stressed. He told me it would never happen again… So I stayed." She told him, Matt immediately nodding in understanding as he sensed her apprehension. "And for a while, things were fine. He didn't even get mad at me, let alone put his hands on me. He was back to being Bryan… or who I thought Bryan was… But he didn't hurt me for a long time after that, so I thought we'd be okay. I believed him when he told me he wouldn't do it again… but eventually, he did." She told him, Gabby's leg shaking slightly as she spoke, the woman fighting against her every instinct as she let Matt into the most personal and painful part of her life.

"It wasn't all the time… The times he'd hit me, it didn't happen all that often, just when he'd get really upset with me. There were times he'd hold on a little too tight, or be a little too rough, but him actually hurting me… That only happened sometimes. But the verbal abuse, I guess… that happened more often." She said, Gabby slowly reaching out for his hand again, Matt giving it to her in an instant as she leaned forward slightly, needing to feel closer to him. "Regardless of what he did, whether he was just saying things to me, or he was-" She stopped herself, Gabby shaking her head before she continued. "No matter what it was, he'd say he was sorry. That he regretted it, and it wouldn't happen again… but eventually, even the apologies stopped. Right before he ended things, I was trying to keep our relationship together and he was out sleeping with half of Chicago, and whenever we would be together, it would usually end in him saying something, or doing something, to hurt me…" She explained the best she could, their fingers laced together tightly as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "And the times he would hit me… he always said it just happened in the moment… that he wasn't thinking and it was just an accident. And for a while, I believed him." She admitted, Gabby breathing deeply to steady herself. "But whenever he'd hit me, he didn't do it where anyone could see it. Or if he did, it wasn't enough to where I couldn't cover it… There was only one time I wasn't able to hide bruises I had because of him, but I just told everyone I slipped and fell, and they believed me…" Gabby told him as he blinked back the unshed tears sitting in his eyes.

"He wanted me to believe any time he hurt me that it wasn't on purpose, but he was thinking enough to make sure he didn't leave any bruises where people could see them. It wasn't something that was happening just because he couldn't control it. Every time he hurt me, it was intentional… it just took me some time to realize it." She spoke softly, Gabby bringing her free hand up to wipe under her eyes. "And I know I should've left him. I was stupid not to, but he just… Before he'd ever even laid a hand on me, he made me believe he was the only person who'd love me." She said, Matt's eyes falling closed for a split second as he bit down on the inside of his cheek, conflicting emotions coursing through him as he listened to the painful words she was saying. "All he'd ever say is how difficult I was, and how much he had to put up with because of me… he'd tell me how it was a good thing he loved me, because no one else would ever bother putting up with me. And he just- he got in my head, and made me think I deserved it somehow… That he was getting angry with me for a reason, and I needed to stay with him because no one else would ever bother trying to love me… And that sounds so pathetic, I know it does, but I… at the time, I just didn't know how to leave him."

"It's not pathetic, Gabby." Matt spoke up after a quick second, the man clearing his throat as they locked eyes, Gabby seeing the pain he was feeling shining back at her. "And you weren't stupid. You were scared." He told her, Matt keeping his voice as strong as he could, knowing he needed to give her as much assurance as he possibly could right now. "You were taken advantage of by someone who told you they loved you. He did horrible things to you, but no one knows what it was like for you to be in that situation. Only you do. And you handled it the best way you could at the time… It's easy to look back on this, and say what you should've done differently, but baby, this isn't your fault. You trusted him, and he betrayed that. He hurt you, when he should've been the person protecting you. And that's on him." Matt said, his voice faltering as his eyes stayed locked with hers, Gabby's jaw trembling as she nodded slightly, fresh tears filling both their eyes as he gave her hand another squeeze. "I can't imagine what any of that was like for you, or what you've gone through because of him, but I promise, no matter what happens, I'm right here. I'm here with you through this entire thing… through everything." He spoke strongly, Gabby giving him a quick nod. "Whatever you need from me, whatever you need me to do, I'll do it. And I know tomorrow will be hard, having to go through everything that happened, but I'll be right by your side every step of the way… Or if you'd rather it just be you and your brother, I'll be right outside. Whatever you need from me, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." He told her, Matt bringing his hand up to cradle the side of her face, wiping away any stray tears that were falling down her skin.

"I want you there." She murmured, Matt nodding immediately as he stroked his thumb gently over her cheek.

"Then I'm there." He promised without hesitation, Gabby giving him another nod. "I'll always be there."

Drawing in a slow, shaky breath, Gabby clenched her eyes shut as she fought off the wave of emotion sweeping through her, Matt leaning forward to press a tender kiss to the side of her head, his warmth comforting as they sat together on the couch. Though he still didn't know specifics, she'd given him enough insight to know just how much Bryan had hurt her. To know how that man had gotten into her head, and nearly torn her life apart. She'd trusted him enough to let him in on one of the hardest, and most difficult things she'd ever gone through, and he wasn't taking that lightly.

"Thank you." She breathed out, Matt shaking his head before he pulled back slightly, his heart tightening in his chest when he felt her tighten her grip on his hand, like she was scared to let him go too far.

"You have nothing to thank me for… I love you, so much. And nothing will ever change that." He told her, Matt feeling her body relax underneath his touch as he watched her eyes light up slightly. It was a look he hadn't really seen from her that much lately, not since before everything happened, but the sight alone brought a soft smile to his face, Matt rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand as they locked eyes. "But there is one thing I do want you to know…" He added, seeing the slight confusion tugging on her features as her head tilted to the side.

"What is it?"

"You said you were worried… about now that people know, they won't be able to treat you the same, or look at you the same." He started, Gabby giving him a slow nod. "And I know I said we have no way to know how anyone else will react, but one thing I do know is that you never have to worry about that with me." His words brought a gentle smile to her face, Matt lifting his hand up to wipe away the tears sitting on her skin as a look of relief washed over her. "You are still just Gabby to me… you will always just be Gabby. I don't see you any differently now than I did before… You're still my beautiful, strong, determined girl." He spoke strongly, his words causing warmth to spread through her chest as she felt fresh tears filling her eyes, but these were here for a much different reason than the ones before. "The only thing that is different is now I feel like I have a better understanding of just how incredibly strong you are… But you're still my Gabby." He told her, Gabby nodding quickly. "What he's done… that doesn't change how I see you, or what you mean to me. And it never will." He promised, Matt barely able to get the words out before she leaned forward into his embrace, Gabby adjusting her positioning on the couch while he steadied himself.

His arms wrapped around her body the second she was within reach as she held onto him just as tight, her head buried into his bare chest as he ran his hand up and down her back, Matt pressing multiple kisses to the top of her head as a comfortable silence filled the air around them, both of them needing this moment more than they realized. Tonight had been hard, and tomorrow was bound to be even more painful, but Matt meant what he said; he wasn't going anywhere. And now, he knew Gabby knew it, too.


Gabby's leg shook nervously up and down as she sat in the passenger seat of Matt's truck, her eyes focused on the entrance to the police district as they sat across the street. She vaguely heard the sound of Matt pulling his keys from the ignition, but her line of sight stayed on the door, Gabby watching as cops went to and from the building while they went about their day.

"Are you ready?" Matt asked her softly, the man angling himself towards his girlfriend who had been quiet the entire ride, just as she'd been most of the morning.

After their emotionally draining conversation the night before, neither of them had been able to get much sleep, not with Gabby tossing and turning all night. She was clearly nervous about this upcoming conversation to be had with her brother, so much so she'd gotten sick not once, but twice, this morning before they left his apartment, Gabby's stomach fighting against her multiple times as they prepared to see Antonio. Matt had tried to help however he could, the man holding her hair back as she vomited into the toilet, as well as making her a second breakfast after she'd thrown the first one up, while doing what he could to help her keep her mind off what she'd have to be talking about here in a few short minutes. But there was only so much he could do besides be there for her, both of them knowing how hard this was going to be.

"Gabby?" He questioned again when she had yet to respond, Gabby slowly looking towards her boyfriend, finding his curious eyes on her.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you were ready." He repeated, Matt reaching out for one of her hands that were resting in her lap, giving it a firm, comforting squeeze as she reluctantly nodded.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I guess… I know I don't really have a choice." She replied, a frown forming over his face before he gave her hand another squeeze. "...Let's just get it over with."

Drawing in a deep breath, Matt nodded softly before dropping her hand, the couple slowly getting down out of his truck. Gabby waited by the passenger side door for him to come stand next to her, Matt locking up his vehicle before hurrying to her side, the man reaching for her hand and lacing his fingers through hers before they crossed the street, Matt feeling the nerves radiating off her as they got closer to the district.

"I'm right here." He murmured as they started up the steps, Gabby pausing momentarily before looking at him, her sudden halt causing him to stop as well, Matt looking back towards her with a reassuring smile. "I know this is gonna be hard, but the second we're done, we can get out of here and go back home… Just you and me."

His words brought a soft smile to her face, Gabby nodding in agreement before she continued up the steps, Matt walking beside her as they entered the 21st district. Looking around their familiar surroundings, Matt's gaze quickly landed on Platt, the woman soon seeing the couple as they stood just inside the door.

"You all can go up." She spoke with a soft smile, Gabby's eyes darting around while she let Matt handle the talking.

"Thanks Sergeant." Matt replied, both himself and Gabby knowing she probably knew exactly what the younger Dawson was here for.

"It's no problem." She responded, Trudy giving them a strong nod before they continued towards the stairs, Gabby walking slightly behind her boyfriend as she followed his lead up to Intelligence.

As they approached the top of the steps, her brother slowly came into view, Gabby feeling bile rise up her throat yet again as she got closer and closer to the bullpen. But it was like Matt could sense exactly how she was feeling, her boyfriend giving her hand a tight squeeze and placing a soft kiss to the side of her head once they were securely on the landing.

Antonio looked over from his desk just as Matt was pulling away from her, the older brother drawing in a deep breath before pushing himself up from his seat, the movement catching the attention from his coworkers. "Hey sis." He greeted, Gabby immediately feeling all the eyes in the room on her as she and Matt stepped further into the bullpen.

"Hey." She greeted weakly, her brother grabbing a file from his desk as the couple walked towards him.

"If you all wanna go ahead and go to that first room down the hall, I'll be in in a minute. I just need to talk to Voight real quick." Antonio told them, both of them nodding in understanding before they continued past him, Matt letting Gabby lead the way as she was more familiar with the layout than he was, Casey offering nods to the members of Intelligence that they passed along the way.

When they got to the room, Dawson stepped in first, the dim and cold interrogation room mirroring how Gabby felt as they both sat down at the table, Matt immediately scooting his chair closer to her before placing his hand on her leg, neither of them saying a word as they waited for Antonio. But they weren't left waiting very long as the door soon opened again, Antonio walking in with the file, and a camera, in his hands, Gabby grimacing slightly as he walked towards the table.

She wasn't surprised he'd be recording this, in fact she would've been more shocked if he hadn't, Gabby knowing that if this thing went to the court, they'd need video of her statement. But understanding the logistics of it didn't make it any easier for her to think about how there'd be a video of her detailing what all Walker had done to her out there forever.

"Alright sis, we're gonna get started here in a second." Antonio told her as he set up the camera, the detective angling it towards Casey first. "I figured we could go ahead and get Matt's statement, so when you're done giving me yours, you all can just leave." He explained, Matt and Gabby both nodding in agreement. "Now, I uh… I'm not sure how you'd like to do this… If you'd rather it be me taking your statement, or if you'd feel more comfortable with someone else. It's up to you."

"I don't mind you doing it." She replied softly, Gabby knowing her brother was going to find out anyway. And considering how hard she knew this was going to be to get through, she felt more comfortable with him sitting across from her than someone she barely knew.

"Alright." He responded with a nod before moving to shut the door, giving them complete privacy as he sat down across the table from his sister and her boyfriend, Gabby placing her hand on top of Matt's. "So, Casey, let's go ahead and get started." Antonio prompted, the man reaching out to turn on the camera, checking to make sure it was filming before he opened up his file, Matt waiting patiently for the detective to tell him what to do. "Alright, state your name, what you do, and your relationship to Gabriela Dawson." He instructed, Matt clearing his throat before speaking up.

"I'm Matthew Casey, I'm a firefighter, the Lieutenant on Truck 81 at Firehouse 51. And I'm Gabriela's boyfriend." He spoke, Antonio nodding before glancing quickly down to the papers in front of him.

"Okay, Mr. Casey. To the best of your ability, I'm gonna need you to answer some questions for me." Antonio told him, Matt giving him a nod before he continued.

The process of getting Matt's statement went quickly enough, considering he hadn't actually witnessed much. While he was able to give a good account of how Gabby had been affected by everything, he wasn't able to give much insight into the actual instances where Walker had hurt her aside from that one time at Molly's, but Matt did the best he could to give Antonio anything useful. He gave every detail he could remember about how Gabby had acted after those different occurrences where Bryan got physical with her, Matt offering up whatever information he thought could be at least at little helpful, all while never taking his hand off Gabby's leg. And within half an hour, they had finished, Antonio getting all he could from the firefighter before it was time to speak with Gabby.

The air in the room shifted as Antonio adjusted the camera towards his sister, Matt feeling Gabby tense underneath his touch before he gave her thigh a supportive squeeze, the man leaning over to press a soft, lingering kiss to her temple.

"It's okay." He murmured against her skin, Matt giving her another kiss before he pulled back, Gabby turned her head to meet his gaze.

"Do you need a minute, Gabs?" Antonio asked softly, Matt giving her a supportive smile before she looked back towards her brother.

"No, I'm okay." She breathed out, Antonio giving her an understanding nod before he started recording.

Following the similar process as Matt went through, they started with her saying who she was, and what they were doing, before they slowly started getting into the painful details of what she'd experienced at the hands of Walker.

To the best of her ability, she went through every instance she could remember where Bryan had laid his hands on her, Gabby giving as much information as she could despite how hard it was for her. She started from the beginning, Gabby explaining in detail the same thing she'd told Matt the night before, before talking about the incident in the back of the ambulance, Gabby going through that difficult day before she moved on to other times that neither men in the room knew about. Every time Bryan would grab her by the jaw, or smack her across the face. Every time he'd hit her, usually in places where no one could see. She explained the time he'd gotten so upset with her, he shoved her into their coffee table, causing it to break. And the time he'd confronted her while she was taking a shower, the altercation ending with him pushing her to the ground, her head making direct contact with the faucet on her way down, that instance leaving her with a nasty black and blue eye that she'd explained away by saying she slipped in the shower. She told them all of it; every time Bryan would get so angry he couldn't help but take it out on her, she tried to give as much detail as she could while she relived some of the worst moments of her life, Gabby having to stop multiple times to gather herself.

It was nearly impossible, having to go through every moment she could remember, some more ingrained in her brain than others, of every time Bryan had hurt her. It became hard for her to breathe at times while she spoke, Matt and Antonio both making her take breaks often so she could calm down, her boyfriend holding onto her and whispering words of comfort each time she needed a second before she would continue telling her story as best she could, tears freely flowing down her cheeks the entire time.

But she got through it. Slowly, and painfully, she was able to tell her brother everything that happened to her, Matt remaining a strong and comforting presence by her side despite the tears falling from his eyes, as well.

When they were finally done, Gabby was barely holding herself together, Antonio turning off the camera as soon as he could, the detective wiping under his eyes as he felt his heart crushing in his chest after learning of just how much his sister had been through. As Antonio pushed himself up from his seat, Matt was doing everything he possibly could to comfort his girlfriend, Gabby steadying her breathing as her brother came up beside her. Without a word, he pulled her into a tight hug, Gabby melting into her brother's embrace as fresh tears filled her eyes, Matt pulling away from her enough to give Antonio space with his sister. It was a difficult moment for all of them, Antonio rubbing his hand firmly up and down her back as he repeatedly whispered words of reassurance to her, Matt seeing Gabby's body trembling while she held onto her brother tightly.

After a few moments, they pulled back from one another, Gabby immediately seeking out Matt's comforting warmth as he wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into his side, Gabby choking out shallow breaths as Matt's hand rested on her waist.

"I'm gonna go, and start going over all this… Add it into what we have already." Antonio spoke up after a few quiet seconds, the man clearing the emotion from his voice before he continued. "You take as long as you need, sis. I'll make sure no one bothers you in here." He said, Matt nodding as he rubbed Gabby's side, the younger Dawson not giving much in the form of a response. "And, uh…" Antonio started, shaking his head in anger. "I'm so sorry, Gabby." He spoke, his voice faltering. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, and I wasn't able to stop it." He told her, the detective seething with rage, but doing what he could to keep it under control for his sister's sake. "I'm sorry he hurt you, and that you went through all that alone… but he's gonna pay for this." He spoke firmly, Gabby lifting her head to meet her brother's gaze, the tears in her eyes flooding his body with more anger. "No matter what I have to do, I'll make sure he pays for what he did to you."

Nodding slowly, Gabby wiped away the tears sitting on her skin, Matt tightening his hold on her as Antonio picked up the rest of his things, knowing there was no more for him to say. Because, despite his desire to continue to comfort his baby sister, he wasn't the person she needed the most right now.

"If you need anything at all, I'll be out there. But really, just take your time, sis." Antonio told her, Gabby giving him one last nod before he moved towards the door, the detective leaving the couple alone in the interrogation room as he shut the door behind him.

The second the door closed, Matt returned his complete focus to the woman leaning against him, her glassy eyes already watching him, Casey immediately seeing all the hurt and pain she was carrying. But, along with that, he couldn't help but notice a hint of relief in her eyes. Like this weight had been lifted off her shoulders, a weight she no longer had to carry alone, Matt leaning forward to press a soft kiss to the side of her head.

"I love you." He murmured, hearing her sniffle as the words left his lips, Gabby closing the small amount of distance between them as her head fell against his shoulder. Pressing her forehead against his neck, Gabby quickly reached out to wrap her arms around him, holding onto him as if her life depended on it, Matt cradling her just as tight.

No other words were said as he felt fresh tears hitting his skin, Matt continuously pressing kisses to the top of her head as he did what he could to support her, his hand moving up and down over her back. The position wasn't the most comfortable, but he didn't care, his only focus on the woman in his arms, Matt knowing the best thing he could do for her right now was hold onto her until she was ready to let go.

Which was exactly what he did.


Severide slid into the conference room, taking up his regular position against the back wall as he heard the chatter of everyone around him, the man glancing towards the empty spot beside him, Kelly knowing usually his friend would be standing right there with him as they waited for role call.

"Good morning, everyone." Boden greeted as he stepped into the room, all conversations quickly halting when they noticed their boss' presence, the first responders in the room facing forward as he gained their complete attention. There were a few echoed greetings, Boden giving them a nod before he continued. "There's a few things I want to discuss with you before we get on to our usual start to the day… First off, as you all know, a few shifts back we discussed how there would be some changes of personnel happening here, in light of everything that's gone on. And, I'm happy to inform you all that I got the official word this morning that Allison Jenkins is now a permanent member of Truck 81."

Cheers were heard around the room, Mouch clasping the woman's shoulders as she smiled brightly, the new face having fit in nicely with the group these last few shifts.

"Congrats, Jenkins."

"We're happy to have you, kid."

Allison grinned from ear to ear before nodding, the woman's excitement evident at being able to stay at 51.

"Yes, we're all very happy to have you. You've done a great job for us, and we're lucky that we get to keep you around." Boden added, Allison nodding gratefully. "And I've already spoken with Lieutenant Casey, he's thrilled to have you, as well. Which, speaking of, that's really the main reason I wanted to talk to you all… Was so we could talk about Casey and Dawson."

"Everything alright, Chief?" Shay spoke up first, her worry evident as she clenched her hands together in her lap.

"Everything's fine." He assured her. "I'm not sure who all's been in contact with either of them while they've been out, but I'm glad to tell you all that both Lieutenant Casey and Dawson will be returning next shift…" Hesitantly happy looks crossed the faces of most everyone in the room, Boden drawing in a deep breath before continuing. "Today is the last shift of Casey's suspension, then he will be returning back to 51. And, according to him, Dawson will be coming back as well."

"Are they…" Herrmann spoke, but stopped himself when he saw Boden's pointed stare, signaling he wasn't done talking.

"Now, obviously this is not a normal situation." He started, catching the knowing looks from his first responders. Even the few that hadn't been here when everything happened, by now everyone was more than aware of what transpired a week and a half ago. "I know a lot has happened, a lot has come to light… But I've spoken with Casey, and he's asked that we not dwell on it."

The room went silent for a moment as Boden took a breath, Herrmann glancing around yet again before speaking up.

"Chief-"

He was cut off once more by Boden holding his hand up, the older firefighter sighing before nodding in agreement.

"I am asking you all not to bring this up to Dawson." He spoke directly, wanting there to be no gray area as to what their orders were. "I know you all have questions, and you are concerned. I completely understand, because I feel the same way. But you will not bring up anything having to do with Walker to her, do I make myself clear?" He questioned, seeing many blank looks around the room, everyone clearly a little unsure of how to respond, Boden sighing softly before running his hand over his mouth. "Look, I know you all can't just forget what you know… You can't just pretend to not know what Walker did to her, but I am asking you- ordering you," He corrected himself, "to drop it. You will not bring up this situation to her. Do not ask her about what's going on… The best thing you can do for Dawson is to treat her just as you always have. This is what Casey has asked of us, this is what Dawson needs… and after everything, it's the least we can do for her." He finished firmly, his words earning a few slow nods from his men and women.

"Understood, Chief." Severide was the first to speak up, his words prompting more responses from his coworkers, everyone complying to their boss' request, even though they really had no choice. "We're just gonna be happy to have them back."

"So am I." Boden responded, his words being interrupted by the bells going off, calling all companies to a car accident. "Alright, let's get out there and have a good shift, everyone." He prompted, the entire house knowing that if there was any conversation left to be had about Casey and Dawson, it would have to wait until after this call, the men and women of 51 hurrying out of the conference room towards their garage, knowing there was work to be done.