A/N: Hello all! I am back with the next chapter. I am sorry this one took a little longer to get up. I have been focusing my energy on everything going on in the world right now, and that left me a little unmotivated to write... but I have found a good balance and am back with the next chapter. I hope you enjoy this one.

Just a little heads up that I plan to put some focus into working on YGIABG this week so I am not sure if the next update for this story will be on Sunday or if it will be pushed a week once again. It really depends on what all I am able to get accomplished this week, so please bear with me while I try to get updates for both stories sorted out.

Thank you for your continued support, as always. I was really happy to see how many enjoyed the last chapter and I hope to see just as many enjoy this one. Please review and let me know what you think.

Dawson

My mind was racing a mile a minute.

In the moment it had felt amazing. Being with Matt again, no matter how brief, had made me feel better than I had in months. Matt made me feel alive. Maybe we had never fully lost our intimacy since I moved back in, but we hadn't had that in a long time. Over a year at this point.

I was trying to tell myself we just got caught up, but I knew that wasn't the case. There was no denying what actually happened tonight. There was no denying that Matt and I didn't just get caught up. What we had done was intentional. We had wanted to do that. We had wanted to take that step together.

The problem was I still had no idea what all this meant for us.

We were stuck in the middle of wanting to be together, and being scared of when the right time for us truly was. We had both just jumped over the deep end tonight, without much care at all, and I knew that we needed to talk now. I know we needed to figure out what we wanted. Was it the right time for us to get into this? We had promised ourselves we would wait until after I finished my candidacy, and clearly, that was all out the window now. I wasn't sure that was such a bad thing though.

I knew our original reason for waiting made sense. I knew it was for good reason, but maybe us jumping over the edge despite all that good reasoning was okay. Maybe it was for the better.

I had been missing Matt for longer than I could even remember, probably since the minute we broke up, but that was despite the point. I had been missing Matt, and that feeling clearly wasn't going away. Missing Matt, missing us, had stuck with me for over a year now. There was no getting rid of that feeling, there was no way around it other than through it. We had the talks, we discussed the issues, we were working to be better, and as much as I agreed with our decision to wait, I couldn't deny that there were days I had no idea what we were waiting for.

At this point, it seemed like the only thing stopping us from being us, were ourselves. We had made it clear we loved each other, that we always had loved each other and we always would. We had discussed the pain of what caused our original break up, and that was our communication. Since then we had made it a point to keep our communication open, even during the difficult times. I wasn't sure what more we could do to keep prolonging the inevitable. If this was what we both wanted, then what were we still holding back for?

Matt settling down on the couch next to me pulls me from my deep thoughts. I offer him a shy smile, as he settles back into the cushions, running a tired hand along the back of his neck.

"He go down okay?" I ask softly, to which he nods.

Jesse waking up had definitely thrown a bucket of cold water on us, but his wake up had been no less hectic. The boy not getting nearly enough sleep during his nap and waking up extra cranky. He hadn't been very hungry, and despite a quick diaper change, he had continued his crying for nearly twenty minutes after he woke up, not much soothing him. Matt had taken over after Jesse finished eating. The talk we both knew we needed to have halting until our parental duties were taken care of.

"Yeah, he fought it, but he is finally down. I guess we will see how long that lasts this time. I think he is just beat."

I nod at his words. Jesse hadn't taken any good naps today, and I knew he was tired. He had only slept just under an hour before waking up and now that it was midafternoon, I knew he would only be able to sleep another hour or so before we needed to wake him up to ensure he slept tonight.

We sit in a clearly uncomfortable silence, neither of us knowing what to say. We were in unchartered territory. No matter how familiar it was to jump back into this, this was still new for us. It felt odd not knowing where we stood. That was something that was normally so clear between us, but now I had no idea and not being able to read Matt felt like foreign territory.

I gnaw on my bottom lip, wringing my hands together in my lap.

"So, uh... what does this mean?" I ask softly, repeating my words from only a half-hour ago.

Matt turns to me, his uncertain eyes staring and burning a hole into me as I got lost in him. That look only lasting for a few moments before he is looking back down to his hands. I go to prompt him once more, but he is speaking before I can, his words taking me off guard.

"Why do you want to move out?"

The questions send me for a loop. With everything that had just happened I expected that to be the last thing on his mind, it sure as hell was the last thing on mine. My brows furrow, his deflection from my question and change of topic confusing me, but shake it off, my nerves creeping up once more at the mention of moving. I know the safest solution is to tell him the truth. I had said we made it this far and fixed our issues by working on our communication and I knew I needed to stick to that word. Lying would get us nowhere fast at this point.

With a sigh I run my hands through my hair, trying to collect my thoughts before speaking. "Last night, while I was with the girls, Stella mentioned it." I start, Matt's undivided attention focusing on me, while mine focused on the table in front of me, not able to meet his eyes. "We were talking about why I moved in when I was pregnant and she asked me why I was still here and I guess it just got me thinking. I didn't really have an answer for her, because somedays I guess I don't know why I am still here. I mean, we said it would be until Jesse was a couple of months old and I was back at work... and well, we are there, and I am still here."

I finally spare a glance in his direction, finding an unreadable expression displayed across his face. When he doesn't say anything, I look back down to my hands. "I just, I don't want to be an inconvenience. We said I would find my own place at some point, and I guess it just feels like we are at that point, or we were, I don't know..." I trail off, my mind racing still.

"You said you would move out," Matt says, drawing my attention. My brows furrow, his words only furthering my confusion at this entire situation. "You decided you would move out Gabby. When we had that talk, you were the one who decided that I never once said I wanted you to leave. Even back then, before our talks, before Jesse. You made that decision. I never thought we would be at a point where we even had to consider it. Hell, I didn't think we were at that point now..."

Matt trails off, his words taking me by surprise. I want to interject, but I can't because what he said was true. When I think back on it; it was always me that mentioned me moving out. Matt had been caught off guard even then when I said it. If anything, he had been against it...

"Gabby, I can't stop you from moving, if that is what you want to do. You know all I want is for you to be happy, right?" He stops, our eyes meeting, a heaviness settles in the air. "I want you to do what is best for you, and if you think moving out is, then I will support you," he says softly. "The only thing I don't want is you moving out because you think it is what I want because that could not be further from the truth." My eyes find Matt's, a heaviness settling into my chest as he smiles lightly.

"I want you here. I want you here with me. I just want you... Gabby. I want you and I want us, and I am so damn tired of pretending I don't."

My chest tightens at his words, my throat feeling unbelievably dry as Matt lays it all out there for us. Words I hadn't even realized how badly I needed to hear falling from his lips as if we hadn't just spent over a year apart. As if we hadn't been holding on to those very feelings and admissions for months.

I was trying to find words, trying to express how much I felt all those same things. How I had never wanted to move in the first place. How I had only mentioned it or even thought of it, to begin with, because my own insecurities had taken hold. My confidence in us, in what we wanted with each other, wavering briefly. Only for Matt to swoop in and erase all of those insecurities like he always had. Matt Casey knew how to make me see what was right in front of me even when I refused to. He made me open my eyes to the clarity.

Words don't seem to be coming easy for me, no matter how much I just wanted to express that I wanted exactly what he wanted. I wanted us. I wanted to stay here. I didn't want to move. All I wanted was Matt. I wanted us here, together, being a family. It was what I always wanted since the very beginning,

"Hey, guys." Matt and I both jump a mile, our eyes flying to the kitchen as Kelly approaches, clearly having come through the back door without either of us hearing.

I force myself to focus, to pull myself out of my racing thoughts, my eyes flying to Kelly's as he walks into the living room, stopping in his tracks as he clearly reads the room and detects the heaviness that has settled around us.

He raises his brow, a question clearly set into his gaze and I quickly shake my head, throwing him a look that I hope he picks up on enough to realize I am begging him not to address it.

"You good?" He questions, though his tone is light, his obvious intention to clear the thick air well known.

I am quick to answer. "Yeah, we're fine." I shift in my seat, forcing myself to face forward instead of towards Matt. "How was dinner with Stella?" I ask pointedly, not only trying to change the subject but also genuinely interested in what had transpired on his "not date" as he had made it clear before he left earlier this afternoon.

Noticing my quick topic change Kelly rolls his eyes and scoffs anyways, "Dinner was fine." He offers.

I send him a playful glare, "Oh come on, you gotta give me more than that." I tease. "How was it really?"

Severide laughs, plopping down in the chair next to the couch. "Well, she did mention how much of a bad influence you were last night." He teases back.

I scoff, "Oh please, she and Sylvie were the bad influences. I am a saint."

Matt and Kelly both throw me a look, barely able to contain their serious faces before they are breaking into laughter at my expense. "I am!"

Severide shakes his head. "Yeah, and I am the Pope." He jokes.

I send him a glare, throwing the baby rattle that was sat beside me his way, the plush material hitting his chest with a thump and rattle before falling into his lap as he laughs at getting a rise out of me.

"I don't know who either of you thinks you're fooling, but neither one of you are innocent," Matt interjects, running a tired hand along the back of his neck.

Kelly shrugs. "You may have a point there." He finally concedes. The two of them start talking about the game they had watched the night before, getting lost in their own conversation while I think back on what transpired before Kelly arrived.

This day felt like such a whirlwind, and part of me was thankful for Kelly's interruption. I needed a moment to breathe. I needed a moment to think. I knew what I wanted, but having it finally be laid out in front of me after over a year of wanting it was a completely different realization. Thinking, or hoping Matt wanted the same thing and having Matt actually lay it out there and admit he wanted the same things were two completely different feelings.

It had been a year of not knowing.

It had been a year of insecurities and harboring feelings that I wished, but wasn't sure were fully returned and while there had been multiple times that Matt had tried to make me see that he felt the same, I don't know that I ever fully let myself believe it.

The way we ended, the way I got pregnant and moved back in... it had left me with more insecurities than I ever wanted to fully understand.

When I left this apartment over a year ago, I thought it was what was best for us, but I never truly wanted our break up. I never wanted to leave Matt and leave our home. I just thought it was our only option. We had ruined us, or I had ruined us. I felt helpless in our relationship. Matt wouldn't open up to me, we barely talked, and when we did, we were fighting. It all just felt too big for us to overcome.

Taking a break, as hard as it had been, it felt like the best option. Then I found out I was pregnant and all the fall out that came from that had been rough. Matt and I had slowly started to get close again right before I told him and then all the complications with my pregnancy. Both the complications of my actual diagnosis during the pregnancy along with all the issues that arose between Matt and me had been tough. Those nine months were some of the hardest of my life... and yet some of the most beautiful.

Matt and I made so much progress in those nine months. We found ourselves again towards the end. We had our rough times, I couldn't forget those, but overall, we came out stronger. We had our wins, and we had our loses. Matt getting shot, my diagnosis, it was all rough... but in the end, we learned to lean on each other again. We learned what was important and that was us and our family.

No matter how hard the past year was, I could never regret it. For as much as we had hurt each other, for as much pain that may have come from it all, so much good came as well.

Even if it happened after Jesse was born, we laid everything out on the table, and we learned how to communicate with each other. We had some hard conversations, but they made us stronger.

Matt and I... we had been through so much, but we still came through it on the other side.

For as scared as I was to take this next step with him, to finally get the life with Casey I had wanted for longer than I could remember... whenever I looked at Matt and saw that conviction in his eyes, all my fears melted away.

I knew no matter what, when Casey and I got together this time, there would never be an end. Neither of us would let there be. It was the whole point of waiting for so long. It was the whole point of being so cautious this time around. We both wanted to ensure we were ready...not only for our own peace of mind but also for Jesse.

Jesse deserved the best, and Matt and I wouldn't put him through some messy break up down the line because we were both too stubborn to figure our shit out before getting together.

As tough as waiting had been, I knew it was worth it.

When I looked at Casey, I knew he was my forever. He was my always. Part of me was still terrified, but I knew we would face whatever came our way together. We were strong, we had made sure of that, and I was confident we could overcome any challenges that came at us.

I was ready to face them.

I was ready to face it all, with Matt.

It's well into the evening by now. Matt and I having successfully avoided continuing our conversation with both Kelly as a distraction as well as Jesse once he had woken up from his nap. The rest of our day spent hanging out in the living room with Kelly while we watched the latest baseball game and ate our dinner.

It was nearing eight at night now and Matt and I had separated after I finished feeding Jesse. Matt going off to take him for his nighttime changing and a fresh set of pajamas before getting him to bed. Kelly had just headed off to his room and I was left alone.

It had been easy to distract myself when it was all of us hanging out, but now that I was alone, I knew the continuation of Matt and I's discussion this afternoon was coming. I knew we needed to address it, and I knew the ball was in my court. I needed to just dive in and tell Matt what I wanted, what I was feeling, what I had been feeling for ages now.

Yet, I was still having a mini panic attack knowing what was coming.

I look off to Jesse's room, the door pushed closed as Matt got our boy ready for bed, and head straight down the hall, passing the door and moving to the next.

I fling Kelly's door open, shutting it behind my quickly and leaning against it. I look up to find Kelly's startled blue eyes staring at me, he was near frozen in place, the shirt he was clearly getting ready to put on still in his hands.

"Damn Dawson, if you wanted a free show you just had to ask." He teases.

I roll my eyes, waving him off. "Please." I scoff.

He pulls his shirt over his head. "I'm just glad you didn't walk in here about 10 seconds ago, we would have had bigger problems." He mutters.

I roll my eyes once more as if that was a sight I ever wanted to see, but remain silent. I gnaw on my bottom lip, feeling the coppery taste of blood fill my mouth as I try to steady my racing thoughts.

Severide looks at me with interest, his brow raising. "What's going on?"

"Matt and I kissed." I blurt out quietly.

Kelly nods, "Okay." He says simply, my own brows furrowing at his simple response.

"Okay?"

He shrugs, "What do you want me to say? I distinctly remember us having a similar conversation a couple of weeks ago. From where I am standing a kiss doesn't seem to change much between you. two."

I sigh scrubbing my hands over my face as I lean back into the door. "It was more than just a kiss..." I trail off.

"You two?" He questions, his eyes widening.

I shake my head, tucking my lip between my teeth once more. "No... but if it weren't for Jesse waking up from his nap? Maybe."

Kelly's eyes widen further as he takes in my words. "Okay, not that I want to know anything about you twos sex life, or lack thereof. This is a good thing isn't it?" He questions.

I nod gently, "Yeah... I mean, it's good."

"What is it Gabby?" He prods, clearly sensing the less than convincing tone I have used.

"I told him I was moving out... before that happened." I admit.

Kelly is cutting me off right away, "You're moving?" He exclaims, and I watch as confusion and a hint of hurt cover his features.

"It was something we talked about when I was still pregnant. Something I mentioned at least. That when Jesse was a few months, and I was back to work I would start looking for my own place." I explain, Kelly cutting me off once more.

"Please tell me Casey is not for this?" He interjects, his annoyance clear.

I shoot him a look, his interruptions not necessarily welcome.

"He's not." I offer, watching as Kelly relaxes a little. There was no doubt in my mind he was willing to leave this room and have a talk with Casey if I had said anything else. "He told me he doesn't want that. He wants me to stay... he wants us." I say shyly. The words still shocking me.

Kelly smirks. "This is good, Gabby. Isn't it?" I nod once more, Kelly looking at me skeptically. "You're scared." He says simply after he looks me over.

"Terrified." I supplement.

"Gabby..."

"What if it doesn't work out?" I quickly interject, finally admitting what I had tried to push away all afternoon. "What if this isn't the right time, or we just aren't meant to be? What if we are rushing it?"

Kelly moves around his room, taking a seat at the end of his bed and angling himself to where I still stood up against the door.

"Gabby, you two have been apart over a year... you have had more talks about your feelings than a therapist and their client normally does." He jokes lightly, and I bite back my smile, rolling my eyes at him as he laughs lightly. "You can't seriously believe that you and Casey are not meant to be, can you?"

I shrug, my fears in overdrive. "There isn't a couple out there that I am more sure are meant to be than you and Matt. You guys have been meant to be since day one."

"What if... what if it's too early?" I ask quietly, "We said we would wait until my candidacy was over... we were supposed to treat this like a trial period..." I offer lamely.

Kelly shakes his head. "Gabby, whether you two get together now, or in another month, what does it matter? All waiting does is prolong the inevitable. You two want to be together. You've wanted to be together for a long time now. If you are waiting for some sign, or some perfect time to make itself known... you'll be waiting forever. Life doesn't always make it that easy. At some point, you just have to put yourself out there and take what you want." Severide offers thoughtfully.

I smile softly, taking in his words. "When did you get so insightful?" I tease.

He scoffs, "Well, being your two's therapist, the past year will do that."

I shake my head, as much as I wanted to deny that, I knew Kelly had been both of our sounding boards the past few months especially.

"Thanks, Kel... You're a great friend, you know?" I tell him sincerely.

He smiles, nodding at my words. "I know." He jokes, and I roll my eyes once more, leave it to Kelly to ruin a nice moment. "Now, leave me alone woman, don't you have some big declaration of love to go give or something." He jokes again.

I shake my head, flipping him off as I open his door. "Night Kelly."

"Night Dawson... Good luck." He offers sincerely.

I smile offering him a quick "Thanks," before heading out the door and back down the hall.

I peak into Jesse's room, finding the light off and Jesse's mobile on his crib spinning as it plays its nightly tune. I can't help but smile, when I walk closer to the crib, I find Jesse already fast asleep. He was barely fighting off exhaustion during our feeding, so I knew Matt would have no issues getting him to go down tonight. I run my hand along his soft cheek, the baby lying flat on his back with his arms spread out beside him.

"Night sweet pea," I whisper softly, stealing one last look at my boy before heading back out the door, letting it click shut quietly before heading back down the hall.

I take note that Matt has taken care of turning off the television and lights. I double-check that the front and back door are locked before doing one last once over of the apartment. I know more than anything I am buying myself some times before heading to our bedroom. My heart is hammering out of my chest at this point.

Because this wasn't going to just be some talk. This wasn't just going to be another discussion that brought us closer to getting what we wanted. This was it, there was no more holding out, no more waiting for the right time.

Matt was all in, he had made that clear, and now it was time for me to make my own intentions clear.

When I step through our bedroom, I am surprised to find it empty. The bedspread pulled back, but Matt nowhere to be found. My brows furrow, but he quickly makes his presence known when he steps into the doorway of the bathroom.

There is a small smile on his face, as he crosses his arms over his chest. "Hey."

"Hi."

The earth seems to stand still as we stare at each other, both of us taking in what is to come.

I shift on my feet nervously. For as ready as I was for this moment, I was terrified all the same.

Matt walks up to me, my eyes looking at him curiously as he rests his hands on my shoulders and presses a kiss to my head before moving to his side of the bed. I take a calming breath as I watch his retreating form and head into the bathroom to get ready for bed. I brush my teeth and wash my face before pulling the brush through my hair and slipping out of my sweatpants and changing out of my own sweater and pulling Matt's t-shirt over my head that I had brought in with me.

I come back into our room and flip the light off before heading to our bed and settling down under the covers. I check to make sure my alarm is on for us to get up for shift, but I knew the likelihood was that Jesse would wake us up long before the scheduled alarm could.

I plug my phone into the charger and settle down into the bed. Matt is already relaxed back into his pillows, one hand behind his head while the other lays at his side. I wait, expecting him to start the conversation, expecting him to prod, but he doesn't, and we lay in silence for a few tense minutes.

His silence is deafening to me... and while I knew the ball was really in my court at this point, I still had expected Matt to be the one to prod. His silence has my mind racing. Maybe he was second-guessing things? Maybe he wasn't bringing it up because he didn't want me to? Maybe he was regretting what we did earlier?

I force myself to shake those thoughts away. There was no reason to start doubting Matt now. That wasn't fair to him. I couldn't put unspoken words in his mouth when his spoken words had consistently been clear what he wanted.

Matt's hand running along my arm draws my attention and I look over to find him watching me. A welcoming expression on his face as he opens his arms to me. I am quick to take him up on his offer. Rolling myself into his embrace without any hesitation. Letting his arms around me and his heartbeat thumping rhythmically in my ear erase my doubts any further.

His hand running soothingly up and down my back enough to lull me to sleep if I wasn't so wide awake, my body buzzing with newfound energy as I work up the courage to broach the topic of us.

"I know today was a whirlwind for us. I know there is probably a lot on your mind, a lot you are working through..." Matt's calming voice pulls me from my own thoughts, and I hang on his every word. "...and I know you probably need some time to think about it all. And that is okay, Gabby. I just... I want you to know, everything that happened today, everything that I said... I meant every word, every action. I just want you to know I don't regret any of it. I'm here. Whenever you are ready, I'm here, and I am not going anywhere. You take as much time as you need. I love you, and I am here, no matter what."

My chest tightens at his admission. His words alighting a new confidence in me. If I hadn't already known what I wanted before, I definitely would now. I look up at Matt, my eyes shining and rest a hand on his cheek, bring his eyes down to meet mine as I run my fingers over the stubble that had grown there over the past two days off work.

Kelly's words about there never being a right time are ringing in my ears.

Maybe this wasn't the right time. Maybe this wasn't the smartest decision, not while we were still bound to our work situation... but I was tired of waiting. Tired of denying us both what we wanted.

All I knew, and all I had ever known, was that I was totally and completely in love with Matt Casey... and that wasn't changing anytime soon.

It was time to quit hiding, it was time to make things right between us.

It was just... time.

It was our time now... again... and we deserved this happiness.

Resting my hand flat against his cheek I pull him down to me, pressing myself forward to capture his lips in a long kiss, hoping to convey every emotion into that kiss.

When we pull apart Matt's eyes are shining, but there is still a look of hesitation there, one I hope my next words wash away. I lean over him, letting my forehead rest against his as our breaths mingle together in the darkness.

"I don't need time to think... I don't need time, Matt. I know what I want, what I have always wanted, and that is you. It's always been you, and it will always be you." I tell him softly.

Matt smiles, his hand gripping my hip as his other runs through my hair as he meets my eyes, "Yeah?" He questions, tucking the hair that had fallen forward back behind my ear.

I can't wipe my own smile away when I nod. "Yeah," I confirm, leaning forwards once more to connect our lips in a gentle love-filled kiss, both of us sinking into the action and letting ourselves refamiliarize ourselves with each other.

When air becomes a necessity we pull back, neither of us moving far from the others embrace. I shift in his arms, letting myself rest more of my weight onto him as I look down into his blue eyes, eyes that held so much love and conviction as they stared back at me.

"What changed?" Matt asks softly, his own insecurities breaking through.

"You asked me... what feels like a lifetime ago now if we could forgive each other and move on?" Matt nods, letting me know he remembered that conversation. "That was probably the start of this, of us really coming back to each other, and I haven't stopped thinking about that night since it happened," I tell him. "I knew then, not long after that conversation that all I wanted was for us to forgive and move on... but we decided to wait and I get why... but I just..." I sigh, running my fingers along the stubble of his cheek. "I'm so tired of waiting for what I already know I want. I want you, and I want us... and maybe we are a little crazy not waiting like we planned, but I don't care. I can't keep denying how I feel about you. I can't keep making up excuses for why we shouldn't be together... not when I know all I want is you."

Matt grin, his hands running up and down my sides. "...and all I want is you." He whispers, pressing a quick kiss to my lips before pulling away. "I'm sorry it took us so long to get here, but there is nowhere else I would rather be than right here with you... I love you, so much."

"I love you, too."

Matt pulls me in for another kiss, this one less tame than our previous and while all I want is to give in, I know maybe it's not the best idea, not tonight. Not yet. While part of me wanted nothing more than to resume what we had started earlier in the day, a bigger part of me wanted to wait. I wanted us to take this slow, to really take this one step at a time... and selfishly, part of me wasn't sure if I was ready for what being intimate with Matt again would mean. As much as I missed him... so much. It was hard to forget how long it had been. Over a year since we had done anything, and not only was there the time frame of it all. There was what happened in that time frame. I had a baby, and a major surgery as well, and while I knew Matt had seen me... he hadn't seen me in that time and I would be lying if I said I wasn't anxious about that fact.

Sex would be different than a random time of Matt catching sight of my body... those moments alone left me anxious the majority of the time. The insecurities of my body pre and post-childbirth never leaving me. I knew they would only intensify now because I knew Matt and I knew he was nothing if not... thorough. He would spend plenty of time devoting himself to making me feel good and worshipping my body, and as much as I wanted that, I was still just as terrified of it.

Matt and I pull back from one another. Our heads resting together as we breathe each other in. "God, I missed that." Matt murmurs, my grin matching his before I am laughing lightly. I snuggle into his embrace my head burying in his neck as he wraps his arms tighter around me, both of us content to just have this moment. "I missed you." He whispers, turning his head to press a kiss to my head as we cuddle close.

"I missed you too, baby," I tell him, pressing my lips into the skin of his neck before snuggling further into his warmth.

Casey

When consciousness hits me the next morning I immediately acknowledge the warmth next to me.

Nothing is different; feeling that all too familiar warmth pressed against me is something that had become second nature over the past 3 years.

Nothing was different... and yet everything was different. It was like there was a shift in the air. Even just waking up with Gaby today felt different. We felt different... we were different.

I couldn't even begin to express what that stirred inside of me. Knowing that finally Gabby and I had found our way back to each other. We had worked for this. We had fought for this.

We had fought our way back to each other the past year, and waking up this morning, even now knowing there were more talks to be had. More things we would need to navigate now that we were officially back together, it felt amazing. It was something I wouldn't give up for the world. No matter how rough the last year had been. No matter how hard or how painful. It was worth it to wake up this morning with Gabby in my arms and the lightness settled into the air around us.

I pull myself closer to Gabby, tightening my arms around her waist and pulling her back to me, I press a kiss to her shoulder through my t-shirt that was still covering her body. "Morning," I whisper, turning my head into her neck and pressing light kisses there.

Gabby grins, a hum of contentment leaving her as she settles back further into my embrace. "Good morning."

I can't help but smile, pressing another kiss to her shoulder. "It is isn't it?"

I'm struck with how familiar, yet different this morning feels compared to our first morning together. While the obvious difference was this was far from our first time, and the lack of clothes that morning, compared to the clothes we had slept in the night before still covering our bodies this morning. The other differences being the insane amount of history between us as well as the baby sleeping not far down the hall from us now, the baby that was ours.

We had come so damn far since that first morning together and I would forever be grateful for that.

Gabby laughs lightly at my words, snuggling further back into my embrace, "It definitely is."

My arms tighten around her, bringing her body flush against me as I press another kiss to her skin before resting my head in the crook of her neck, content to lay in our bed and breathe her in just a little longer.

"How are you feeling?" I ask her softly. Needing to know that she was still alright after our night. While we had fallen asleep relatively early, we had spent long hours before falling asleep wrapped up in each other's arms talking and... not talking. While we didn't cross the line last night, we had spent plenty of time getting reacquainted with the other and part of it felt like a new fun layer of our relationship had come back to us.

Gabby and I had known each other for a long time, when we did finally get together, we jumped into our relationship head first, and I never regretted it for a second. But I would be lying if I said spending the night talking and making out like teenagers hadn't been one of the best nights of my life. Sure, we were far from taking things slow. We did have a nearly 5-month-old son, and we shared the same bed every night, but that was beside the point.

"I'm perfect..." Gabby trails off and I feel her shift in my arms, I pull back enough to give her space to settle onto her back and she stares up at me, a bright smile covering her face as she reaches up and runs a hand through my tousled hair. "I haven't felt this great in a really long time, Matt."

The emotion that creeps into her words is not lost on me and I smile gently, running a hand through her curls and tucking them back behind her ear.

"That makes two of us," I tell her. "...but this is real, and now that we have it... I'm never letting you go again Gabby."

The smile that lights up her face makes a warmth spread through my chest. "Ditto." She responds a playful tone to her words and I shake my head at her before leaning down and capturing her lips in my own. The moan of surprise that leaves her is quickly replaced by one of pleasure as our kiss soon turns heated, our battle for dominance something we had perfected long ago.

My grip on her hip tightens as I settle further over her, pressing her into the mattress as her bare leg runs up my pajama covered one. A low whine from the baby monitor has a deep groan leaving me as I pull back and rest my head against hers.

"I swear, that kid has the worst damn timing," I mutter, Gabby's laugh filling the air between us as she slaps my back.

"Oh hush." She tells me, "It's still pretty early... why don't you go get him." She responds, stealing a look at the clock, and seeing we still have another hour before we even need to be out of bed I nod. I press a long kiss to her lips, another whine from the baby monitor has me pulling back with another low groan before I am crawling out of bed, Gabby shaking her head at me as she watches me go.

I pad down the hall and push open Jesse's door, his little legs kicking as he continues to whine softly.

I peek over the side of the bed, "Hey mister," his eyes are immediately on me, his next whine a mix of a squeal as he calms. I shake my head at him and reach down to pick him up, settling him securely against my chest. "Good morning, Bubba." Pressing a kiss to the top of his head I quickly move to the changing table and get him a fresh diaper, his morning baby talk filling the small room as he wakes up more and more.

"Well, I am glad to see someone is having a great morning." I joke lightly, picking him back up once he is freshly changed and grabbing his pacifier and blanket. "...Daddy was about to be having a really great morning until someone woke up." I mutter, Jesse staring at me curiously as he continues to wiggle in my arms as we head down the hall to the bedroom.

When I come back through the door, I find Gabby propped up in bed, an unimpressed look in her eye as she shakes her head at me, I'm confused for only a moment until she points at the baby monitor, clearly having heard my words.

I smirk sheepishly. "Oh please, you can't tell me you weren't thinking it." I joke and she simply rolls her eyes, holding her arms out as I near the bed, and I pass Jesse over to her.

"Good morning, sweet pea." She whispers, snuggling Jesse close. Little man's arms reach out, smacking against Gabby's chest as he squeals lightly, the noise barely coming out as his excitement at seeing his mother picks up.

I settle back down in bed, a smile permanently etched to my face as I watch them together. Gabby is attacking the boy in kisses, Jesse's giggles filling the room. It wasn't anything new, in fact, it was far from it. This was a normal occurrence in our morning routine... but this time the feeling that watching her with our son filled me with were not ones I needed to hold in. The words on the tip of my tongue ones I was finally free to speak openly, whenever I felt them.

"I love you."

Gabby's eyes move to me, as she pauses her attack of kisses, a fresh smile filling her face. "I love you too."

Gabby leans over and I meet her halfway, pressing a deep kiss to her lips.

Jesse's whine of discontent at having the attention off of him having us both pulling back with a laugh, "I swear, this kid is the biggest co-"

"Matthew Casey." Gabby quickly cuts me off, shooting me a glare.

"...block, in the world." I finish, Gabby shaking her head at me in amusement the entire time.

"You are terrible," she mutters, her attention going back to our boy as he nearly nose dives in her chest, making his want for food known.

"Maybe, but you love me anyway," I respond, helping Gabby as she readjusts in our bed. I sit up further, helping her cradle Jesse and move a pillow out of the way, pulling her back against my chest as she settles closer into my side for support, bringing Jesse to her breast to eat.

Once she is sure he is comfortable she looks back at me, letting her free hand cradle my cheek. "I do." She tells me, her fingers tracing a pattern over my cheek before she pulls me down for a kiss.

When we pull away, we share a smile before she is settling back against me once more. I cradle her and Jesse closer, relaxing back into our pillows as we enjoy a quiet morning together as a family.

While we had shared multiple mornings as a family, there was no questioning this one was different, and for the first time our family really felt complete knowing Gabby and I were finally together again.

We were finally getting to be the couple we should have always been and a happy family with our boy, and there wasn't anything in this world that made me happier.

Some of you have been waiting longer than others for this moment, but I hope it was worth the wait.

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