Hi everyone! I hope all of you are doing well and staying safe. I'm back with the next chapter for you all, and I really like how this one turned out, hopefully you all do as well.

I know in the last update, I mentioned how things had been a little rough for me personally, as of late. Which is why I wasn't able to post last week. I did mention it in the I Won't Let You Go update last week, but I know not everyone reads that story, so I'm sorry for those who were waiting on this update. But hopefully, we can get things back to normal. I'm just sorry for not being able to post last week, but I hope this chapter makes up for it.

Thank you so much for reading everyone!


SEVENTY


"Hey babe, we need to get going here in a few minutes." Casey called from his seat on the bed as he was hunched over to tie his boots, the man looking away from the clock once he'd seen the time to continue his task. He finished rather quickly, Matt lifting up as he waited to hear any response from his girlfriend, though after a few seconds she still hadn't said a word. Looking over towards the closet where he knew she was, he waited a couple extra moments, his eyebrows furrowing when he heard what sounded like something falling to the floor. "...Gabby, you okay?"

He was about to go investigate what was going on when she had still not said anything, but before he could stand up, Gabby came hurrying from the closet. His slight concern morphed into a look of amusement as he watched his girlfriend walk towards him half clothed, nothing but her bra covering her chest while her unbuttoned pants hung low on her hips, her long sleeve CFD shirt clutched in her hands.

"Everything alright in there?" He questioned with soft gleam in his eye, Gabby looking up from the clothing in her hands to find his eyes trailing over her, the woman responding with a playful glare before she began to pull her shirt over her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine… Just couldn't find my shirt." She responded, Matt nodding as his eyes continued to carefully trace over her form before they found their way back to her face, the man meeting her gaze as her head appeared through the clothing. Though it crossed his mind to make some joke about him preferring her without one, he decided against it, Matt settling for a small smile instead. "There's kind of a mess in there, and I may have tossed some of your stuff on the ground…" She added sheepishly, Casey raising his eyebrows slightly as his head tilted to the side. "But I'll get it cleaned up tomorrow."

"It's fine, babe." He replied softly, Gabby shooting him a gentle smile before she turned towards the mirror and began to tuck in her shirt, all while Casey was unable to keep his eyes off of her. But he wasn't watching her for the reasons he typically would, though he certainly didn't mind the view, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he tried to get a read on her.

It had been two weeks since this all started; since Walker had been released from prison, since he showed up at Molly's, and in that time, there had been a lot of moments like this. A lot of days where Matt did his best to figure out where his girlfriend's head was at, a lot of moments where he couldn't tell what was going on with her, as well as a times he knew exactly what she was feeling as she navigated her way through the ups and downs of this. It wasn't like she was trying to hide it, as there had been many times over the last fourteen days where Gabby hadn't been okay, where she struggled with the thought of Walker popping back up in her life, and hadn't been able to get control over her worry. But every single time that happened, Matt had been there. He was there to try and help pick up the pieces, there to hold her up when she couldn't do it herself. He had been there through those low moments, doing everything he could to get her through them.

But it wasn't those moments that had him worried, it was the ones like this.

Of course he worried about her all the time, and those times where she'd break, it was hard on both of them. He hated seeing her like that, knowing she felt so scared and helpless, that this man was still able to affect her. And he wished he could do anything to take that pain away, but at least in those times when she gave in to her emotions, he knew she wasn't hiding. She wasn't pretending like everything was okay, she wasn't putting on a brave face, she was letting herself deal with this. So when that happened, he at least had the comfort of knowing she was working through all this.

But in moments like these, moments where she seemed alright, where she'd be joking around and acting like everything was fine, those times almost had him more worried than anything else. Especially now that they were becoming more frequent. Because he didn't know if she actually felt fine, or if she was just pretending. And while he hoped it was the first one, sometimes he couldn't be sure, as he knew she had a tendency to hide away her feelings, even from him at times. So there were moments he never could be entirely sure what was going on in that head of hers.

And this was one of those times.

But sitting here watching her, she did truly seem to be alright. She didn't seem to be nervous, or tense, like she was worried to leave the house; which definitely had been the case some days. She just seemed to be alright, Matt figuring that the good day she'd had yesterday seemed to transfer over into today as well. And he hoped it was something that would continue on like it had been, because she was doing better. Despite his constant worries that she was holding back, he could tell she was getting past this, even if it was a slow process.

There had been hard moments, especially early on, and there was no denying that. Though nothing had happened with Bryan, Gabby was still struggling to work through not only things that he'd done in the past, but the fear that he might do something in the future. Even more than the times where she'd fall apart, she still had moments of nervousness, and she didn't like to be alone if she could help it even if she wouldn't admit it, which Matt had made a point to make sure she never was, but even with all that she still was doing better. All of this, what she'd gone through, it was something that had been a lot to move on from, but with every passing day, those moments of panic seemed to become more infrequent. It seemed like Gabby was slowly starting to trust that everything would be alright, that she was becoming more and more comfortable with the realities of the situation they were in. And Matt knew he also had to trust that, too.

Though he knew if Walker would continue to just do what he was supposed to and stay away, that would help them tremendously in moving on from everything, and Gabby could finally get through this once and for all. At least as much as she possibly could with Bryan being a free man.

And so far, that's exactly what Walker had done. After his visit to Molly's, no one had seen or heard from him once. As far as Matt knew, he hadn't tried to contact anyone from the firehouse, he hadn't shown up anywhere they frequent, he hadn't done anything. And according to Antonio, Bryan hadn't done much at all except stay at home, and it would hopefully stay that way. Because Matt knew a big part of why Gabby was starting to do better was because she had the reassurance of Walker doing what he was supposed to, and that was leave her alone.

"Matt."

Casey blinked quickly before she came into focus, the man soon seeing his girlfriend watching him with a curious look in her eye as she faced him. His eyebrows raised slightly, Matt soon realizing his stares had been noticed as he did a quick once over of her. In however long he'd been caught up in his own head, Gabby had nearly finished getting herself ready for shift as her shirt was now tucked in and her belt was securely in place, as well as her hair being pulled back in a ponytail. When he finally found her eyes again, he gave her a small smile, his grin causing her face to soften.

"Sorry, what'd you say?"

"I asked if you'd mind going to get our coffee ready, so I can finish up in here." She repeated the question he'd missed, Matt giving her an immediate nod before pushing himself up from the bed.

"Yeah, of course baby." He replied softly, Gabby responding with an appreciative nod as she watched him move, Matt grabbing his watch off the nightstand and beginning to secure it into place right above the end of his long sleeve shirt. Once he'd completed that task, he grabbed his phone and slid it into his pocket, Matt glancing towards her before he walked to grab his Lieutenant's jacket resting on top of the chair in the corner of the room. "You want any breakfast? I might make myself some toast." He questioned, not missing the way Gabby was still watching him.

"No, I'm alright… I'll probably just eat at the house, or get something with Shay." She replied softly, Matt giving her a nod before he stepped towards the door.

"Okay, I'll be out in the kitchen if you need me- What?" He cut himself off as her curious stare had yet to leave him, Gabby's head tilting to the side slightly. "What's up?"

"Are you okay?" She questioned suddenly, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he turned himself back around completely to face her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world, Gabby looking at him expectantly as she placed her hand on her hip. "Why?"

"You just seem a little out of it, and you kept watching me." She commented, Matt quickly giving her a smile before crossing his arms over her chest.

"Cause I like you." He replied softly, but by the look on her face, she clearly wasn't buying his lame attempt at an excuse as she released a heavy sigh.

"Matt…" She breathed out, Casey pursing his lips together before he took a few steps towards her, both of them knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"Baby, I'm just making sure you're alright." He told her with a gentle look in his eye, Gabby pausing for a moment before she nodded.

"I'm fine, I promise you… Just like I was fine when you asked me when we woke up this morning, and again after my shower," She responded pointedly as Matt ducked his head slightly.

"I just wanna be sure." He replied, reaching out to gently hold onto her arm and give her a little squeeze. "I know I can be overbearing, but this hasn't been easy, for either of us," He continued, Matt always taking the chance whenever he had it to remind her she wasn't alone in this. "But me checking in on you, it's just cause I want you to be okay… You know it's cause I love you, yeah?"

Those words left his lips so softly she couldn't help but smile, Gabby meeting his eyes as his own grin grew, Matt giving her that look he knew she couldn't resist. The one he used when he knew she was aggravated with him, the one that nearly always made her forget about whatever it was he was doing. The look that made her fall in love with him.

"I know it is." She murmured, Matt nodding with a bright grin before he leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. "And I love you, too." She added as he pulled back, Casey running his hand along her arm as he pressed another kiss against her skin.

"I know." He replied softly, Matt ducking his head to steal a quick, easy kiss before he pulled away from her, knowing that if he didn't they surely would be lately for work. Giving her nothing more than a quick wink, Matt headed out the door, leaving Gabby on her own to finish getting ready while he prepared their morning coffee.


"Casey, where do you want us?"

Herrmann's voice hit his ears as the Lieutenant hopped down from the large rig for their first call of the day, the man quickly surveying the scene in front of him. The accident itself didn't seem too bad, just two cars that had run into each other in the intersection. From first glance alone, Casey had the feeling that there couldn't have been any injuries that were too serious, as one of the driver's had already gotten out of the car. And even though the first responders wished he would've stayed put, him being able to move on his own was a sign that the impact likely hadn't been too terrible.

"Herrmann, Mouch, Jenkins, with me… Otis, work on traffic control until a cop gets here." He spoke as he did a quick glance around the road, seeing many cars were stuck with nowhere to go.

"On it, Lieutenant." He heard 81's driver call back before Casey continued on towards the accident. And as he got closer, he could see the small amounts of smoke that were starting to come from underneath the hood of the car still holding one of the victims, Matt looking back towards his firefighters.

"Jenkins, get the extinguishers," He instructed, the woman nodding before she ran back to the rig. "61, hang back till we know what we're dealing with." He called across the road, Matt glancing over towards the ambulance to find the two paramedics standing there ready to go with their gurney. He met Gabby's gaze immediately, Casey giving her a soft nod before refocusing his attention on the task at hand.

"They just- She came out nowhere, I didn't see her!"

The driver that had gotten out was near hysterics, the man pacing with his hands on his head as he looked towards the accident.

"I tried to stop, I-"

"Sir, sir, it's okay." Casey did what he could to get a handle on the situation. "We'll get her out, just go over to our medics and let them take a look at you… Dawson!" He called, waving her over as Gabby began to jog towards him.

"But-"

"We've got it from here. The best thing you can do to help us right now is just let our paramedics take a look at you." Matt repeated himself as Gabby got to him, the Lieutenant giving her a nod before she carefully began to lead the somewhat dazed man back towards the ambulance.

"Come with me, sir, Lieutenant Casey and everyone's got it, she's in great hands."

Whether it was his adrenaline finally wearing off, or Gabby's soft tone of voice, the man complied rather easily as she led him away from the scene and to the rig, Matt now able to focus his complete attention on helping the woman who was still trapped. Stepping closer to the wreckage, he got a better look at what he was dealing with as Jenkins and Mouch put the extinguishers on the smoke, Casey crouching down to look into the car that had been hit.

From his vantage point, he could see a woman in the driver's seat, clearly a little confused as to what was going on as she was gripping the steering wheel tightly. While he couldn't be exactly sure, she seemed to be around Gabby's age, if not a little younger, Casey glancing around to see that luckily, this woman was the only person in the car, meaning their job was now a whole lot easier. He couldn't be sure what exactly happened during the accident, but while her side of the vehicle had taken the brunt of the impact, the second vehicle had hit closer to the back of her car, meaning they had room to get her out without moving anything. And that alone would make this process go by a lot faster.

"Herrmann, get the jaws. And grab a collar from Dawson!" He ordered before looking back into the car, seeing that the woman had barely moved. "Ma'am, are you alright in there?" He asked as he continued looking her over, trying to see if there were any noticeable injuries he could see. But she never answered him, the woman continuing to stare straight ahead as she was oblivious to what was going on around her. "Ma'am, try not to move your neck, but can you hear me?"

"I can… I can hear you." She replied, Casey nodding just as Herrmann got back to him, the Lieutenant grabbing a hold of the collar before crouching back down beside the car.

"Good, that's good. Try and stay still for me, I'm gonna get this on you." He spoke calmly before reaching to secure the c-collar on her neck. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Andrea."

"Well Andrea, I'm Matt. My firefighters and I are gonna get you out of here… Does anything hurt? Anything you notice that doesn't feel right?" He questioned as he took the opportunity of being closer to the car to get a better look at her, Matt still not seeing anything that was a cause for concern.

"I don't- No, I don't think so. I… I'm sore, but nothing too bad."

"Good, that's good… Now, we're gonna start working on getting this door off. It's gonna be loud for a few seconds, but it's gonna help us get you out, alright?" He warned her, Andrea giving him a slight nod, or as much as she could with the collar on, before Matt stepped back and let Herrmann work.

Stepping further out into the road, Casey took this time to take a quick look at his surroundings, the firefighter taking in everything around him; or more specifically, taking in all the bystanders watching them. It was something that had become somewhat of a habit for him over the last two weeks every time they went out on call, especially on calls with Gabby, where Matt would take extra care in seeing who all was around them, or more specifically who was around her. Just to be sure.

He knew Walker hadn't been coming around, Antonio had assured him of that, but still he found himself needing the extra confirmation that Bryan wasn't one of the faces in the crowd watching them while they worked. Because he could already see in his mind how that would play out, how Bryan would claim to have just been walking by, or he'd use his past as a firefighter as an excuse for why he'd stopped; there were a million different ways he could spin it to make it seem like he hadn't been following Gabby. And it was something that Matt hadn't been able to get out of his head, especially considering the calls they went out on weren't exactly private information, and anyone would be able to get their hands on that information. Especially if they knew where to listen. So Casey hadn't shied away from checking their surroundings whenever they were out on call, the man knowing he'd rather be a little too cautious than be caught off guard if Walker ever did choose to show his face where he wasn't supposed to.

But thankfully, it hadn't been an issue. Matt's constant checks of the surroundings and who all had stopped to watch hadn't been necessary up to this point, and he just hoped that continued.

Herrmann was close to finishing up the task of getting the door pried open, while Mouch and Jenkins were on either side of him, Casey getting ready to call over to Dawson and Shay for their help. But before he could, he heard Otis start to yell, Matt's eyebrows furrowing when he looked up to see what was going on.

And the second he did, he understood what had Otis so alarmed.

"Whoa, whoa- Easy! Slow down, man!" Otis yelled at one of the cars who had come flying down the road, clearly disregarding their attempts at slowing down traffic. And his complete and utter dismissal of what was going on now had him coming straight for Casey, the Lieutenant's eyes widening as he saw the vehicle get closer and closer to him.

"Lieutenant!"

He wasn't even sure how he reacted, but Casey quickly dove out of the way onto the ground, the car speeding up and swerving at the last minute to avoid hitting the firefighter. As Matt's body connected harshly with the unforgiving pavement, the driver continued on as if nothing had happened, the vehicle soon out of sight before they could even comprehend what had just happened.

"Casey!" Dawson yelled as she broke away from the ambulance and ran towards her boyfriend who was still lying in the middle of the road, Matt immediately feeling some aches of discomfort as his body came to realize just how much that had hurt. "Matt, are you okay?" He could hear how frantic she was, Matt groaning softly before he began to push himself up. "Wait, wait- don't move, let me check you out first, don't hurt yourself." She was all but rambling at this point, Matt shaking his head slightly as he managed to get into a sitting position.

"I'm fine." He told her softly, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she began to run her eyes over him. "I'm alright." He repeated as he met her gaze, Dawson drawing in a deep breath before she nodded.

"Casey, you good?" Mouch called over from the car, his firefighter's knowing better than to leave their assignments during a call; especially since Casey was seemingly okay.

"Yeah guys, I'm fine." He called back as he brushed himself off, Gabby continuing to look over him.

"Did anyone get a plate on that asshole? Jesus." Herrmann spoke as he put the jaws on the ground, Matt shaking his head before pushing himself up.

"It doesn't matter, we don't need to worry about it. Let's get back to work." He instructed, his words earning nods from his firefighters before they continued getting the door off, Casey beginning to walk back towards them.

"...Matt." Gabby's voice stopped him, the man turning back to find her worried gaze on him, a soft smile forming over his face before he nodded.

"I'm okay, I promise." He assured her one last time, Dawson giving him a tight nod before they both went back to their respective jobs, though Gabby was a bit more reluctant to just let this go, the PIC knowing she'd need to keep an eye on Matt throughout the day.


Casey stepped through the open doorway, the man coming to a stop just inside as he lifted his hand up to knock on the door frame, the sound gaining the older man's attention. "You wanted to see me, Chief?"

Boden gave him a nod as a soft smile formed over his face, the older man waving him in as he continued talking on the phone, Matt taking another step inside as he waited for more instruction. Within seconds the Chief had finished up his call, Matt watching as he hung up the phone before looking back towards him.

"Hi Casey, yeah, come on in. Shut the door." He instructed, Matt giving him an understanding nod before he did as he was told. With the door securely in place to give them privacy, the firefighter continued towards his desk, Matt taking a seat as Boden leaned back in his chair. "I heard there was a little bit of an incident out on the call this morning." He spoke with raised eyebrows, Matt releasing a soft breath before he made himself comfortable as well.

"Yeah, yeah… Some idiot not paying attention, but we're all good. I'm fine." He replied strongly, Boden eyeing him for a moment before giving him a nod of his own.

"Yeah, I figured everything was alright, with Dawson there and all, I know she probably would've drug you off to med if it were anything serious." Boden responded lightly, his words earning a soft chuckle from Casey.

"She would've, yeah… I still think she wanted to, but I'm fine, really." He assured him, Boden breathing in deeply as he watched him.

"Good, that's good… And, uh- How's everything else?" He questioned, Matt pursing his lips together as his spine straightened slightly. He knew exactly what Boden was asking, and he knew it had nothing to do with him. "Dawson, is she- She's still doing alright?"

Casey drew in a deep breath as he wrung his hands together in his lap, the man thinking over how to best answer his question. This was a talk they had frequently, usually at least once as a shift as Boden needed the assurance that his PIC was okay. When it first happened, Casey hadn't been surprised by it. He knew everyone was wanting to check in with Gabby, but they didn't want to ask her directly, so he had been the next person they went to. But with Boden, it had been more than the occasional question, and it didn't take long for Casey to find out why.

Boden felt guilty. As much of the house did, their Chief was holding onto a lot of guilt for what happened to Gabby. And that had manifested into him needing to know Dawson was alright.

Matt had known for a while, well before Bryan got released, that everyone had been holding onto some level of guilt because of all this, granted he hadn't spent too much of his energy focusing on it. But then when Shay had told him of Herrmann's outburst a couple weeks back, it was then he realized those feelings hadn't gone away. And his daily meetings with the Chief only solidified that. Everyone felt accountable for what happened, Boden especially as he himself had said he regrets letting Bryan stay as long as he did. That he feels terrible for not seeing the real issue sooner, and for making Gabby continue to work with the man who had abused her for so long. He held onto so much guilt for that, and the rest of the house did too.

But it wasn't their fault. Despite Matt wishing that someone had seen what was happening sooner, that anyone could have helped her, he also knew the house wasn't to blame for what Bryan did. Gabby did all she could to hide what was going on, from her own admission she hadn't wanted anyone to know, so he couldn't fault them for not knowing what was going on. Even though there was a part of him that couldn't help but wonder if the signs had still been there or not, that if Gabby truly had just been able to keep this hidden, or if everyone just missed what was going on. But he also knew there was no use dwelling on that, because it wouldn't help anything. What happened happened, him trying to fault anyone else in this wouldn't do anything to change what Gabby endured, and deep down he knew no one was to blame for it.

No one except for Walker.

Clearing his throat, Matt knew the man across from him was expecting an answer as he looked to him, finding Boden's expectant eyes waiting for him. "She's, uh- She's doing alright… Yesterday was actually a pretty good day for her, for both of us, and she's been fine today, too… Things are looking up, I think." He replied as carefully as he could, Matt having had to walk that thin line of assuring their friends Gabby was okay while also not giving away too much personal information a lot lately. "We're doing fine, just taking things one day at a time. But overall, things are good."

"Good, that's good to hear- great, actually." He responded with a small smile, Matt giving him a nod in agreement. "I wasn't able to see her much today, before you all got called out, but she seemed to be doing alright."

"She is. We're good."

"Good." He replied, Matt giving him a nod before he began to stand up, the man knowing this was usually where their conversations ended. "And, uh-" Boden's voice stopped him, Matt sitting the rest of the way back down into his chair as he looked at him. "Walker's still staying away?" He questioned, as the arrangement Antonio had set up definitely wasn't a secret around the firehouse, considering the detective needed to know if anyone heard from Bryan.

"As far as we know, he is." Casey answered, seeing the Chief release a soft sigh before he nodded.

"Alright, good." He repeated himself, Matt pausing for a moment before he stood up. "I'm glad she's been doing well, Casey… You know you can let us know if either of you need anything."

Casey's face softened before he gave him a small smile, the Lieutenant shoving his hands in his jacket pockets as he nodded.

"I know Chief, we both do. And we appreciate it." He responded, Boden giving him one last nod before Matt headed for the door, leaving both men to go about their day.


"Earth to Dawson." Shay spoke as she sat on the gurney inside the ambulance, her eyes focused on her friend as Gabby was standing just outside the back of the ambo, her foot propped up on the rig as she looked down at the clipboard in her grasp. But Shay could tell she wasn't really focused on that as her gaze was unmoving, the blonde tilting her head to side as the PIC still hadn't heard her. "Dawson… Gabby." She tried again, but her efforts proved useless. Clearly whatever Dawson was thinking about had captured her complete attention, Shay huffing out a breath before she reached for a roll of gauze and tossed it at her friend. "Dawson!"

Gabby snapped out of her headspace when she registered the feeling of the gauze hitting her in the face, the paramedic hearing her friend call for her as she looked up, shooting the blonde a glare. "Jesus Shay, what?" She replied exasperatedly, Gabby reaching for the gauze that had fallen down onto her clipboard and tossing it back at her partner.

Shay caught it with ease before placing it back in it's bin, the woman raising her eyebrows in near amusement. "I've been trying to get your attention for like ten minutes."

"Somehow I doubt it was that long." Dawson countered, Shay waving her off as she adjusted herself to sit on the edge of the gurney.

"You get what I mean." She replied just as quickly, Gabby scoffing lightly before she returned her gaze back down to their list of inventory, Shay keeping her eyes on her. "...What has you so distracted, anyway?" She questioned after a beat of silence, Dawson drawing in a deep before looking back towards her, her eyebrows furrowed in question. "You're not worried about, Casey are you? Cause I don't even think he has a scratch on him." Shay questioned, Gabby immediately shaking her head.

"No, no it's not that." She was quick to respond.

"...Then what is it?" Shay asked, seeing the slight hesitation written over her friend's face. "Is it… Is it about Walker?" Her voice was soft, like she was almost afraid to bring it up, Gabby and Shay both well aware they usually didn't speak on the subject unless Dawson initiated it. So Shay wasn't entirely sure how this conversation was going to go, if it went anywhere. But to her surprise, Gabby began to respond.

"No, it's not- It's not anything really, and it's especially not him… Well, not really." She stuttered out, Shay's eyebrows furrowing as she focused her complete attention on her friend. Gabby blowing out a heavy sigh. "IIt's more so about Casey, and how this thing with Bryan has… Changed things, I guess. I don't know."

Shay wasn't sure what she was talking about, but she didn't need to know what she meant to see Gabby was clearly a bit frustrated, the blonde resting her hands in her lap as she leaned forward slightly. "What do you mean? Did something happen between you two?" She pressed, hoping that talking through whatever it was would help Gabby feel a bit better, the PIC taking a long, slow breath before she spoke up.

"It's nothing like that. Matt's just being Matt, he's always just being Matt, but that's part of the problem. That things between us, and me and everyone I guess, have just been different, since Bryan was released, and… I don't know, it's hard to explain." She started, Shay waiting patiently for her to feel ready to continue. "Sometimes it just feels like this Bryan thing is all our relationship is now." She breathed out as she confided in her friend, Shay's face softening as she gave her an understanding nod. "And I get it, I do, I've given him more than enough reasons to worry about me over the last few weeks, or months really. But I'm dealing with this the best way I can…"

"I know you are." Shay spoke up when she'd paused for a moment, Gabby catching her gaze. "And so does Casey." She added pointedly, Dawson pursing his lips together as she shot her a knowing look.

"I know… But that means when I tell you all I'm fine, I need you to believe me" She countered, her words earning an unimpressed look from her friend.

"Alright, well in our defense you've been known to lie about that." Shay responded with raised eyebrows, Gabby huffing out a breath before shaking her head.

"You know what I'm talking about." Gabby told her, Shay putting her hands in defense, doing what she could to keep the air around them a little lighter. But she put them down when she saw the way Dawson's face fell slightly, the PIC sighing softly before she continued. "And I- I don't want to be ungrateful, at all. Especially not for Matt. He's been incredible through this entire thing, even before he knew what happened... He's the most amazing man I have ever met," She spoke quietly, Shay giving her a small smile in response as she spoke of her boyfriend, "and after all Bryan put me through, I shouldn't be complaining that the biggest problem Matt and I have is that he can be a bit overbearing… But I just hate that this has become such a big part of our relationship."

Shay could tell this was something that Gabby had been thinking about for awhile as there was an edge of agitation in her tone. But she knew that feeling wasn't so much directed towards Matt as it was the situation, and mostly Bryan.

"And I know it's because this is a part of my life now," She continued on after a few moments. "As much as I hate it and wish things were different, as long as Bryan's out, I don't know if I can ever completely forget about him… A part of me will always be worried about him trying to come back into my life, and I just have to accept that. But I don't want to let it control me… Bryan's done that enough to me already." She spoke quickly, Gabby shaking her head slightly. "But as long it's something I'm worried about, I know Matt will be too. Because whatever I'm going through, so is he, but I just- I hate that he feels like he has to constantly check in with me. But then I can't even fault him for feeling that way after how things have been lately, and it's all just stressful, I guess- I don't even know if that makes any sense." She finished with a heavy sigh, Shay giving her a supportive nod as she digested what all Gabby was saying.

"It does." She assured her, Gabby meeting her gaze. "What Walker did, it affected so much of your life. And it still does. But you don't want you and Casey to be something that changes because of it, I get it… Have you talked to Matt about it?" She questioned, the PIC scoffing lightly at her words.

"A few times." She spoke, though her tone told the blonde it had happened more than that. "We've talked about it before, mostly before Bryan got out, but I know he's not trying to treat me any differently. And I don't even think he realizes it's an issue- That's not the right word, it's not one, but… Casey keeps treating me with kid gloves, like he's waiting for me to fall apart. And I understand it, but I just want things to go back to normal." She finished, Shay tilting her head to the side before she responded.

"Normal as in…?"

"Normal as in us just being able to be a couple. Us acting the way we used to, where Matt's first instinct every time he saw me wasn't to make sure I'm not having a breakdown." She replied without hesitation, Gabby not missing the gleam that began to shine in her friend's eyes before a proud smirk formed across her lips.

"Well, if you want normal for you two, maybe go into his office and take your pants off." She teased, Gabby biting back a smile as she shook her head. She knew what her friend was doing, she was trying to lighten some of the heaviness around them and make her feel better. And to her credit, it was working. "That'll do the trick."

"You think so?" She questioned rhetorically, Shay giving her a proud nod as Gabby released another breath. "Yeah, I doubt that would even work at this point." Gabby muttered under her breath, the blonde's eyebrows furrowing as she gave her a somewhat amused look.

"What? No loving for little Casey?" She asked with a chuckle, Gabby quickly shooting her a slight glare, though the PIC was just glad to see her friend was doing her best to treat her like she normally would. But that moment soon ended when Shay's face fell, the woman clearly questioning herself for a second before she spoke up. "Oh, have you not wanted to? Cause I get it." She added quickly, Gabby shaking her head before responding.

"It's not me, no." Dawson was soon to reply, not missing the look of confusion that formed over her friend's face. "Well, I mean I haven't told him I don't want to, we just haven't really… Neither of us have tried to, I guess." She told her as a hint of realization shined in Shay's eyes.

"How long has it been?" She pressed further, Gabby's head tilting to the side as she narrowed her eyes slightly. "Oh come on, you know I could ask in much more vulgar ways. I'm thinking of you here, now how long has it been since you got some good Casey lovin'?"

Gabby fought the urge to roll her eyes at her friend's terminology as she glanced down to the clipboard in her hands. "Not too long, it was before Bryan got released, I couldn't tell you the exact day or anything." She spoke, her words becoming a little more firm as she neared the end of her sentence, Shay giving her a soft smile as she was just glad to see Gabby continuing to act more like herself.

"Well, my friend, I'm going to repeat my earlier statement and say that if you want things to start being a little more normal, you just need to go into his office, draw the blinds and lock the door, and take your pants off." She told her, Gabby unable to fight off her eye roll this time as she tightened her grip on the clipboard. "Or start with his pants, I'm sure he'd love that, too."

Dawson scoffed once more, the woman shaking her head as she held the list up that was in her hands. "Would you just help me with inventory, please?" She requested, knowing Shay would never stop if she didn't guide the conversation in a different direction. And truthfully, she wasn't wanting to continue this discussion much longer. But the blonde simply dusted her hands off on her pants before she stood up, as much as she could in the back of the rig, Gabby taking a step back to give her room to climb down.

"As much as I would love to, I'm starving. So I'm gonna need to get some food first." She replied, her words earning an understanding nod from Dawson. "You wanna come inside with me, we can get something to eat?" She offered, Gabby thinking over her words for a minute before shaking her head.

"No, that's okay. I'm not hungry." She replied with a slight shrug. "I'm gonna stay out here and get started on this."

"Oh, uh- alright." She responded, Gabby picking up on the slight hint of uncertainty in her words, before Shay began to look around the empty garage. And it quickly became clear to the PIC what her friend was doing, Dawson sighing softly before bringing the clipboard up to rest against her chest.

"Shay, I'm fine." She told her before the blonde could even try and think of an excuse to stay, which is what Gabby was sure she was doing as Shay looked towards her with raised brows. "...You don't need to stay here just for me, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"I know, I just- If you want me to stay out here with you, I will. I don't mind." She reminded her, Gabby giving her a small smile before shaking her head.

"I appreciate it, but I'm fine."

"But-"

"Oh my God, you're as bad as Matt." Dawson huffed out, Shay placing her hands on her hips as her head cocked to the side.

"What? As bad as the guy who wouldn't leave the apartment to go get groceries the other day until your mom came over? There's no way I'm as bad as him." She responded, Gabby glaring slightly at her friend's mention of her boyfriend's overprotectiveness. "He doesn't even want to let you out of his sight…"

"And you're doing what right now, exactly?" She countered as she arched her brow, Shay opening her mouth to respond before quickly slamming it shut, knowing she had no room to dispute her.

"...Fair enough." She replied defeatedly, the blonde paramedic shoving her hands into her pockets before taking a few slight steps backward. "Well, I'm gonna head inside. I'll be back out in a little bit."

Dawson gave her one last nod before returning her focus to the list in her hands, Shay keeping a lingering eye on her before she reluctantly headed inside, leaving Gabby on her own out in the garage.

As a harsh breeze blew through the open garage doors, Gabby involuntarily shivered, the woman zipping up her jacket slightly before returning her focus to her task. But as she continued standing outside the back of the rig, with every passing moment she was becoming more and more aware of just how alone she was. And she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel the slightest bit nervous.

She couldn't say she was surprised to feel that hint of uneasiness, considering this was essentially the first time she'd been left on her own in over two weeks. Shay hadn't been kidding when she spoke of Matt and his assurance of making sure she was never by herself; no matter what needed to be done, her boyfriend made sure there was always someone else with her before he left. Even in the comfort and security of their own home, she hadn't been on her own. And even though she wasn't necessarily thrilled with the arrangement, admittedly it had helped her feel better about the whole thing. So standing here now, in the wide open garage by herself, it was a little unnerving.

But she was determined to push through it, Gabby breathing through the bit of anxiety bubbling in her chest as she continued looking over her list. She meant what she said, she didn't want Bryan to have any sort of control over her anymore, and logically, she knew she had no reason to think she wouldn't be perfectly fine out here on her own. Walker hadn't shown up again, he'd been staying away, there was nothing to say that wouldn't continue for however long Shay was going to be inside.

She had nothing to worry about, she just needed to keep reminding herself of that.

But as she was staring down at the list in her hands, checking things off as needed, she didn't notice the person walking towards her from the other side of the garage. Or hear the sound of their soft footsteps against the hard floor, or feel their presence as they got closer and closer while coming up behind her. She didn't notice any of that.

So when the person behind her placed their hand on her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her skin, Gabby crying out as she instinctively cowered away from them, the clipboard in her hands crashing to the ground as she nearly fell forward towards the rig.

"Oh, dear I'm sorry-"

Gabby took deep breaths as she registered who was speaking to her, the paramedic recognizing the voice instantly as she tried to regain control of her balance, Dawson now practically crouching on the ground before slowly standing back up. She was forcing herself to take slow, steady breaths, Gabby feeling a near crushing weight on her chest as there was still some lingering fear in her system, despite the fact that the person behind her was nowhere near threatening.

"Gabby, are you okay? I didn't mean to startle you, honey, I thought you heard me."

Nancy's voice continued to filter through her ears, Gabby keeping her eyes closed as she continued drawing in deep breaths, the action necessary before she could try and respond to the woman who was likely here to see her son.

As the older Casey stood there and watched on, she couldn't help but feel terrible for the woman she'd scared, Nancy wanting more than anything to be able to comfort her son's girlfriend as she was clearly having a hard time. But she also didn't want to do anything to make it worse.

With her hand on her chest, Gabby continued to ground herself as he could feel her heart rate slowly returning to normal, her fear morphing into embarrassment as she was coming to realize she'd just freaked out over Matt's mother for no reason.

"Gabby, are you alright?" She asked once more, Dawson bringing her free hand up to rub over the side of her head before she nodded, her body still turned away from the older woman. And just as she was about to turn around, she was stopped by the sound of a voice she hadn't been expecting, Gabby hearing the sound of his footsteps against the ground as he came towards them.

"Mom? What are you doing here- What's going on?"

Gabby could hear the slight hint of panic in Matt's voice as he began to walk a little quicker, the paramedic pressing her hand against her temple as she felt a dull headache beginning to form in her skull. She was sure from her position alone, Matt would be able to tell something had happened, she just wasn't necessarily looking forward to explaining it. How the first time she'd been left on her own, she couldn't even go five minutes without getting scared. Granted, Nancy coming up behind her unannounced likely would've startled her regardless. But if not for everything going on, it wouldn't have been to this extent.

"Gabby, what happened?" Matt asked as he got to them, Nancy taking a step back as her son went to stand by Gabby's side, his only focus on his girlfriend. He placed a soft hand over her lower back, Gabby relaxing into him instantly as she lifted her head.

"I'm alright." She breathed out, Gabby finally meeting his eyes as she saw nothing but worry and uncertainty shining back at her, and she could only imagine what he saw from her right now.

"What happened?" He asked again, his eyes tracing over her as he rubbed her back gently, though he applied enough pressure for her to be able to feel it through all the layers she was wearing.

"It was my fault, Matthew," Nancy spoke up, finally gaining her son's attention as he looked back towards her. He had no idea what she was doing here, but that was something he could figure out later once he knew what was wrong with Gabby. Though even he could tell with each passing second that his girlfriend was starting to feel better. "I came up behind her, I didn't mean to, but I scared her… I saw her and just wanted to say hi, but I should've announced myself." She added regretfully, Matt sensing the concern in her words as he gave her a slow nod. "I really am sorry, dear." She finished, the sentiment clearly directed towards Gabby as the paramedic finally turned around, Matt's hand sliding down off her back as she faced his mother.

From first glance, Nancy could see the exhaustion and uncertainty present in her gaze, though Gabby quickly tried to mask it as she plastered a weak smile onto her face. "It's fine Nancy, really. I'm alright, I was just focused on work and I didn't hear you. But I'm fine." She spoke softly.

"You sure you're alright?" Matt asked her quietly, Nancy not missing just how gentle her son was with his girlfriend, Gabby looking away from her focus on him.

"I'm fine, I promise. I just wasn't expecting anyone." She murmured, Matt pausing for a moment before giving her an understanding nod, Gabby's eyes narrowing slightly as realization swept through her, the paramedic no longer feeling the effects of being startled moments prior. At least not as much as she had been. "Wait- what are you doing out here? I thought you said you had a lot of paperwork to get through after you saw Boden?"

A sheepish look soon covered his features before he quickly glanced towards his mom for a second, Gabby's head tilting to the side as a questioning look covered her face. "Oh, uh, no reason… I saw Shay was inside eating, figured I could come keep you company until she was done." He spoke carefully, Gabby pursing her lips together as she knew that wasn't entirely the truth.

He'd come out here so she wouldn't have to be by herself, and while that was a little frustrating, if her reaction to Nancy seconds ago was any indication, he wasn't entirely wrong for not wanting to leave her alone.

"Matt, I'm fine." She dropped her voice, even though Nancy could still hear them regardless. "I can be alone for a few minutes, I'm alright."

"I know you are, but I missed you." He covered, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded, knowing she couldn't exactly press the issue right now. Because even if not for Nancy standing right there, she'd still just given him all the reason in the world to worry about her being by herself. So she decided to just drop it, Matt giving her a soft smile before he rubbed her arm gently.

Before any more words could be said, the bells rang out above them, calling 61 out to a person in distress a few blocks away, Matt giving her arm a slight squeeze before taking a step back. "You good?" He asked, Gabby nodding immediately as she put the clipboard securely underneath the bench before shutting the back doors.

"I'm good… Are you good?" She questioned back, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Me? What are you- Oh, after earlier? I'm fine." He promised, Gabby giving him one last nod before she headed for the driver's side door, Dawson getting into the rig just as Shay came jogging out from behind 81.

"Hey Casey, Dawson in there?" She asked as she hurried past him and Nancy, the blonde clearly looking a little surprised at who was standing there, but she smiled nonetheless. "Hi Mrs. Casey, we haven't officially met, I'm Shay-" She was cut off by the sound of Gabby honking the horn, clearly telling her to hurry up. "Guess that answers that question, sorry I can't stay and talk." She rambled out before continuing past the rig, but she didn't get very far until Casey's voice stopped her.

"Shay…" He called after her, the blonde stopping just before she was about to turn the corner, her eyes soon finding her friend as she turned around. "Look out for her." He requested softly, Shay giving him a small smile before she nodded.

"You know I always do." She replied, Shay giving him a quick salute before she ran around to the passenger side door and climbed in, Casey watching the ambo roll out of the garage and exit the driveway.

He didn't look away until the rig was out of sight, Matt releasing a soft sigh before he finally turned back towards his mom, her curious eyes focused on him. And after what she'd just walked in on, he couldn't say it was a look he was surprised to see.

"What happened earlier?" She asked before anything else could be said, the younger Casey's eyebrows furrowing as he wasn't entirely following what she was saying.

"Hmm?"

"Gabby asked if you were alright after earlier." She elaborated, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he nodded.

"Oh, that, yeah I'm fine, it's nothing." He responded, though by the look that appeared over her face he could tell she was wanting more of an explanation. "It was just some freak thing at our call earlier today, a guy wasn't paying attention when he was driving past the wreck. He got a little too close to hitting me, but he didn't. I'm fine." Matt told her as simply as he could, the man not wanting to lie to her, but he didn't want to worry her either. Especially when he was in fact alright. "So, uh, what are you doing here?" He asked, doing what he could to shift the topic of discussion to something else. "I didn't expect to see you today."

"Oh, well actually, you know that new job I was telling you about?" She questioned, Matt wracking his brain as he thought back to the family dinner they'd had with her and Gabby's parents, the son soon remembering her talking about work as he gave her a nod to continue. "Well, I had my final interview with them this morning, and their office isn't too far from here so I thought I'd swing by and check in… We haven't really talked much since our dinner."

Casey winced slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest, knowing how true his mother's words were. He hadn't intended to be so radio silent with her, or with anyone, but with his main priority since that night having been helping Gabby, he hadn't really had much time to devote to anything else as he'd had to cancel plans with his mother a few times.

"Yeah, sorry about that, things have been a little crazy lately." He replied vaguely, Nancy opening her mouth to say something, but she wasn't able to before he continued talking. "But I'm glad to see you heard back from them, I know how excited you were about that job."

"Yeah, yeah I am… They were just interviewing me and one other person, so hopefully I'll get it. You know how much I've been wanting to leave my current job now, so I'm praying this all works out." She told him, Matt giving her a soft smile as he nodded. "But I should be hearing from them soon, and I was thinking… I mean, I don't want to jinx anything, but maybe once I hear back from them, you, Gabby, and I could go out to dinner?" She questioned, Matt's lips parting slightly as he thought over her words. "I mean, even if I don't get it, I think it would still be nice, with the three of us."

"Oh, uh… Yeah, it would be." He responded, Nancy giving him a small smile as his face faltered slightly. "But it would probably only be able to be you and me." He added, seeing the immediate look of confusion mixed with a hint of worry that appeared across her features. "Gabby, she uh- I don't think she'd be able to make it, but you and I could go somewhere. My treat." He spoke with a smile, but he could tell his mother wasn't buying it, the woman shaking her head slightly as she took a step forward.

"Honey, what's going on?" She asked softly, Matt hearing the concern in her voice.

"What?"

"With Gabby." She pushed as Matt bit down on the inside of his cheek. "Is she really alright?"

"She's fine." He answered simply, his words earning a pointed look from his mother.

"Matthew…" She breathed out, causing him to sigh heavily as he lifted his hand up to run along the side of his face. "What happened just now, how scared she was when I got here, that doesn't look like someone that's okay." She continued on carefully. "And that's not the first time she's scared easily, either. Then with you just now, not wanting her to be alone, and at that dinner a few weeks ago with her parents," She continued on, Matt lifting his head up at her last words, "I heard her and her mother talking…"

"About what?" He asked almost immediately, his thoughts going back to how he knew Camila had inadvertently upset Gabby by bringing up Walker; he just didn't realize his mother had heard at least part of that conversation.

"Camila, she… She was worried about Gabby, something with someone getting out of prison." She spoke quietly, Matt's eyes falling closed as his head hung down towards the ground, his reaction alone telling Nancy that whatever Camila had been talking about, that was at least playing a part in whatever was going on with Gabby now. "She was saying something about 'what he'd done', and I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, or hear anything I wasn't supposed to, but… Did something happen to her?"

Casey sighed deeply, the man needing a second to think before he lifted his head, seeing nothing but the worry in his mother's eyes shining back at him. "Mom… I-" He cut himself off, unsure of what to say. There was no point in lying to her, or denying what Camila had said, but he also knew he couldn't get into this. He wouldn't talk about what happened to Gabby behind her back, he'd never do that to her. But he wasn't sure what to say now, the firefighter shaking his head as he blew out a sharp breath between his teeth.

"I… She's okay, Mom." He settled on, Nancy biting her tongue before nodding. "I promise, she'll be alright, but I- I can't…"

"It's not your place to talk about it." She finished for him, Matt's eyes softening before he nodded, Nancy responding with a sad smile. "I get it, I do. It's just… I want her to be okay, I want the both of you to be okay. But sometimes she… she reminds me-"

The woman cut herself off, clearly not wanting to say whatever was going through her mind as Matt's head tilted to the side slightly. "What?" He pushed, Nancy drawing in a deep breath before she met his gaze.

"She reminds me of me." She admitted, Matt's face falling as her statement washed over him, Nancy shaking her head slightly as a heavy feeling settled in the air around them. "How I used to be back then, when your father… She reminds me of that." She continued to explain as Casey swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, his mom's words feeling like a punch to the gut. Because though he only remembered so much of what had gone on during that time in his life, he knew she had a point. "But if you say she's fine, I believe you. I didn't mean to intrude or anything, I'm sorry for even bringing it up." She finished as she saw the look on her son's face, Nancy realizing she'd unintentionally struck a nerve for him. But to what extent, she wasn't sure. "And I should get going anyway, I know you're working and I don't want to bother you."

"No, uh- no, you don't have to." He replied after clearing his throat, Matt pushing his mother's words aside as he shook his head. Despite the fact he hadn't exactly enjoyed their previous discussion, he still didn't want his mother to leave. Not when she'd clearly come here to see him. "Why don't you stay, come meet everyone." He offered, Nancy's eyebrows raising in slight surprise before glancing back towards the firehouse.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, of course. I want you to meet everyone here." He repeated, drawing in a deep breath before giving her a small smile. "And hopefully Gabby won't be gone too long, it'll be fine."

Seeing that her son wasn't going to let it go, she nodded, Nancy giving him a gentle smile before letting him lead her towards the firehouse, the two continuing to catch up with one another along the way. And while Casey was eager for everyone at 51 to meet his mom and he was looking forward to spending some time with her, he hadn't been able to completely shake off the conversation they'd just had as her words were still ringing around in the back of his head.

And he knew he probably wouldn't be able to for a while.