Hello everyone! I hope each of you are doing well and staying safe.

Here's the next chapter for you, I hope you all like it, I'm eager to hear your thoughts. Happy reading!


SEVENTY FOUR


Casey slid his key into the front door as they stood outside their apartment, the couple bundled up in their thick jackets meant to keep them warm as they finally returned home from their dinner with the family. It had been a rather long night, but one they'd both enjoyed nonetheless, as Gabby and Matt were grateful to get some quality time with their parents all together. But now that it was over, and they had time for just the two of them, they couldn't wait to get inside and wind down for the evening.

Once he got the deadbolt unlocked, Matt pushed the door open to their home, Gabby giving him a gentle smile before she stepped inside, Casey taking a quick glance around at their surroundings before following her path into their dimly lit apartment. While Gabby shed her heels and her coat, Matt locked up the door, effectively securing them inside their home before he turned to face his girl, the look in her eye telling him all he needed to know about how glad she was to be home.

"Baby, can you unzip me?" She asked as she turned her back towards him, Matt nodding before he took a step forward and began to pull her zipper down, the boyfriend pulling it down to her hips before he dropped his hands. "Thank you." She murmured as she turned back around, Gabby giving his chest a gentle pat before she began walking further into their home and went straight around the corner. After quickly discarding his keys, wallet, and coat, Casey walked in her similar direction, a heavy chuckle escaping his lips when he saw that she'd clearly stopped to discard her dress, Gabby now in nothing but her underwear as she carried the item of clothing back towards their bedroom.

Shaking his head lightly, Casey walked through their apartment towards the bedroom, the light they'd left on in the kitchen, as well as the hallway, guiding his path while he followed after his half-naked girlfriend.

"God, I could really use a bubble bath right now," Gabby breathed out as they got into their room, the woman moving towards the closet to hang her dress back up, Dawson going quiet for a few moments as he heard her moving around, before she finally spoke up once more. "And some wine."

"Well, why don't you?" He questioned as Gabby stepped back out into the bedroom, while Matt began to work on the buttons keeping his shirt in place. "You could get the bath started, I'll get us some wine," He continued on, Gabby tilting her head to the side as she sauntered towards him, it taking all of his will power to not focus solely on her body that was very much on display in front of him, "and we can finish off this evening right." He said as she came to a stop in front of him, the smile on her face causing him to grin as well before she brought her hands up to his shirt, Gabby swatting his away before she began to work on undoing the buttons.

"I like the sound of that." She replied softly, Matt grinning like an idiot as she got his shirt undone, Gabby sliding his hands up underneath the material over his shoulders before pushing it down his body, the piece of clothing falling silently to the floor. "I definitely think we should do that." She all but whispered as she got closer to his lips, before she gave him a soft, quick kiss, Gabby running her hands over him for a second before she reached behind her back to unclasp her bra, the woman tossing it to the ground just as the pulled back from one another.

"Oh, you're not playing fair." Matt spoke under his breath, his eyes instinctively going to her bare chest before he regained his composure and met her challenging gaze once more.

"When do I ever?" She countered, Gabby running her hand over his chest before she took a slight step away from him back towards the bathroom. But Matt didn't let her get very far before he gently grabbed her arm and guided her back towards him, a slight squeak of surprise leaving her lips as a slight grin pulled on his lips.

"Fair point." He responded with a laugh before he grabbed a hold of her chin gently and kissed her once more, this one much more intense than the last.

But as quickly as he'd pulled her in, they separated, Gabby sucking in a deep breath before he released his light hold on her face, the twinkle in her eye filling his chest with warmth. "Now go get that bath started, I'll be in in a bit." He spoke softly, Gabby nodding in response before she continued back towards the bathroom, Matt shooting her a knowing wink before he himself headed back out towards the living room.

While Gabby was left to get their bath started, Matt walked down the hallway, the man hearing the water start to run as he moved to the kitchen, a chill running through his spine as he was now clothed in nothing but his dress pants. When he got to his destination, Matt pulled out two wine glasses before beginning to fill them up, the boyfriend pouring Gabby a little extra as he was sure she wouldn't mind it before he returned the bottle of her favorite wine to it's usual home.

With both glasses in his grasp, Matt walked around the island, the man intent on turning off the light out here before heading back to the bedroom. But as he got to the wall where the light switch was, he paused when he heard an unexpected sound outside, Casey's eyebrows furrowing as he listened to what sounded like rustling outside their front door. He couldn't even pinpoint exactly what it was, but it was enough to make him want to check it out as he turned back to place their glasses of wine back down on the counter.

Walking quietly towards the front door, he glanced down to see that the deadbolt was still securely locked, just as it had been since they got home, Matt's spine straightening when he heard more unfamiliar noises outside their home. Moving slowly, he reached out towards the fitted curtain that covered the glass part of their front door, the man pulling it aside quickly to see what was going on outside.

But when he looked out through the window, he was met by nothing but an empty street. From what he could see, there was no one anywhere close to their front door, or even on their street, as the road was as quiet as it always was. Drawing in a deep breath, Matt shook his head slightly, knowing he was a little quick to assume the worst because of recent events. But clearly, he was either hearing things, or it had just been the wind, or something to that effect; but there was no one there, Matt releasing a soft sigh before he dropped the curtain back into place.

After he stood back up straight, he checked the lock one last time, Matt getting the confirmation he needed that they were still secured inside their home before he walked back towards the kitchen. Knowing he'd simply overreacted to the whole thing, Casey pushed it out of his mind as he grabbed their glasses of wine, flipped off the light, and headed back to their bedroom.

As he got closer, he could hear the water in their tub still running, Matt switching off the hallway light before he stepped into their warm bedroom. Finding it empty, he assumed Gabby was still in the bathroom, the boyfriend immediately walking in that direction as he vaguely heard the sounds of her humming. That alone was enough to bring a smile to his face, but when he walked through the door and saw her standing beside their tub, his grin widened as he took in the sight of her. Even with her back to him, she was the most beautiful person in the world, Gabby clad in nothing but her underwear as she waited for their large tub to fill up enough.

He wasn't sure if she knew he was there, but he did his best to make some noise while he walked, Matt not wanting to spook her as he slowly made his way towards her. From her body language, he could tell she knew he was there, Matt coming to a stop directly behind her, before he leaned to the side to place their wine glasses down on the ledge beside their tub. As the bubbles continued to rise, Gabby smiled as she glanced back towards him, Matt standing up straight before he moved his hands to her bare hips.

"Hi." She murmured as she leaned back against him, the feeling of his bare skin against hers flooding her with warmth as his palms slid around to her stomach.

"Hi." He repeated, Matt running his teeth over her shoulder before pressing a kiss there, Gabby relaxing into his embrace as they waited for the tub to fill up.

And soon enough it had, Gabby pulling herself out of his arms to turn off the water, while Matt continued to get himself undressed. As she turned around to face him, Casey couldn't help his eyes raking over her nearly nude form while his hands worked on getting off his belt, the man more than looking forward to getting into this bath and relaxing with her for a little bit. And as he worked on getting his own clothes off, Gabby slid down her underwear and tossed them over to the side, leaving her completely bare to him as his dress pants fell to the ground.

With Gabby undressed, she turned and carefully climbed into the bath, Matt unable to keep his eyes off of her as she slowly sat down, Gabby looking up towards him as well as he finished getting the rest of his clothes off. With him now completely exposed to her, her head tilted to the side slightly, Gabby never shying away from appreciating the view of what all he had to offer, Matt shaking his head lightly as he took a step closer to the bathtub.

"This isn't a free show, lady." He chastised jokingly, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip as her eyes moved over him once more.

"Oh, I think it is." She responded with a laugh, Casey chuckling as well before he carefully climbed into the tub, Matt being careful of not only her, but their full wine glasses as well as he slid down into the water behind her.

Once he was comfortable, she slowly moved back towards him, Matt guiding her with his hands on her waist until she was securely resting against him, her back pressed into his chest while his legs were on either side of her. Keeping one arm wrapped around her stomach, his other came out of the water to rest on the edge of the tub, Gabby leaning her head back against his shoulder before letting out a long, slow breath.

"Yeah, this is the perfect way to end this evening." She murmured, Matt grinning softly as his thumb stroked gently over her stomach, before he turned his head to press a soft kiss to her cheek.

"Really? Cause I can think of a few better ways… Though we might make too much of a mess if we do them here." He spoke gently into her ear, Gabby feeling heat rise within her chest at his less than subtle words, Matt gently biting down on her ear before he tightened his grip on her.

"Watch it." She warned him, Matt chuckling softly before he pressed another kiss to her skin, this time against her neck.

After lingering there for a few seconds, he relaxed back into the tub, Matt pulling Gabby with them as their bodies settled in the warm, soothing water, the bubbles around them making this all the more tranquil. And as the quiet continued to settle around them, they both became more and more lost in their own heads, Matt focusing on nothing but how he felt in this moment, holding onto the most important person in his life. Though Gabby wasn't nearly as caught up in the moment, as she had a few more thoughts running around in her mind.

"I thought tonight was nice." She spoke up after a couple silent moments, Matt grinning softly as he kept his eyes closed.

"Yeah, it really was." He replied, Gabby's hand moving down to rest over his thigh. "Everyone had a good time… I'm glad we were able to get everyone together again, and that our families don't hate each other." He added with a laugh, Gabby scoffing lightly before she gave his leg a firm pinch, Matt squirming underneath her touch before he continued. "I'm just joking, I'm joking." He defended himself as Gabby finally stopped teasing his skin, the woman laughing softly as she lifted her hand up out of the water and grabbed her wine. "But no, you're right. Tonight was such a great night with everyone. I'm so glad we were able to do that, for my mom and everything…" He trailed off, that small smile returning to Gabby's face before she took a sip of her drink.

"She seemed to have a nice time." Gabby responded as she placed her glass down, Matt giving her an immediate nod as he glanced down at her.

"She did… And that was all because of you." He told her, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as Matt gave her body another squeeze.

"I didn't really do anything…"

"You did everything." He replied without missing a beat, Matt pressing another kiss to her shoulder before she angled her head back to look at him. "She was so excited about getting that job, and I know how much she was looking forward to celebrating it with me, but you turning it into that… Getting your family to come and be there, for her. That meant the world to her. And to me." His voice was soft, Gabby wearing a small grin as she listened to him talk. "I haven't seen her that happy in a long time, and I can't thank you enough for doing that for her."

Gabby nodded softly before she leaned forward to press a quick kiss to the side of his mouth, Matt smiling as she pulled away and returned her head to its previous position on his shoulder. "I'm just glad everyone had a nice time." She murmured, Matt shaking his head lightly as he knew she wasn't going to accept the compliment. "Though your mother probably thinks I'm crazy by now." She added with a huff, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he wasn't expecting those words from her, and he didn't entirely understand them, either.

"What do you mean?" He asked, Matt feeling her breathe in deeply before she shrugged.

"Just… I don't know, between me freaking out on her at the firehouse, then me bailing early during our first dinner, and then the thing tonight that my mom said, about it not being a good idea for me to go work… Lord knows what she must think of me right about now." She breathed out as a slight frown tugged on Casey's lips. He could tell by the tone in her voice that she was trying to play it off, but clearly this was something that was bothering her, as Matt didn't necessarily love what she was saying right now, as he hated that she was worried about this. "But regardless, I'm just glad everyone had a nice time." She deflected, Casey immediately shaking his head before tapping his fingers against her stomach, as he wasn't going to just let this get swept under the rug.

"My mom does not think you're crazy." He told her as he moved right past her last words, Gabby sighing softly as she focused on the feeling of his hands rubbing her skin. "Not at all… I know things between you two were rocky at first, but that's only because you were trying to protect me, and she knows that. And now all that's in the past, and you two get along great. In no way does she think you're crazy, because you're not." His voice was firm, yet gentle, Gabby pursing her lips together as she thought over his words. "And even with all that stuff you mentioned, she still doesn't think you're crazy. But what she does think is that you're this incredible woman, who's very much in love with her son, and the person who's made him the happiest he's ever been. She sees you as someone who was there for me when no one else was, including her… The person who helped me pick up the pieces and move on from things in my past. The person who I am just so incredibly lucky to get to love and be loved by… That's what she sees, baby." He finished, his words holding so much conviction that Gabby wasn't even sure of what to say, a few lone tears pricking the edges of her eyes as he rested his chin down on her shoulder.

"I love you." Gabby whispered, afraid if she spoke any louder her voice would betray her, Matt smiling softly before he kissed her skin once more.

"I love you, too… And I really don't want you worrying about this, because my mom really likes you, Gabby. And she has a lot of respect for you."

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly before she leaned her head in towards his. "Why?" She questioned back quickly, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he heard the confusion in her voice. "What for?"

Casey paused for a moment, as he hadn't entirely realized the implications of his words until after they'd left his mouth. But now that they were out there, he knew he had this was his opening, that now was the time to tell her about the conversation he and his mother had when she showed up at the firehouse.

"Matt?" She pressed, Casey sighing softly before he spoke up.

"Because of Walker."

He felt her body tense immediately, Matt having a pretty good idea of what thoughts were filling her mind as he immediately shook his head, his hold on her waist tightening.

"I didn't tell her anything, I swear to you." He added just seconds later, Gabby swallowing thickly before she nodded, as she waited for him to say more. "I didn't say a word about anything, but I think… I think she knows that you've gone through something similar to what she did." He told her, Casey hearing her breath hitch slightly.

"...How?" She asked after nearly a minute, Matt giving her torso another comforting squeeze before he answered.

"It was just a few things, I think… That day at the firehouse, and then when we had them over here for dinner," He explained, more confusion flooding her body as she thought back to everything that happened that night; though, admittedly, most of what she remembered was just her breaking down on the bathroom floor. "She said that- she overheard you and your mom talking about Walker," He elaborated, Gabby wincing slightly as she thought back to her and Camila's conversation that night about Bryan; she just hadn't realized Nancy heard as much as she did. "About how he was getting out of prison, and your mom was worried about you… And then when she came to the firehouse and accidentally scared you, I think it just-" He stopped himself, Matt biting down on his tongue before he continued. "She said that you reminded her of herself, when she was going through everything with my dad."

She stayed quiet as his words washed over her, Gabby not giving him much in the form of a reaction as she was hardly moving. And since he couldn't see her face, it was nearly impossible for him to get a read on her, but he continued on anyway.

"And I think after that, she just kind of put it all together." He spoke once it was clear she wasn't going to say anything yet, Gabby drawing in a slow, deep breath. "But I swear to you, I didn't tell her anything… Even when she asked, I didn't say a word. I'd never do that to you."

Despite the mixed emotions currently flooding through her, Gabby gave him a nod as a weak smile formed over her face. "I know you wouldn't." She responded, as that was one of the last things he knew she ever had to worry about. But all that aside, she was still trying to digest what Matt had told her; that Nancy, for however long, had known what happened to her, even if she didn't entirely know. To some extent, Nancy was aware of the abuse she'd suffered, and Gabby wasn't sure how to feel about that.

After all this time, she still hated the fact that people knew. What she went through was painful, and personal, and the absolute worst thing she'd ever experienced in her life, and if it were up to her, the only people on this planet that would know would be Matt, and her brother. And that was probably it. But clearly, that wasn't the case. And now there was just yet another person who knew that at least something had happened to her, and her gut reaction was to hate it. To hate that there was someone else who now had a reason to see her as weak, or pitiful. To know that she'd been so stupid and stayed with someone who'd been hurting her, to remind her that she didn't do anything to get out of that situation sooner. She hated every bad thought that came along with people knowing what had happened to her.

But then there was something else she was feeling, something she couldn't quite pinpoint as she began to accept that Nancy knew what had happened, something that almost felt like relief.

She didn't understand it, or even know for sure if that's what she was feeling, but there was something different to Nancy knowing than when other people found out. And Gabby could help but think that maybe that was just it, that the reason she felt this way was because it was Nancy. That, for the first time, there was someone who could understand just even a little bit of what she'd gone through. And that was something Gabby hadn't experienced before, and she didn't entirely know what to think of it.

"Baby…" Matt's soft voice pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby's vision snapping into focus before she drew in a deep breath. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." She responded after a beat of silence, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip as Matt pulled her back just the slightest bit closer towards him. "Just thinking, I guess." She told him, Matt nodding in response.

"I'm sorry for not saying anything earlier, I wasn't sure how to bring it up… But I don't want you thinking that my mom has anything other than respect and admiration for you, alright? Because trust me, she would never judge you for anything like this. She gets it." He murmured, Gabby giving him a slow nod. "Even though she doesn't realize the extent of it, she understands better than most people what you've gone though… better than I can." He told her, Gabby swallowing thickly as she listened to him talk, the woman hearing that twinge of pain in his voice that so often was present whenever this topic came up. "And I know the situations aren't identical, this isn't something that anyone aside from you can ever completely understand, but she knows what it's like to be in this position." He started to ramble, Gabby giving him another nod before she brought her hand underneath the water to rest on top of his, the action causing him to stop as she gripped onto the back of his hand.

With a small smile forming over his face, Matt moved his arm that was resting on the tub to wrap around her, his forearm gently resting on the top of her chest to keep her close, Gabby feeling instantly secure in his hold.

"...And, uh, while we're talking about this, she also said that if you ever need to talk to anyone, you can talk to her." He added, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as he rubbed his wet palm over her shoulder, Matt sensing her obvious uncertainty at the idea. "There's no pressure, you don't have to do anything you don't want to… If you don't want to talk to her about this, she's not expecting you to or anything, she just wanted to offer. Because she knows how hard all of this can be. But it's entirely up to you, babe." He finished, Gabby giving him a slight nod in response.

"Alright… I'm not sure if I want to… open all that up again. But I appreciate her offering, and I'll think about it." She told him, Matt nodding as well before he pressed a kiss to the side of her head, knowing better than to push the conversation any further as he'd said all he needed to.

"Okay." He spoke, his voice barely audible as he cradled her body against his. "And you know I'm here, too." He reminded her, though there was no real reason to, as that was something she never doubted.

"I know you are, you always are." She spoke gently, her words causing him to smile as she lifted her hand up to hold onto his forearm. "But all I need from you right now is to just sit here with me."

"I can do that." He told her, Gabby leaning her head down to press a soft kiss to his arm before they both relaxed back into their bath, the warm water combined with all the bubbles around them helping them both unwind, as Gabby did what she could to not focus on the conversation her and Matt just had.


Dawson rolled out her neck as she walked out of the bathroom, the paramedic shoving her hands into her pocket as she began her walk back towards the common room. But she barely made it a few steps when the door from the bunk room opened, Dawson slowing down when she saw her partner step out into the hallway, the blonde seeing her instantly.

"Hey hot stuff." Shay greeted with a bright grin, Gabby shaking her head lightly before she caught up with her, the two continuing in step down the hallway.

"Hi Shay."

"I haven't seen you much so far this morning, where have you been hiding?" She questioned, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly as they went around the corner.

"I was out in the rig looking over our inventory, which is where you should've been," She countered with a slightly narrowed gaze, Shay wearing a sheepish look over her face before she shrugged. "And then I came inside, stopped by to see Casey, then went to the bathroom, if you're wanting a play-by-play of my morning."

"I am, thank you." Shay responded without missing a beat, Gabby rolling her eyes as they continued down the hallway. "But speaking of your man, how did round two of the Casey/Dawson family dinner go the other night?" She questioned, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek before she answered.

"It went well. Everyone had a really nice time, and our parents loved spending time together." She answered, Shay clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before she nodded. "It was good."

"Yeah, that's what I figured… I'm telling you, you've gotta invite me to one of these things sometimes. I wanna experience first hand what family gatherings for you and Casey are gonna be like for the rest of your lives." She huffed out, Gabby shaking her head as she didn't even bother addressing Shay's comment about her and Matt. "Which, speaking of you and lover boy, I imagine you two had a fun evening once you ditched the parents." She spoke with a suggestive look in her eye, the paramedics coming to a stop just outside the common room as Gabby released a heavy scoff.

"Man, we really need to find you a girlfriend so you stop being so obsessed with mine and Matt's sex life." She breathed out, Gabby making sure to keep her voice quiet as they were relatively close to all the firefighters in the common room.

"Rude." Shay bit back, before she paused for a moment to think over her words. "...You're not entirely wrong, but that's beside the point." She rambled out, Gabby chuckling softly before Shay continued. "But I take it you and Casey had a nice part two to your evening… I mean, I'm sure he could hardly resist you when you're all dressed up, I know I can't." She teased, Gabby gently shoving her friend's shoulder before shaking her head.

"Easy tiger." She replied, Shay nudging her arm as well before looking at her expectantly, Gabby blowing out a breath before she spoke up. "Alright well, since you're so interested, our evening after dinner was pretty tame." She explained, Shay narrowing her eyes slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "We just went home, took a bath, and then went to bed." She told her, Shay scoffing heavily as Gabby released a soft chuckle, the blonde shaking her head in clear disappointment.

"Alright, well no offense Dawson, but you two are boring as hell." She sighed, Gabby raising her eyebrows slightly as an unimpressed look covered her face. "I mean, my God, you two are starting to act like an old married couple."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you." She responded sarcastically just as the bells went off, calling 61 out to help with a person in distress as Gabby and Shay began to walk towards the garage. "But maybe at Molly's tomorrow night, I'll have something more interesting to share." She added, Gabby pausing for a split second as they walked past the common room, her eyes locking with Matt's as he sat at the head of the table. Though she couldn't be sure, she had a feeling he'd been watching her and Shay for a while, the bright smile on his face causing her chest to flood with warmth before he mouthed a quick 'be safe', Gabby responding with a nod and soft wink before she turned to catch up with Shay.

"So that's still happening, huh?" The blonde asked as they walked through the chilly garage, Gabby looking over at her with a curious look in her eye.

"Hmm?"

"You working at Molly's, you're still doing that?" She asked, Gabby giving her a quick nod just before they got to the rig, the two pausing their conversation long enough to get into the ambulance as Shay climbed into the driver's seat.

"Yeah, I am." She responded simply, Shay pausing for a moment before nodding, the blonde paramedic pulling the rig out of the garage. "I'm not closing or anything, just working for a few hours… Since it's my first time back working there in a while, I don't wanna overdo it or anything." She explained, Shay giving her an understanding look before returning her focus to the road. "So it won't be anything too crazy, and Matt's gonna be there with me, but I am still working, yeah… I think it'll be fun."

"Well, with me there, of course it will be." She replied quickly, Gabby's face softening as she was grateful for her friend keeping things light. "And it'll be nice, having you back at the bar, even just for a little bit."

"I think so, too." Gabby spoke as her gaze moved out the window, the sound of their sirens filling the cold winter air as they got closer to their call. "I know Matt's a little… Well, Matt. He's worried about me every time I leave the house, but it'll be good for us both to get out more." She continued, Shay listening intently to her every word as her friend vented a little.

"Yeah, that sounds like Casey." Shay responded with a soft smile, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek before she nodded. "But it's just because that boy loves you so damn much… It's pretty disgusting." She teased, Dawson unable to fight off her smile as her eyes continued to focus out the window.

"I know he does." She said, ignoring the last shot Shay took as the blonde continued on.

"But it's also sweet… And I'm sure he'll be in protective and worried boyfriend mode all night tomorrow, but I think we'll still be able to have some fun." Shay finished as they pulled up to the call, Gabby nodding in agreement before opening her door.

"We definitely will." She answered before both paramedics climbed down from the rig, their conversation put on pause as there was someone in need of some help. But as they went around to the back of the rig and began to get out their bag and the gurney, Gabby felt a swift shiver course down her spine. And while the temperature was rather cold outside, this was something different, Dawson suddenly getting the overwhelming feeling that she was being watched.

She couldn't explain it, but it was like she felt an intense pair of eyes on her, like there was a distinct heaviness in the air even though they were outside. She wasn't even sure what made her notice it, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. As she Shay pulled the gurney out, Gabby's eyes quickly darted around the scene as she tried to pinpoint whatever or whoever was causing this uneasy feeling to settle around her.

But as she looked out at all the bystanders, she couldn't find anyone that might be a cause for concern, no one doing anything other than watching on the scene they'd most likely stumbled upon.

"Dawson!"

Gabby's head snapped over towards her partner when she heard her voice, the PIC finding Shay's expectant eyes on her as she stood beside the ambulance with the gurney.

"You coming?" She asked, Gabby soon understanding that this likely wasn't the first time Shay had tried to get her attention, the brunette nodding quickly before she walked towards her.

"Yeah, I'm coming." She replied, Shay eyeing her for one more quick moment before she nodded, the partners beginning to move towards their patient.

And as they did, Gabby tried not to focus on the unsettling feeling in her system of someone watching them that she couldn't seem to shake. She knew she was being paranoid, that they were in the middle of a busy intersection, coming to help a person clearly in distress. Of course people would stop and watch, it happened all the time. And there was no reason for this to be any different.

Blowing out a soft sigh, Gabby shook her head slightly, the paramedic forcing herself to focus on the task at hand as she tried her best to push aside the weird feeling still present in her gut. But even as they were helping the victim, Dawson was unable to stop herself from occasionally looking around, as she couldn't help but feel as if something was still a little off about this call. She just didn't know what it was.


Gabby tapped her pen against the counter she was leaning against as the paramedics finished up their paperwork for their last call. As they stood in the ER of Lakeshore, they did their best to stay out of the way of all the busy paramedics, doctors, and nurses rustling around them, Gabby glancing around at their surroundings while Shay finished up.

"I wonder what's with today." Shay commented, her voice gaining Gabby's attention as the PIC looked towards her.

"Hmm?"

"Why it's so crazy in here today," She elaborated, Gabby soon realizing what she was referring to as she gave a slight shrug. "It feels like every medic in the city is here, I wonder what's gotten into everyone."

"Who knows… Must just be one of those days." She replied after a beat of silence, the blonde pausing for a moment as she looked over her friend until eventually giving her a nod, Shay handing over their paperwork to one of the nurses before they headed for the door. "Hopefully this shift isn't too crazy though." She added as they walked through the doors and back towards the ambulance, Shay eyeing her closely.

"Yeah, let's hope… Are you doing alright, Dawson?" She questioned suddenly, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as they stopped by the back of the rig.

"Yeah, I'm good. Why?"

"You just seem a little… distant, I guess. Since the call." She replied, Gabby breathing in deeply before she crossed her arms over her chest. "I wasn't sure if something happened."

"No, nothing happened. I'm good." She responded, though Shay wasn't entirely buying it as she cocked her head to the side, Dawson huffing out a short breath before shaking her head slightly. "Really, I'm fine, but…"

"What?" Shay pressed, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip before taking a slight step towards her.

"It really is nothing, it's just that… Did you notice anything weird about our last call?" She questioned, the PIC seeing her partner's immediate confusion before she gave a slight shrug.

"Weird? No, I don't think so." She responded after a moment. "Everything seemed normal to me, why do you ask?" She continued, watching as Dawson gnawed on her bottom lip.

"No reason, really. The call just… I don't know, something felt off about it to me." She spoke vaguely, Shay no less confused as she waited for her friend to continue. "It felt like someone was watching us or something, I don't know how to explain it." She told her, Shay's confusion now accompanied by a slight hint of worry as her eyebrows furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"What I said, it felt like someone was watching us… Or, I don't know, it just felt kind of creepy. It's probably nothing, I know people stop and watch us all the time." She began to play it off, but Shay wasn't so easy to let it go. Especially not with everything going on in Gabby's personal life.

"Was it just at the call?" Shay pushed, Gabby raising her eyebrow slightly as she wasn't expecting the question, but eventually she nodded.

"Yeah, when we got there. When we got out of the rig, it felt like someone was watching us, but I looked around and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I'm sure I was just being paranoid, because of…" She trailed off, Shay wincing slightly. "But I was just wondering if you noticed anything, that's why I asked. I'm good though." She told her, though Shay wasn't too convinced.

"Are you sure? Cause if you got a bad feeling, it might've been for a reason…" She tried, but Gabby simply shook her head. "Didn't you say Antonio was keeping an eye on things?" She prodded, waiting until she got any sort of confirmation from her friend before she continued. "Why don't you give him a call? Just to check." She suggested, but by the look on Gabby's face, she wasn't too fond of the idea.

"No, that's not necessary. It was nothing, really."

"Gabby…"

"Shay, I'm not gonna run to my brother just because I got a weird feeling one time." She countered when it became clear Shay wasn't going to drop it, Gabby starting to regret even bringing it up. "There's no reason for me to go to him, there's just some moments where I'm still a little on edge sometimes, that's all this was. This isn't a thing, please don't make it into one. I promise, it was nothing." Her voice was a bit firmer than before, Shay biting her tongue to keep herself from pushing any further before she eventually nodded.

"Alright… If you say so." She responded, Gabby giving her nod before she took a slight step back, like she was about to walk towards her side of the ambulance. "But are you gonna talk to Casey?" She questioned, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before pursing her lips together. "Cause, I mean, even though it was nothing, you should probably still tell him…"

"There's nothing to tell." She replied, Shay clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"Dawson-"

"Ambulance 61?"

Shay's face tightened when they heard dispatch come through their radios, the blonde knowing that more than likely they wouldn't be able to continue this conversation now as Gabby responded.

"61 is here, what do you got?" She asked she gripped her radio.

"Squad 3 called for another ambo at their car accident, they're about two blocks east from Lakeshore. Can you take it?"

"We're on our way." Gabby replied, the woman on the other end of the line rattling off the address as the paramedics got into the rig, Shay putting it into gear before pulling away from the hospital.

And though the drive was short, Shay couldn't help but occasionally watch her partner as they made their way to the car accident, Gabby noticing her obvious stares as the PIC released a heavy breath, her hand tapping against the door frame as she glanced towards the blonde.

"I'm fine, Shay." She repeated once more as they turned down the street, the accident in question soon coming into view.

"I know you are." She was quick to assure her. "And you're right, it probably was nothing… But still, it couldn't hurt to talk to him." She finished as the rig came to a stop, neither paramedic having time to say anything more as they jumped down out of the ambulance and began to gather their things, their focus shifting completely to their job as they pushed aside their current conversation.

But that wasn't going to stop Shay from keeping an eye on her partner while they worked.


"Dawson, can I get some help down here?"

Gabby looked up from her spot down at the end of the bar when she heard Otis' voice, the man waving her over to help with a rather large group of customers, before she nodded in response, Dawson holding up her hand signaling him to give her a second before she turned back to look at Casey.

"I'll be back in a bit, you need anything?" She asked, Matt shaking his head gently as his fingers tapped his half full beer glass.

"I'm good babe." He replied, Gabby giving him a small smile in response before she turned and headed off down the bar, Casey's eyes staying on her as she went.

They had been at Molly's for maybe an hour, the lively evening crowd keeping everyone busy as they worked to serve their guests. But for Matt, while Gabby was moving around skillfully behind the bar, he'd stayed perched in his seat, just as he had been since they got here, the man not moving as he had the perfect view of Gabby no matter where in the room she was. And considering there hadn't been much downtime, she was pretty much all over the place, meaning Matt hadn't gotten much time with her.

But whenever she did have a free moment, it was usually spent with him, the two naturally gravitating towards one another as they so often did. It didn't matter how much time they spent together, it was like it was never enough, as Gabby was just as drawn to him as he was to her, the couple spending whatever time they could together while she was working.

Then in those moments they couldn't, he still would keep an eye on her, Matt just wanting to make sure she wasn't getting too overwhelmed being in this environment for the first time. Especially with as many people that were here, he felt a little nervous that this might be too much for her. But so far, she hadn't seemed to have any issues. She'd fallen right back into her normal rhythm with everyone here, and she was having a great time.

One he could only hope would continue.

"Hey man."

Casey looked up when he heard Severide's voice, the firefighter coming up and sitting down on the stool beside him as Matt shifted in his seat to give him more room.

"Hey Sev… I didn't know you were coming out tonight." He spoke before taking a sip of his beer.

"Yeah, Shay asked me to. And I know tonight is Dawson's first night back, so I figured another friendly face couldn't hurt." He replied, Casey smiling softly as his eyes moved back towards Gabby, finding her still helping Otis, and now Shay, further down the bar.

"It definitely couldn't, thanks." He responded, Severide waving him off just as Herrmann came up to them.

"Aye Severide, what can I get you?"

"Just a beer is fine." He responded, Herrmann nodding before getting him his usual drink, Kelly's eyes moving down the bar as well to look at Dawson. "...So how's it going so far?" He questioned before glancing back at Casey, finding Matt's gaze still on his girl. "She doing alright being back?"

Breathing in slowly, Matt gave him a nod, neither Kelly nor Herrmann missing the soft smile that formed over his lips. "She's doing great, I think it's been good for her." He responded, earning nods from both the men.

"Yeah, she seems to be having a nice time… Acting like the same old Dawson." Herrmann added, his words causing Casey's smile to widen as Kelly turned back towards him.

"That's great, man… I know you were a little worried about this."

"Yeah, I was… That's something I'm working on, trying not to be so…"

"Suffocating?" Severide asked jokingly, Casey shooting him a slight glare as Herrmann chuckled.

"I was gonna say not so protective." He countered, Kelly giving him a knowing look before Matt continued. "But either way, tonight's been good for her so far." He spoke, Matt's eyes moving back to Gabby just as he saw her laugh at something Shay had said, her light and easy demeanor flooding his chest with warmth as he smiled once more before speaking up again.

"I'm just really glad she did this."

Across the bar, Gabby and Shay had just finished helping Otis with the heap of customers, the brunette pursing her lips together as she looked around at the back wall of the bar, seeing they were getting severely understocked.

"So…" Shay spoke up, Gabby glancing back towards her before returning her focus to the mental list she was making of everything she'd need to get from the back. "How are things going? You and lover boy seem to be having a nice time tonight." She continued, Gabby smiling softly as Shay stayed behind her.

"I'm good, tonight's been fun… Matt and I needed something like this, and I definitely did." She replied, Shay nodding despite the fact that she couldn't see her.

"That's good… Though I'm guessing since he doesn't have you wrapped up in bubble wrap right about now, you never told him about yesterday?" She questioned rather bluntly, Gabby huffing out a heavy breath before she brought her hand up to cover her face. She should've known it wouldn't have been that easy, that Shay wasn't just going to leave it alone, but she'd been hoping.

"Shay, I told you, there was nothing to tell. All it was, was the people stopped to watch us, like they normally do, I was just overreacting." She replied, Dawson glancing back towards her for a split second. "And when I asked you about it, it was a harmless question. If I knew you were gonna be this worried about it, I never would've said anything." She replied, the edge in her voice telling her not to push it.

"Alright, alright… I'm sorry, I just wanted to check in. We didn't really talk about it anymore yesterday, so I wanted to make sure you were still alright." Shay told her, Gabby dropping her defenses slightly as she knew her friend was just wanting to help. "But it hasn't happened again, has it? You feeling like someone's watching you?" She questioned, Dawson giving her a look before shaking her head.

"No." Gabby answered simply as she turned around, Shay's eyes tracing over her face. "I'm telling you, it was just a weird, fluke thing. I'm good."

"Okay, then I'll drop it." She gave in, Gabby giving her a quick nod.

"Thank you." She responded before turning back around, a heavy sigh leaving her lips as she began to take a few steps towards the back. "Are you alright out here, I need to restock some stuff."

"Yeah, we're fine." Shay responded casually, Gabby nodding in response before she began to head off towards the back, but not before she caught Matt's gaze.

When he saw her, his bright smile widened, Gabby giving him a quick wink before she disappeared through the swinging door, her mind now focused on the list of things she needed to grab.

But when she stepped into the back, she grimaced slightly when she saw that someone had left an open bag of trash sitting on the floor that needed to be taken outside, Gabby sighing softly before she changed her path to that direction.

"Dammit Otis." She muttered before she tied the bag and picked it up, Gabby glancing towards the back door that was mere feet away from her as she thought over whether or not to go ahead and take it out or not. She knew the dumpsters weren't far, that she could be leave and come back in probably ten seconds, but something about the thought of going outside this late by herself was beginning to leave with her an uneasy feeling in her gut, Gabby wincing as she'd had a few too many of those lately.

But as soon as the thought entered her mind, she pushed it away, Gabby nearly scolding herself for making such a big deal out of this when it was nothing. She could go outside and come back, she'd be fine. There was no reason to worry.

With a newfound determination to complete this simple task, Gabby gripped the bag tightly in her palm and walked out the back door before heading towards the dumpsters. The backroad was quiet, as it normally was, Gabby able to see and hear a few cars and people around the street as they filtered in and out of the bar while she walked over to toss the trash away.

And once she'd completed what she came out here for, Gabby turned around to head back towards the bar, but her steps slowed down when she began to feel that feeling once more. The same one from yesterday at the call, the one where it felt like eyes were boring into the back of her skull. And while she hoped it to be a figment of her imagination, Gabby knowing it was on her mind especially after her conversation with Shay, she couldn't help but feel the need to check, just as she'd done yesterday.

Slowly turning around, Gabby's eyes peeled over the empty side road, looking for any sign of someone near, the woman figuring that even if they weren't watching her, if someone was around that could explain the feeling she was getting. But it soon became clear there was no one, Gabby nearly cursing herself under her breath as she'd once again made something out of nothing. And while she couldn't be sure, she chalked it up to the fact that since she was starting to get back into her life some more, that's what was causing this uneasiness to follow her around everywhere. But she wasn't going to let it control her, Gabby releasing a soft breath before shaking her head, the woman turning back around to head into the bar.

But she stopped abruptly when she nearly ran into the body now directly in front of her, someone who had come out of nowhere, her breath catching in her throat as her eyes widened, Gabby immediately stumbling a few steps backwards as she came face to face with the one person she never wanted to see again, the smile on his face making her stomach turn as he took a slight step towards her.

"Hi Gabby."