Hello everyone!
Sorry this update is a day late! But I still wanted to get it posted for you all because there won't be an update for this story next week, with Thanksgiving and everything coming up, I won't have time. So I wanted to make sure you all got this one this week, but I do apologize for it being a little late.
I hope you all still enjoy it! Thank you so much for reading!
SEVENTY SIX
Shay paced back and forth in the back room of Molly's as the sounds of everyone out in the bar filtered into the quiet room, her arms crossed over her chest while she moved over the hardwood floor. Nothing had been said for a few minutes, not since Casey came back moments ago and immediately went to Dawson's side. Aside from him checking in on her again, none of them had said anything, Shay figuring it best to just stay quiet as she wanted to be here with her friend, but she didn't want to push her as it was clear Dawson didn't want to talk. And Shay wasn't going to try and make her, when she was sure that was the last thing Gabby needed right now.
As the blonde continued to move slowly through the room, she couldn't help but keep an eye on Dawson and Casey, the two sitting close to one another as Matt had pulled up the extra stool next to her as soon as he got back. Then once he'd sat down, Shay hadn't missed how Gabby got as close to him as she could, Matt's hand resting over her back, moving in a comforting motion while his other hand stayed on her leg, the couple having stayed in that position ever since. And other than Matt occasionally kissing her head, or murmuring something in her ear that Shay couldn't hear, they hadn't moved, Gabby's eyes staying focused down on Matt's lap while they waited for Antonio to get here. Which, knowing the older brother, wouldn't be too much longer.
"You want some water or anything?"
Shay glanced back over when she heard Casey's soft voice, seeing as Matt watched Dawson carefully while she slowly looked up towards him, the PIC shaking her head slightly. "I'm fine." She told him, Casey pausing for a moment before he nodded, the man saying something else that Shay couldn't quite make out before he kissed her forehead once more. And while it wasn't her place to know what had been said, whatever it was seemed to calm Dawson down as her eyes fell closed, before she gave him a soft nod.
But neither of them had a chance to say anything more than that as the door from the bar suddenly swung open, neither Matt nor Shay missing how Gabby jumped at the unexpected noise, Casey instantly helping her calm down as Antonio hurried into the room with Voight right behind him.
"It's just Antonio." Casey reminded her quietly, Gabby sucking in a slow, heavy breath before she nodded, the brother hurrying his way over to her without a second thought. Matt kept his hand on Gabby's back, rubbing his palm in soothing circles as he felt how tense her body was after Antonio's sudden entrance into the room, Voight coming a few seconds later as he let the door close behind him.
Before Antonio said a word, his worried eyes traced over her, Voight staying back while Gabby locked gazes with her brother, the older Dawson seeing just how much pain his baby sister was carrying. And it made him sick.
"Did he hurt you?" He questioned quickly as his mouth moved faster than his brain, Antonio needing that confirmation before they went any further into this. Fiddling with her hands in her lap, Gabby sucked in a deep breath before shaking her head in response, Matt biting his tongue as he knew it wasn't his place to speak for her. But it was hard, as Antonio needed to get the full picture of what had gone on.
"No, not really, he just-" She cut herself off, Gabby closing her eyes for a moment as she forced herself to take a few deep breaths, her mind trying desperately to forget the feeling of Bryan's hands on her. But she couldn't, a deep grimace etched into her skin as she continued to grip her hands tighter together in her lap, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in deep concern as he could feel her becoming more and more tense.
Never stopping his movements over her back, Matt looked towards Antonio, before his gaze flickered between Voight and Shay, the sheer number of people in the room likely not helping Gabby with her nerves as Casey spoke up. "Do you two mind giving us a minute?" He questioned, though it was clear by his tone that he wasn't necessarily asking. It was nothing personal, especially not with Shay, but Matt knew Gabby, and he knew she had a hard time opening up to people, regardless of who they were, especially with something like this. And with less people around them, he knew it would be easier for her to let down that guard she kept around herself.
"Yeah, of course." Shay responded without hesitation, Voight looking towards Antonio before his detective gave him a nod.
"Alright… I'll get some patrolmen here, help me to start taking statements and see if anyone saw something." Voight told him, Antonio nodding once more.
"Sounds good… I'll come out when we're done." He replied, neither men needing to exchange any more words as Voight walked back out into the bar, Shay following after him, albeit a little bit slower, before she disappeared through the swinging door as well.
And now that it was just them, Gabby felt like she couldn't breathe a little easier, the woman gnawing on her bottom lip as she sensed both Matt's and her brother's eyes on her, knowing they were waiting for her to answer. "He, uh- didn't hurt me, I guess… But he did grab me." She finally responded, Antonio's body tensing as she spoke. "I don't remember if Matt told you, but-" Gabby stopped herself, shaking her head slightly as she tried to place exactly what she remembered. "He pinned me against him, and wouldn't let go. Talked about how he could do whatever he wanted to me, whenever-" She stopped to clear her throat, Antonio feeling more and more fury bubbling in his chest as Gabby drew in a shallow breath. "Whenever he wanted. Then he put his hand over my neck-"
"He what?" Antonio asked roughly, as if he were in disbelief, Matt continuing to rub her back as he felt her lean into him more.
"He put his hand over my neck… Like he was trying to remind me of what he could do. And then he let me go." She finished, Gabby drawing in a steadying breath as Matt kept his eyes on her, Antonio doing all he could to keep his composure.
But it was nearly impossible for him to do so, as Casey and Dawson both could feel just how angry this entire thing had made him. And Matt understood the feeling entirely, though he was sure the older brother was holding onto a few other feelings than him, as this never should've been allowed to happen in the first place.
"Alright, uh- Okay," Antonio rambled out as he was clearly trying to gather his thoughts, the detective shaking his head roughly. "Can you walk me through what happened? All of it?"
Gabby paused for a moment, the woman lifting her head up towards Casey, her eyes instantly finding his. And the second she did, she felt nothing but a comforting warmth flood her system, Matt's bright blue eyes calming her better than anything else ever could before she gave her brother a slight nod.
"Okay… Well, um, I had come back here to get a few things we needed out at the bar," She started, Gabby doing all she could to keep her voice steady as she went through exactly what had happened for the second time tonight. And while it wasn't easy, Gabby having to stop herself a few times to gather her thoughts and get a handle on her emotions, she did find it easier to get the words out this time around. She wasn't sure why, aside from maybe now that she had Matt by her side as opposed to having to tell it to him, but for whatever reason, it was a little easier to get through.
But that didn't mean it was easier for Matt or Antonio to hear, as both men kept getting more and more angry. Matt, for having to hear her go through it again, and be reminded of the terror she felt. And how he wasn't there to protect her. And Antonio, for hearing it completely for the first time, the older brother feeling nothing but rage and guilt coursing through his system as Gabby finished telling him what happened.
"And then that's when Matt found me, and I told him what happened… Then he called you, and- well, you know the rest." She finished, her voice barely audible as she watched her brother, Antonio unable to mask his emotions from her as he eventually gave her a slow nod.
"... Those were his exact words?" Antonio asked suddenly, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she glanced towards Matt, neither one of them entirely sure what he was referring to. "Bryan, he said he'd be seeing you soon?"
Realization covered her face before she slowly nodded, Gabby swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat before she leaned back into Matt's side once more, her boyfriend welcoming her instantly as his hand came to rest on her waist. "He did… Before he walked away, that's what he said."
Antonio didn't respond after that, the detective simply nodding before he took a slight step back, Gabby watching her brother closely as he slowly began to pace in front of them. It was obvious there were thoughts on his mind that he wasn't voicing, Gabby reaching out to hold onto Matt's leg as they both waited for him to say something. But he never did.
"Antonio…" Gabby started, her voice gaining his attention once more as he looked up at her, the younger sister seeing just how much uncertainty he was holding onto.
"Sorry, I just-" He cut himself off, Antonio's tongue poking out between his teeth to run along his bottom lip before he shook his head, the detective unsure of what to say at this moment.
But Casey wasn't.
"How did this happen?" He spoke roughly, Matt finally voicing the question he'd had for Antonio since the moment he found Gabby huddled on the floor, the older Dawson moving his gaze towards him before he saw the unforgiving look in his eye. "How did he get here? He was able to just walk right up to the bar, right up to Gabby… How did you all not know?" His voice was getting harsher and harsher by the second, it taking everything Matt had to keep himself calm as Antonio huffed out a sharp breath. "He said he's been watching her, how did you not know?" He finished, Antonio looking between the two of them before he reluctantly spoke up.
"...Truthfully, I have no idea."
Antonio was barely able to get the words out before Casey let out a heavy scoff, Gabby looking up towards her boyfriend as she felt him tense up, Matt shaking his head angrily as he was slowly losing the battle against his own emotions.
"How do you just not know? What have you been doing this entire time since he's been out, if you don't even know how he got here? Or that he'd been watching her for God knows how long?" He asked incredulously, Antonio narrowing his eyes slightly as Gabby saw his defenses rising.
"I've been doing my job, trying to protect my sister from this asshole-"
"Well clearly, you're not very good at it." Casey bit back, both men getting more and more angry as the seconds ticked by. "You promised us he wouldn't come near her, that you'd make sure he didn't come near her… Well, he did. He was fucking here, and you didn't even know!" He continued on, his voice getting louder with every word.
"I don't know how he got here, his phone was at his apartment, it had been all day-"
"That's all you were checking? That's it?" Casey questioned in near disbelief, Antonio's glare tightening as he shook his head.
"We've had patrolmen at his place, checking in to make sure he's still there. Every time they drove by, his car was there and the location of his phone had him inside, I don't know what to tell you Casey." He bit back, Matt's jaw clenching as he did all he could to squash the anger growing inside him, the thought of how scared Gabby was right now only making things worse. "He must've kept his phone at home, and that's how we didn't know he was watching you… How we didn't know he was here tonight." He told them, Casey's free hand clenching angrily at his side as Gabby stayed quiet. "But I don't know how our guys didn't see him leave, or how his car is still there, but clearly he got here somehow… He's been getting around somehow, and we didn't know about it… But I was doing everything I could, he must've known to keep his phone off him."
"How would he know to do that?" Casey questioned immediately, the firefighter processing Antonio's words quickly as realization slowly started to settle in with the detective. "How would he have any idea that you were tracking him, it's not like you have to tell him about the warrant… How did he know?" He pressed, both Matt and Gabby watching as her brother began to pace once more, Antonio clearly angry about something as he wrung his hands together.
"...Shit." He muttered underneath his breath, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she looked towards Matt once more, seeing the same confusion etched across his skin.
"What?" Matt pushed, his spine straightening as Antonio finally stopped his movements, the older man sucking in a deep breath before turning to face them, his eyes immediately landing on Gabby.
"What is it, Tonio?" She questioned, Gabby speaking up for the first time since her brother and her boyfriend started going back and forth, the look on his face not exactly comforting as he shook his head slightly.
"...He knew because I told him."
The second those words left his lips, a deep look of confusion settled over Gabby's face, while Matt appeared more furious than anything else. But it was clear neither of them knew what he was talking about, Antonio sucking in a deep breath as Gabby tried to process what had just been said to her.
"What?" She questioned, Antonio barely able to hear her as he stayed focused on his baby sister.
"What do you mean you told him?" Casey cut in, the Lieutenant not bothering to hide his anger as he felt Gabby lean into him more. "When did you see him?"
Matt's words hung in the air for a few moments, the couple looking to Antonio for answers, though he knew they weren't going to like what they heard. But he couldn't keep this from them any longer, not that he ever intended to in the first place, but especially now, there was no way around it. They needed to know, Gabby needed to know.
"Antonio, what are you talking about?" She asked once more, the older brother pursing his lips together before he finally spoke up.
"I saw him two weeks ago… After he went to your apartment."
The three of them fell deathly silent, Gabby's breath hitching as her confused and worried eyes locked on her brother, Casey flooded with a hundred different emotions as he was desperately trying to decide which one to follow. Though deep down he knew exactly what he was feeling, what he didn't know was who this feeling should be directed towards.
But right now the man in front of him felt like a good choice.
"He what?" Casey questioned, his voice not even sounding like his own as anger poured out of him, Matt's eyes as dark as Gabby had probably ever seen them, at least in a while as Antonio looked towards him. "What are you talking about?"
"Walker, he… One morning the week before last, he was outside your apartment. It was before he knew I was keeping an eye on him, his phone location had him in your neighborhood. So I went to confront him." He explained, Antonio giving them a second to digest what he was saying before he continued. "And things got… heated. But while we were talking, he realized that I'd been keeping track of him, and that must be when he started keeping his phone at home."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Casey spat as quickly as he could, the man near seething as his grip around his girlfriend's waist loosened, while Gabby had yet to react much at all. Though she was really the only person who's reaction Antonio cared about. "Why did this happen nearly two weeks ago, and you're only telling us this now? And why the hell isn't his ass locked up right now?" He continued on, his anger getting the better of him as he stood up from his seat, leaving Gabby alone by the table.
"Casey…"
"Why is he still out? How was he allowed to spend two weeks as a free man, when you have proof he broke his restraining order? How was he even allowed to be here?"
"Because I didn't have proof!" Antonio fired back, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion as that look mixed with the fury he was feeling, while Gabby's own features mimicked his uncertainty, the detective huffing out a breath before he continued. "...At least not legally, I didn't."
"What are you talking about?" Casey pressed, his back tightening as he took another step towards Antonio. "What do you mean not legally?"
The older Dawson took another deep breath, his eyes flashing back towards Gabby to find her still watching him, Antonio shaking his head slightly before he spoke up. "I never had a warrant… Not until he showed up to your apartment."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me…" Casey bit out, his harsh words gaining Antonio's attention once more as Matt lifted his hand up to rub over his head.
"Casey, I didn't have enough cause to get one until that happened…" He replied quickly, Matt shaking his head in disagreement as he didn't like what he was hearing. "You know how this stuff works, I can't just pull a warrant out of thin air. But I got one the second I could."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Matt continued to fight back. "He showed up outside our home, we had a right to know! Gabby deserved to know!"
"I was going to, I wanted to-" He started, Casey scoffing once more as Antonio looked back towards his sister, the older Dawson not wanting to deal with Matt right now. "And I'm sorry I didn't… I had every intention to. That day I stopped by the firehouse, I…" He trailed off, seeing realization cloud his sister's features as he sighed softly. "I wanted to, but then I saw how good things were going for you, how happy you were… And I didn't want to mess that up. Not when I had it handled."
"Clearly you weren't handling it." Casey growled, Antonio's eyes falling closed for a split second before he looked back towards the angry firefighter.
"Casey-"
"No, Antonio, no! He came here. You understand that, don't you?" He questioned, his condescending tone causing the older brother's eyes to narrow. "He was here, with her, alone! All because you fucked up!"
"Matt-"
"He could've seriously hurt her!" He continued on, refusing to let Antonio get a word in. "How are you not more upset by that? He was alone with her, and that never should've happened! But it did, because not only did you not tell us he had come around again, but instead of doing your damn job, you threatened him and basically told him how to get near her without getting caught." He spat angrily, both men's tempers flaring as Casey kept going. "If you had just figured out a way to get the damn warrant from the beginning, this all could've been avoided. He could've gotten his sorry ass sent back to jail the second it happened, but instead you fucked around, didn't take this seriously and he was able to get to her!"
"You better watch it." Antonio warned, Matt shaking his head angrily as he took a step forward. "I know you're mad, I am too… but don't-"
"Don't what?" He cut him off once more, his chest heaving as Antonio straightened his spine. "What exactly do you not want me to do? Tell the truth? That he fucking assaulted her because you didn't do what you promised you would!"
"Casey-"
"You were supposed to protect her!" He shouted, Matt's hand coming out to smack the side of the shelf beside him. "You said you'd protect her and you didn't! That's on you!"
"You think I don't know that? You think I don't feel like shit right now because of what happened? I know this is on me, I know I failed her, you don't have to tell me that Casey!" He yelled back, both men seething. "But everything I did, I did to protect her. I thought I was doing the right thing, so don't fucking sit there and act like-"
"Stop!"
Both men turned around when they heard Gabby's sharp voice, the woman interrupting their screaming match as she looked back and forth between them, Matt's face immediately softening when he saw the unshed tears sitting in her eyes. And in that moment, all his anger at Antonio went out the window, Gabby shaking her head before she locked eyes on Casey.
"Just… please stop." She repeated, her voice much softer than before as they could both sense she was fighting against her own emotions, but the tears still hadn't fallen. "You two killing each other won't help anything… We can't change what happened, so just stop." She continued on, her tone near desperate as Matt immediately gave her a nod, the man walking back over to her quickly.
"I'm sorry." He murmured as he wrapped his arm around her, Casey mentally kicking himself for getting so worked up, especially when Gabby needed him. "You're right, I'm sorry." He told her, Gabby nodding slowly as she leaned back into his side, Matt rubbing over her back comfortingly as he pressed a few kisses to her forehead.
"Sorry, Gabs." Antonio replied, Gabby looking towards him as she took a few deep breaths. She felt calmer now that Matt was back by her side, and the tension in the room was beginning to dissipate as Antonio and Matt were forced to take a step back. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, this just- it isn't helping anything." She repeated, her words a bit firmer as they had been moments prior, Antonio drawing in a slow breath as he was beginning to feel some of that same hostility from her that he'd gotten from Casey.
And while he hated that he'd given his sister a reason to feel that way towards him, he understood it. He knew she had every reason to be angry with him right now. Casey, he didn't care so much about if he were being honest, not in this moment. Not with what was going on. But Gabby, he knew he owed her an apology. He owed her more than an apology, but that was the best he could do right now.
"I know, and I'm sorry… For all of it, I'm sorry." He started, the younger Dawson leaning in Casey's side as she sought out the comfort his hold provided her. "I should've told you earlier, the second it happened. You deserved to know, and I messed up by not telling you. I messed up a lot of things… But I thought I was doing what was best. I truly did, but I wasn't. And I'm so sorry."
She breathed in deeply as she thought over his words, before ultimately nodding in response, Gabby offering a weak smile as she didn't have the energy to push back on anything her brother was saying.
"I'm sorry he was able to get here, and that I didn't know… But I swear to you, no matter what I have to do, it'll never happen again. I won't let him near you."
There were a few different responses floating around in Gabby's mind, as she knew Antonio had no way to truly promise her that, considering the situation they were in now. But aside from that, she also knew he meant what he was saying, Gabby nodding once more before she looked up towards Matt.
"...So what happens now?" He asked after they shared a look, Antonio clenching his neck as he looked between them before eventually speaking up.
"Well, uh, obviously our priority is finding Walker, as quickly as we can. We've already sent uniforms to his apartment, along with the cop that was already there. So if he went back home, we'd know… We also are gonna take statements from everyone here, just to see if they saw anything. And we're gonna go check out some of the places he frequents, in case we get lucky. But our goal right now is to find him, first and foremost." He explained, Matt and Gabby both nodding as the Lieutenant forced himself to keep a level head, and not lash out at the man across from him again as he knew both of them needed to keep things civil for Gabby's sake. "But you won't need to be involved in any of that. You've helped me as much as you can, as long there's nothing else…" He continued, Gabby shaking her head lightly.
"I told you everything." She responded quietly, Antonio drawing in a slow breath before he nodded sadly.
"Alright, well I think you two can go ahead and get out of here… I'm gonna have a patrolman assigned to you all, at least for now." He told them, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly as Matt nodded.
"Good." Casey replied, his words causing Gabby to look up at him, Matt noticing the movement out of the corner of his eye. "As long as he's out running around, I want cops with her. I don't care about me, but I don't want her to be alone, and risk him getting near her again." He finished before looking down towards her, their eyes locking for a moment before Gabby nodded in agreement.
"I agree," Antonio spoke after a moment, Gabby breathing deeply before she looked back towards her brother. "I think it's safest, and hopefully it won't be necessary for too long. But it's what we should do for now." He added, earning nods from both Dawson and Casey before he continued. "I'll make sure it's one of our best guys, and you two will be safe."
"Alright." Casey replied, his eyes tracing over Gabby's face once more for a moment, Matt seeing just how mentally and physically exhausted she was. "So we can get out of here and head home?" He questioned, Antonio gnawing on his bottom lip as his eyes moved back to his sister as well.
"...You all can get out of here, yeah, but- I don't know if staying at your apartment is the best idea." He told them, Matt's head snapping back towards him as Antonio looked between them.
"Why? ...You think he'd go there?" Casey asked, his hold on Gabby tightening involuntarily.
"I don't know, but I'd rather you not be there when we find out." He answered honestly, Gabby drawing in a slow, shaky breath. "Obviously, he knows where you all live, and I don't know how serious he is about seeing Gabby again, but it's probably for the best you don't stay there. At least for now." He told them, Casey biting down on the inside of his cheek before he slowly nodded. "I think you should stay somewhere he doesn't know."
"Like where?" Gabby cut in, Matt's eyes moving back down towards her. "There's not really anywhere for us to go, aside from a hotel. The only place I can think of would be mom and dad's," She continued on quietly, Antonio wincing slightly as he locked eyes with his sister. "I mean, I know he knows where they live, but it has been a while… Maybe he forgot."
"Yeah, maybe… That might be our best option. We could put you up in a hotel, but I know you really don't want to do that." He said, Gabby nodding slightly in agreement. "And at least at their house, there's more people around… It's not ideal, but it could work."
"What about my mom's place?" Casey offered up suddenly, Gabby and Antonio both looking towards him as his head tilted to the side slightly, Matt able to tell before he even said another word that the older Dawson was interested in the idea. "...It's somewhere he doesn't know. He'd have no idea where she lives… And even if he has been following Gabby, or the both of us, like he said, neither of us have been there in a while, that I can remember. Would that be a better option?"
"Definitely." The detective answered without hesitation, Matt breathing in slowly before he nodded. "And your mom would be okay with it?"
"Absolutely." Casey responded just as quickly, as he was able to feel Gabby's eyes on him. "I can call her, and let her know we need to stay with her tonight… But I'm sure she'd be fine with it."
"Alright, then I think that would be the best option… You all can go home, get some things, then head over to her place. Just make sure you give me her address before you leave, so I know where you guys are." He instructed, Casey nodding in agreement as he reached into his pocket for his phone, the man never leaving Gabby's side as he'd already made that mistake more than once tonight.
"Tonio…" Gabby spoke up as Matt dialed Nancy's number, the older brother looking towards her, seeing the unsure look covering her face. "You really think this is necessary?" She questioned softly, Antonio breathing in deeply before he nodded.
"I do." He replied simply, Gabby pursing her lips together before giving him a nod of her own. "But hopefully, we'll find him tonight, or tomorrow… And this will all be over." He added as Matt began speaking softly on the phone with his mother, Gabby sucking in a deep breath as she looked at Antonio, the slight shrug she gave him not exactly convincing.
"Yeah… hopefully."
Casey pulled up to the curb outside his mother's house, the man's eyes immediately moving across the street to where the patrolman had just parked before a heavy sigh escaped his lips, Matt putting his truck in park as his eyes moved over to Gabby. It was a little hard to see her, as the only light around them was that from a dim street lamp a couple yards down the road, but even in the glow of night from her body language alone, he knew how tired she was. He'd seen it all night, even once they'd left the bar and quickly gone home to grab a few things. They weren't at the apartment for very long, maybe all of ten minutes to get some essentials for the next few days, but even in that short time he knew all Gabby needed right now was to get some rest.
And he could only hope now that they were here, she could finally get it.
"Babe." He spoke up when nearly a minute had passed since he parked and she hadn't moved, Gabby's eyes snapping into focus before she looked towards him.
"Hmm?"
"You ready to go inside?" He asked as he reached out to give her thigh a gentle squeeze, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing before she began to take in her surroundings, Matt seeing the moment realization set in of where they were, even though Gabby had never been here before.
"Yeah, I am… Sorry." She responded, a look of confusion flashing over his face before he shook his head.
"You're fine. Let's get inside, I know you're exhausted." He told her, Matt doing what he could to keep things as normal as possible as he pulled his keys from the ignition before getting out of the truck, Gabby soon following suit. She stayed by the passenger door while he grabbed their bags from the back, before Matt came to stand beside her, the man locking up his truck before nodding towards the apartment. "Alright, let's get inside and out of the cold."
Gabby nodded in agreement before the couple began to walk towards Nancy's front door, the porch light left on telling them she was waiting for them to arrive as they began to trek up the sidewalk. And right before they got to the steps, the door opened, Gabby looking up to find Nancy come into view with a warm, inviting smile on her face.
"Hi you guys." She greeted as they got up onto the porch, Matt smiling softly as he stayed a slight step behind Gabby.
"Hey mom."
"Hi Nancy." Gabby replied, the woman already taking a step aside to give them room to enter.
"Go ahead and come on in, I know it's freezing out here." She spoke, Gabby giving her an appreciative nod before she stepped into the apartment first, Matt waiting until she was safely inside before he came in as well, the man stopping to give his mom a hug.
"Thank you for this." He told her, his voice quiet as Nancy rubbed over his back.
"There's nothing to thank me for." She responded instantly as they separated, the woman looking back and forth between them, before her gentle eyes focused on Gabby. "You know you two are welcome here any time, for however long you need." She spoke, her words causing Dawson to give her a weak smile in return.
And from their little interaction alone, it was clear to Gabby that Nancy was a bit worried about them, or about her. Matt hadn't told her much of anything, that much Gabby did know as she'd heard their entire phone call while they were still at Molly's, and all Casey had said was that they needed somewhere to stay tonight, and probably for a few nights. And while Nancy had obviously been confused, she agreed without question, the woman telling them she'd be waiting for them whenever they got here. And now that they'd arrived, Gabby could sense that same uncertainty from her boyfriend's mother, but she didn't say a word about it, Nancy not wanting to involve herself until she was brought into it.
Though with everything that had happened as of late, and Nancy knowing more of Gabby's past that she'd like, Dawson was sure the woman had at least some idea of what this was about.
"We appreciate that, thanks mom." Casey spoke up, Nancy looking back towards him before she nodded.
"Oh you're welcome, sweetheart. Now come on in, make yourselves comfortable. Though I know it's not much." She spoke as they stepped further into her smaller apartment, Gabby shaking her head immediately.
"Your home is beautiful, Nancy." She replied, the older woman flashing her a genuine smile before continuing.
"Thank you, dear. I'll let Matthew give you the tour at some point, though aside from the bedroom and kitchen, there's not much else to see. But I went ahead and made the bed up for you all, fresh sheets and everything. And there's clean towels in the bathroom."
"Thanks mom… I'm sorry to put you out like this, you having to sleep on the couch and everything."
"Don't be silly, it's fine." She replied, Matt nodding once more as Nancy looked back towards Gabby, seeing her eyes focused more on the ground as a slight yawn escaped her lips. "Are you all hungry at all? Or would you like something to drink?" She offered, Matt glancing towards Gabby before he shook his head.
"No, no I think we're good. Just gonna call it a night, if that's alright." He responded as Gabby looked up, Nancy immediately nodding as she took a step towards the couch.
"Of course it's alright, I hope you two get some sleep. Let me know if you need anything." She told them, Nancy reaching out to give her son's arm a squeeze before they began heading towards the hallway.
"I will… Thanks mom."
"Yeah, thank you Nancy. See you in the morning." Gabby repeated, all of them exchanging a few more pleasantries before the couple made their way back to the bedroom.
Neither of them said much as they stepped inside, Gabby taking in her new surroundings as she walked towards the bed, Matt shutting the door closed behind them before following her path. He set their bags down, the man drawing in a deep breath as he looked towards Gabby, his eyes tracing over her for a moment as he used the quiet moment to take her in.
They hadn't really talked about any of this, not since it happened and she walked him through everything. But ever since then, especially since leaving the bar, she'd been virtually silent, Gabby not having much of anything to say. And from what he could tell, she still didn't, Gabby very much trapped in her own head as she stared blankly down at the bed, Matt frowning slightly before he reached out towards her.
"Hey…" He murmured, his voice combined with the light touch on her shoulder gaining her attention as she looked towards him, her sunken eyes somewhat alarming to him. "You okay?"
"I'm fine… Just tired." She replied weakly, Matt nodding in understanding before he reached out his other arm towards her, Casey angling her body back towards his as she now faced him. "It's been a long night."
"I know it has." He responded, Gabby breathing in deeply as their eyes focused on each other, Matt unable to hide the regret shining over his face. "And, uh- I know I didn't really help that too much." He continued on, his words confusing her as her head tilted to the side. "Everything with Antonio… I'm sorry for fighting with him like that. I know that's the last thing you need right now. And I- I'm sorry if I scared you."
"You didn't." She assured him, Matt breathing in slowly before he nodded. "I promise, you didn't. And I don't blame you for acting the way you did. You were mad."
"I know, and I still am. But I still shouldn't have done all that, make this harder and everything."
"It's fine… Honestly, what you told him is everything I wanted to say, but couldn't." She admitted, Matt's eyebrows raising slightly before a deep frown etched into his skin. "I mean… I know Antonio is doing his best, and he'd never do anything to hurt me. And maybe it's not fair, because this isn't his fault but- I just wish he would've told me." She breathed out, Matt nodding as she got all this off her chest, his hands cradling her arms as they looked at one another. "Because right now all it feels like is he lied to me, and that's how Bryan was able to be there."
His face softened as she spoke, Matt not hesitating to pull her in for a hug as his arms circled around her back, Gabby holding herself to him as her hands connected around his waist. And they stayed that way for a few moments, Gabby's head tucked into his neck as she felt like she could finally relax for the first time that night, even if not completely. But being here, with him, she felt safe, and that was all she could ask for right now as she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head.
"I love you." He murmured, Gabby smiling softly before she nodded, her hold on him tightening as he ran his hand along her back. "And I'm so sorry this happened… That he showed up, and I wasn't there to stop it, I'm so sorry."
Gabby nodded once more, the sound of his heartbeat soothing her as she released a heavy breath. "It's okay, it's not your fault… And you're here now."
A sad smile covered his lips before he nodded, Matt pressing another kiss to her head as he heard her sigh softly before she spoke up again.
"You're always here, whenever I need you. You always have been… And, sometimes-" She cut herself off, Matt waiting for her to get out whatever words she was trying to say as he continuously ran his hand over her back. "...Sometimes it feels like you're the only person I can really count on."
His eyebrows furrowed as he registered her words, an unsure feeling settling in his gut as he tried to process what she'd said.
He knew that wasn't true, that she had a lot of people in her corner. And he had the feeling that, on some level, Gabby knew it wasn't true, either. But he also knew how much tonight had affected her, how Bryan always had a way of messing with her head, and making her feel lost. So while her words weren't exactly true, he couldn't fault her for feeling that way, especially after what had happened with Antonio. And all he could do right now was continue to be there for her, to show her he wasn't going anywhere, and, when the time was right, remind her of just how many people she had to rely on.
But tonight certainly wasn't the time for that last one, Matt sighing softly as he felt her nuzzle her head deeper into him, his hold on her tightening as he wanted nothing more than to make her feel as secure as possible.
"I'll always be here… That's never something you need to worry about." He promised her, Gabby smiling softly before she nodded once more. And even though they were both exhausted, they continued to stand there for just a few more moments, both of them needing this as they did their best to move past the terrifying events of tonight.
But it wasn't lost on either of them that, until Bryan was found, they likely wouldn't be able to move past it. That they'd always be looking over their shoulder, just waiting for him to show up again.
And that wasn't a comforting thought at all.
