Disclaimer: I own nothing excempt my imagination and the kids names.

a/n: I never thought in a million years that this story would be this popular (the most popular one in my line-up in ways of reviews per chapters) so I'm a happy lady. So thank you to everyone who reviewed (or didn't), who favourited and followed it, I really apreciate all the support.

I know I said it would take some time to post this new ch but I managed to find inspiration for the other story I hadn't updated in a long time so I'm posting this new one sooner than the beginning of next week. I hope you enjoy it.


After Gabby had visited Laura, her mind was slightly more at ease although this unexpected meeting had aftected her in more ways than she cared to admit. She went to buy herself some new scrubs and replace her old stethoscope so she would be ready to start working at Lakeshore on Monday. The boys had asked why she had to wear such funny clothing and she had explained to them how it was working in a hospital and how she couldn't her her own clothed like she did every day. Then they went back home and she busied herself preparing dinner while the kids were all napping. They had moved in with Antonio's family and the first days, she had been so exhausted that she could barely manage to wake up at a normal hour and Laura had to pick up her slack but today would be different. She would cook food for all eight of them. When the kids came back from school, both went to the living room to start their homework, knowing the kids were down and didn't want to disturb them.

"It smells really good in here Aunt Gabby, what are we having?"

"Rice and shrimp. I thought I'd give your mom a little break, she's been doing so much since I came here."

"We like having you here. I'm really sorry about uncle Alberto." You could see the teen was nervous and that she didn't know how to react to her aunts situation.

"Thanks sweetie." She smiled at her neice before she returned to her homework. The door opened and closed again and Laura appeared in the kitchen.

"Smells great in here. What do we owe this honour too?" She walked closer to her sister-in-law.

"I know it's not much but it's a little thank you." She shrugged.

"You don't need to say thank you. You're family and that's what family does, they stick up for each other. You would have done the same thing." Laura wrapped her arm around Gabby's shoulder and pulled her in for a side hug. "Little monsters are asleep?"

"We're not little monsters." Luis came in unnoticed and sat down at the breakfast bar, making both women laugh. Filippe came in a few minutes later and sat next to his brother.

"What are we eating mom?"

"Daddy's Shrimp and rice recepie." It was always their favourite one and they didn't hide their delight just as Valentina started wimpering upstairs.

"I'll go get her." Laura told Gabby so she could keep making dinner. She came back a few minutes later, Valentina in her arms. "Look who I found." The little girl smiled in her aunt's arms. Gabby pushed a few stray locks from her eyes and kissed her forehead.

"Dinner is almost ready, go wash up guys." Gabby moved the pan away from the fire and turned it off while everyone scrambled towards the bathroom to clean up. Both Gabby and Laura set the table in the meantime.

"Any more thoughts about your mystery man?"

"No. I had a few errands to run after I left you and put the three down for a nap before starting dinner but thanks for planting the idea back in my head." She said teasingly, making Laura laugh. The kids all came rushing back and sat down at the table. Gabby served everyone and they started eating, Antonio coming home only thirty minutes later. The kids were all done eating and about in the house while the two girls were still at the table, drinking wine.

"Hey baby." He kissed Laura's head. "Sis."

"We left you some." She said as he sat down. Once Antonio was done, he helped his wife and sister to clean everything up and Gabby started getting all three of them cleaned up for bed, they had a big day ahead of them. Although the open house at the school wasn't until 2, she wanted to be able to bring Valentina for the morning at the daycare to get her used to the idea before picking her up and going for lunch and the park to ease any nervousness the boys could have. Once they all settled, Gabby went to bed and closed her eyes, blue ones dancing before her eyelids with that smile that made her heartbeat quicken instantly before falling asleep. As planned, the next morning Gabby took Valentina to daycare and although she had cried a little bit, she had not fought her mother when she was left alone with the young woman. Then she took the boys clothe shopping again, knowing that most of their clothes would need replacing. Around eleven thirty, she went to pick her youngest at the daycare so they could grab lunch and go to the park. Once they arrived at the school around a quarter to two, Gabby was impressed with the way it had been organized so far. The four of them sat down at the designated table and waited for everyone to arrive.


Firehouse 51 had a lone call during the night and Matt had been forced to stay behind since no one was there to watch them anymore, Herrmann would be his stand-in. They returned an hour later and Matt had fallen asleep on the couch. Once he woke up in the morning, he got the girls ready to go and they went home for much needed rest in his case and the girls played quietly in the house in the meantime. He woke up a little bit before noon, making sure the girls ate enough since he knew they'd be all excited about meeting new people. They left around one and drove all the way to the school. Upon their arrival, future teachers greeted them and they were given name tag stickers to put on their shirts with different animals in order to have them in the good groups. They were then indicated towards a bigger room where parents and their kids were waiting for everyone to arrive and for the teaching staff to start. Each parent was given a folder with things to expect and such before they were welcomed to the open house. Once the principal gave her welcome speech, the kids were called to the front according to the animal that was on their stickers so Matt was left alone while his daughters left to have fun in a classroom. Then the parents divided in the same groups as the kids in order to give us a tour and tell us everything about the installations. There was somewhat of a commotion as the parents moved round the room so they coin join their groups.

Matt was moving around not to bump into anyone and that's when he heard her voice. He couldn't quite pinpoint where it was coming from but he would recognize it anywhere but then it happened again. As she took a step towards the little girl in front of her, he bumped into her again, steadying her once more. Clearly she hadn't paid attention to her surroundings.

"I'm so very sorry. My daughter ran away and I couldn't lose her in here." She finally looked up and brown met blue.

"She's a little troublemaker it seems." He simply stated and smiled at her.

"Not usually." She smiled back once Matt judged she was stable enough on her feet.

"Matt Casey." He extended his hand for her to shake as he parked up the courage to make it more than it had been at the pier.

"Gabby Dawson Ramirez." She said out of habit, shaking his hand. So she had a husband, he noticed the sparkling ring on her finger, this was messed up. Their eye contact was quickly interrupted when a teacher in the front asked everyone to follow her for the tour. The both ended up straggling behind like teenagers, Matt listening absentmindedly while Gabby was talking to her daughter, trying to prevent the little girl from leaving her side.

"Your husband couldn't get away from work to be here today?" Matt asked nervously, feeling the need to know more.

"No he couldn't." Gabby couldn't just tell this stranger about her dead husband, it felt easier to give him this white lie. "What about you? You have a girl at home with a younger sibling?" She asked, testing the waters.

"No. It's just me and the girls." He couldn't help but be candid with her. His answer gave Gabby's heart an extra jolt knowing there was no one in his life. Her mind screamed at her that it was wrong to show interest but she hoped it would pass as casual conversation between two parents.

"This is a big step for them, how are they taking it?" Matt asked about her boys, knowing she was probably in the same situation as he was.

"Better than I thought. They never went to daycare so it's a bit hard for them to understand that they won't spend as much time with me as they used to but they seem to accept my explanation of growing up and learning new things and meeting new people." She repositioned Valentina on her hip just as the teacher stopped them to talk about the principals office and what it was used for and then continuing on the tour.

"Same for the girls. They go to daycare when I'm working but they're used to being with me on my days off so it makes them sad but they understand." Matt explained his situation to her. They spent the rest of the tour doing small chatter when the situation offered it and then they were returned to the room they were in the beginning, where the kids were now back in as well, playing with various things. Both Matt and Gabby walked towards their twins, who were sitting and playing quietly together. Matt noticed that that all four kids had the same dog on their name tags, telling him that they would be in the same group come fall.

"Did you girls have fun?" Matt tickled their necks.

"Yes daddy, we even made friends. This is Luis and that is Filippe." Grace pointed to each twin, giving her father their names.

"You've been playing nice boys?"" She ruffled their hair.

"Mom, stop it." Luis pushed her hand aside, clearly embarrassed.

"Yes mom." Filippe countered. "Grace and Emma are fun. Can they come play when we move in our new house?" Gabby and Matt looked at each other and smiled.

"We'll see about it buddy. Maybe when you start school and your sister is used to daycare ok?" Gabby didn't want to promise them anything but things would be easier once they were settled back in a normal routine and that they were each used to their new situation, her included. The principle gave her closing speech and invited parents who wanted to enrol their kids to visit her office where her secretary would wait for them to fill in the proper paperwork. "Come on boys, let's get going. Nice to meet you Matt." She turned to him and smiled.

"Nice to meet you too Gabby. Maybe we'll see each other in these halls again." He smiled back at her.

"Maybe." She turned around and the boys followed her out of the room.

They were both separated on their way up to the principal's office. They had both been very impressed about the school and the teachers so it was only natural that they would come here, making for future meetings between the two no doubt making it more complicated for the two single parents with an obvious attraction for one another that seemed only one sided from an outsider's perspective.


a/n: So Finally Matt and Gabby have a bigger interraction together.(I used my own experience to do the school visit part since I just went for my daughter) I love playing with children's innocence because they never really know what they can accomplish without even knowing it. So Velentina helped the two's paths cross again and the two sets of twins seem to be getting along so far but will that last?

Up Next: Matt get's injured on the job and Gabby starts at Lakeshore.

I hope you guys liked this latest chapter and that you'll take a few minutes to leave a review because I always love to know what you guys think about it.