disclaimer: I own nothing except me imagination and all the kids names.

a/n WOW I can't believe how much love this story is getting. Everyone is amazing. Thanks to everyone who reviewed( or read but didn't review) as well as everyone who favourites and follows this story.

So i asked a few of you on Twitter what this next chapter should be about and I was asked for some alone time between Matt and Gabby so i'll oblige. I'll try to keep my chapters around the same length though so you guys can get regular updates like you're used to having (i'm keeping in mind my looming return to work in two short months YAY!)


Matt enjoyed himself at Molly's with Shay and the rest of the firehouse but his mind had been on Gabby and the last moments she was there with Shay. Since the afternoon at the park, he knew that something had happened in her past that had shook her and made her more vulnerable and even though he wished that he knew what it was, pushing her wasn't what was going to make her open up to him, or anyone else. He was pretty sure she had confided in Shay, their bond immediate and strong but he wouldn't ask Shay to break that confidence either. He wanted to let her make the first step towards him.

The next few weeks were spent the same. They both worked and on occasion, they would arrange for a play date with the kids, both happy that their children had made friends and could enjoy the end of the summer together. About a week following their last play date, they were both sitting at Molly's bar on a tuesday night, sipping on a beer.

"When are they supposed to transfer you to pediatrics?"

"No idea. Nathalie told me that I'd be in the ER as long as they needed me but not to worry too much, that I'd eventually get the position I was hired for."

"That's something I guess. And how are the kids? And your husband?" Silence fell upon them again at the mention of her husband, Matt kicking himself mentally for going there again. He had noticed that the rings she had when they first introduced themselves to each other hadn't returned to her fingers. "I'm really sorry Gabby."

"It's ok Matt, don't worry about it." She would get uncomfortable whenever her husband was mentionned and Matt could see invisible walls being put up each time only to be slightly brought down when the subject became lighter.

Matt finished the beer he had in hand before Herrmann placed another one in front of him. He took a large gulp from the new bottle and willed his hands to dry a little bit. He wanted to ask Gabby out to dinner but he wasn't sure if he should considering she was married but he hoped that they had become good enough friends that they could do that.

"I was wondering." He started but looked down at his hands wrapped around the bottle he was drinking from but Gabby brought him back to reality.

"Come on Casey, you can tell me anything." She chuckled, poking his sides as she did.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to join me for dinner next week end?" He tried to keep the nerves out of his voice. "Just as friends." He added, not wanting to make it more awkward than he was already making it by asking her. "I don't want this to be weird between us or anything." He rambled.

"It's ok Matt." She smiled, placing her hand on his to stop it from peeling off the beer's brand sticker. "I'd love that. We're friends, we should be able to go grab a bite together as friends." She knew that she was hiding the truth from him but she needed a little more time before she was ready to tell him everything.

"Great." He could breathe a little easier now that she had accepted. He figured they could walk along the pier and maybe grab some ice cream afterwards. They spent the rest of their evening having fun with the rest of the guys and called it an early night so they could relieve their babysitters, her mother and Christie respectively.

Next week-end (Saturday)

"So the two of you will be staying over at aunt Christie's house while I go out with a friend."

"A girl friend?" Enquired Emma.

"As a matter of fact, yes." He smiled at her. "But she's just a friend." He figured that when he found a girl he liked, that he would put his girls first and made sure she was the right one before bringing her around but this was just two friends going to grab a bite to eat. Of course, that friend happened to be beautiful but she was taken in a way that he couldn't think of her in any other way than as a friend. Matt made sure that the girls had everything they needed before bringing them across town to his sister's house.

"Can we eat ice cream?" Grace asked just as Christie opened the door to greet them.

"Only if you eat all your dinner and that you're nice. Aunt Christie will tell me if you misbehaved."

"We'll be nice dad." Grace smiled sweetly, he knew he had nothing to worry about.

"Thanks for doing this Chris." He kissed her cheek.

"No problem little brother, you just go have fun." She smiled at him. He had told her about Gabby and the feelings that she was stirring up in him and she had listened and had been supportive even though she also knew nothing could happen between the two. Matt kissed both his girls before he went to his truck to go pick Gabby up.


Gabby had spent the better part of the week thinking about Matt and ways to tell him about her husband. Hanging out with Shay and talking more about the last year had helped her tremendously and she felt like she could finally open up a little bit more to Matt about it. She made sure to get the kids ready because Antonio was coming to pick them up so she would be ready on time. She had settled on an old pair of jeans with holes in her kneed with a black tank top and some black sandals, nothing too fancy. Matt had told her where they were going and to just dress comfortably for walking.

"Come on Luis, uncle Antonio is going to be here any minute."

"I'm coming mama." He came running in the living room, his back pack all set. He placed it next to the door just as the doorbell chimed.

"That's him." She pulled the door open. "Hey Antonio." They hugged before she released him. "Thank you so much for doing this for me, I really apreciate it."

"Anything for my little sis. So where did you meet that guy and when will I get to see him?"

"It's Matt Casey, the guy from the pier and hopefully never." She helped the boys put their back packs on their backs and handed Antonio Valentina's little suitcase. Gabby looked up as she saw some movement the other side of the door and hung her head down, Matt had arrived and Antonio wasn't gone yet.


Matt drove through the streets of Gabby's familiar neighbourhood, finally parking in front of her building. It was still light outside and he walked up the stairs. He could hear voices coming from the upper levels, from Gabby's door to be more exact. He knew her brother was coming to pick the kids up but he hadn't expected to run into him. When he made it to the landing, his eyes locked with Gabby's and she hung her head down, clearly not expecting him to come face to face with her brother.

"Hey." He said loud enough for both Gabby and Antonio to hear.

"Hey Matt, you're right on time." She smiled at him.

"I hate being late." He smiled at her.

"Mr Casey." The boys ran out of the appartment door and went in for a hug, Valentina's small legs soon following behind.

"Hey guys." He hugged them back. "So you guys are going to go have fun with your uncle?" He stood up and the boys kept their arms around Matt's waist.

"Yeah, uncle Antonio is the best." Filippe gushed.

"Antonio, I'd like you to meet Matt Casey. Matt, this is my brother Antonio." Her inner mind was begging for Antonio not to embarass her in front of Matt. Both men shook hands, Gabby not missing Antonio's extra squeeze to it.

"It's nice to meet you Antonio, Gabby's told me good things about you."

"She better." Antonio let go of Matt's hand and poked his sister.

"Antonio." She complained, obviously not in the mood for his teasing. "Just get out of my house so I can go have some dinner." Matt laughed at the siblings banter, they seemed so close.

"Fine, I'm going. Come on kids."

"Can we have some desert mom?" Both kids asked at the same time.

"Auntie Laura is the boss, you listen to her. If you ask and she says no, it's no, no arguing about it."

"What about me?" Antonio acted offended.

"You'll never be the boss in that house. Now out of mine." She pushed him outside with the kids so she could lock up behind them. They went downstairs, Matt holding the door for Gabby and the kids, Antonio taking the rear. She sat down in the passenger side and Matt made his way to his side but Antonio stopped him before he made it to the door.

"You better treat her right." He clapped a hand on his shoulder, applying a little extra pressure to make his point. He knew that Matt didn't know about Gabby's husband so he didn't elaborate but from the look in Matt's eyes, he knew she was in good hands. "You guys have a nice evening."

"Thanks." They both nodded to each other before Matt climbed in his truck, Gabby putting her head in her hands and grunting.

"I'm so sorry about my brother." She finally looked at him.

"He's a big brother, he just wants to make sure you're ok, I get it." He smiled at her. "Ready for some food?"

"Absolutely, I'm starving." They drove towards the pier, exchanging stories about the job and laughing when the story was interesting. They walked into an Italian restaurant that was rather quiet and they ordered their meals. The evening was good for exchanging parenting tips and trading toddler stories. Night had settled when they left the restaurant and they decided to take a walk down the pier.

"So Antonio, he always like that with your friends?" He chuckled, making her blush of ambarassement.

"Always. I wouldn't even be surprised if he was running your background check as we speak." She rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Tell me you're kidding."

"No, my brother works for CPD."

"I knew his face looked familiar. He helped us with a few arson cases a few months back."

"He's great at his job but he can be annoying." She walked in step with him.

"He's just trying to protect his sister. How much older is he?" Matt didn't know much about Gabby's family life and he felt it was a safe subject to tackle as they kept walking in sync.

"Ten years. My parents decided they needed to fix the mistake they made and they had me." She chuckled, making him laugh.

"I'm sure he wouldn't agree with you on that one."

"Probably not." She smiled up at him. "What about you and your sister Christie, you guys close?"

"We weren't for a few years but since I found out I'd be a dad, we built our relationship back."

"That's good. Family is important." She looked at him as they kept walking.

"Ice cream?" Clearly Matt was trying to hide something from Gabby too. It was a part of his past that even Hallie hadn't known about in all their years together.

"Yes." They walked to a little ice cream vendor and grabbed a cone each before going to sit on a bench. They talked a little bit more when Matt looked at his watch.

"Oh My God, it's so late, I should bring you back home. Your husband will probably be worried about you." Matt felt bad to have kept her here so long. It was close to eleven and they were still out, the rest of the world seemingly shut out from their little evening of fun.

"Matt, it's ok. You don't need to worry about someone being worried for me to come home." She stilled his agitated form by placing a hand on his arm, making him look at her, not making sense of what she had just said.

"I'll just take you home Gabby."

"Matt." She insisted, making him look at her again. She looked in the distance and played with the gold chain that was around her neck and what was hanging from it. It was time that Matt knew the truth. She looked at him again, his eyes still fixed on hers. "My husband passed away two months before I moved back here." There it was. The giant elephant in the room was finally out. Matt wrapped his hand around her left one that was sitting on the bench and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.


a/n: It took a little longer for Gabby to finally come clean to Matt about her husband passing away but after debating with herself, she decided it was time to tell the truth.

I'm trying to build something solid for the two of them to fall back on but I won't keep you waiting much longer for them to tell each other the stories of their past. Stay tuned for next chapter and please take a few minutes to leave a review so I know what you guys think about it :) - Sarra