Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination and the kids names.
A/n: Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter and welcome to the new readers and followers. So as promised, here is the part 2 of the party.
The kids immediately ran towards their waiting friends from school and both Matt and Gabby made their way through the crowd to say hi to everyone. Once everyone started mingling, Gabby and Matt made their way to one of the only parts of the house that was actually usable to start getting appitizers ready for everyone.
"This is going to be so much fun." She looked through the kitchen window to see the kids running around in the yard and through all the adults.
"I'm excited to get started on the house. I promise it'll be great."
"I can't wait to see that." Matt turned at the voice of his father-in-law and smiled.
"Give me the tour?" Both Gabby and Matt knew of the motives behind that request but neither of them questioned it.
"You'll be ok in here babe?"
"I'm good." She smiled at them. "I'll call Shay and Laura if I need any help." He kissed her tenderly before he left with her father. Gabby chuckled, full well knowing what her dad was going to do.
"So this house needs a lot of work done." He casually asked as they went up the stairs to the second floor.
"I know but I'll do all of it. The house was perfect, we couldn't pass that up."
"And where will you live in the meanwhile?" The news was so new and apart from making the kitchen and fixing the yard, they hadn'T told anyone else about the house but Matt suspected that Antonio had said something to his father for them to be here like they were.
"I haven't put my house for sale yet so we'll be living there until it's finished here."
"And don't you think it's risky to have two mortgages at the same time?"
"Actually, my house is pretty much all paid for." And to that admission, Edouardo Dawson was surprised but Matt kept talking. "I spent many years when I started in the CFD in tiny appartments, putting all the money I could aside so when I bought the house, a big part of it was paid for already and since there was a lot of things to fix up in it, I got it for less than the asking price."
"That was a smart move."
"Thanks. I never would have picked this house if I knew I couldn't make it the perfect home for us." He showed him the master bedroom first and then the girls room, keeping the rooms for Valentina, Filippe and Luis for last. "Gabby was looking to buy a big girl bed for Valentina and I was thinking about doing a princess theme for her and I haven't talked to Gabby about this yet but I was thinking of maybe doing a bunk bed for the boys, maybe let them help me out with it, make it a boys only project." They now stood in the last room, the one for the boys.
"I think that's a wonderful idea Matt and all of this is great but where do you see your relationship with Gabby going?"
"I want to marry your daugther Mr. Dawson but I know she's not ready for that yet so I won't to push her."
"You've given her a new outlook on life and I haven't seen her this happy since Alberto so you have my blessing when the two of you are ready for that next step." He shook his hand with a smile.
"Thank you sir." They spoke a little while longer upstairs before they went back down to join the rest of the party downstairs. Gabby was once again in the kitchen with her mother, fixing up plates of vegetables and fruits. "Do you ladies need any help?" Matt kissed Gabby's cheek, his hand lingering on her lower back.
"Still alive I see." Esmeralda eyed Matt with a smirk.
"Looks like it. Do you want me to bring those out?"
"Thanks babe." They gave him the two platters and he was out the door, leaving her with both her parents.
"Please tell me you weren't too hard on him dad."
"I like Matt honey, he's great with you and the kids." She knew that but she always hated to see her father take Matt aside like that.
"I know this house needs a lot of work dad but look what Matt did with this kitchen." Gabby had all the prep space she could ask for and Matt had let her choose the appliances being the cook that she is.
"He did do a wonderful job." Esmeralda admitted.
"And I know we'll be happy here dad."
"That's all I want for you baby, is for you to be happy and I know Matt is the right man to do that." He kissed her forehead and smiled at his youngest.
"What's that smile for dad?" Gabby eyed him suspiciously.
"Can't a father be happy for his daughter?" He defended himself.
"I'm watching you dad." She smirked before she went outside to join Matt and everyone else.
"What was that all about Edouardo?" Gabby's mom was putting the finishing touches to the fruit platter before she turned and faced her husband. "And don't try lying to me, you're terrible at it."
Edouardo looked around to make sure no one could hear him. "I just asked Matt what his intentions were and he might have said something about wanting to marry our daughter."
"That's wonderful but do you really think she's ready for that? So soon after loosing Alberto?" She looked back into the yard where she could see her grandkids and Matt's daughters run after each other.
"I don't." He started, looking on in the yard just like his wife. "And neither does Matt but I gave him our blessing for when they're both ready." He wrapped an arm around his wife.
"I love you." She smiled up at him.
"And I love you too." They shared a kiss before joining the rest of the people in the yard to celebrate their grandkids birthday.
Matt was handling the grill with Kelly while Gabby made her way around their friends to make sure everyone had what they needed and that they'd never run out of drinks.
"This is a great party Matt." Kelly handed him a beer.
"We promised the kids we'd do their party in the new house if we found it in time and with the way things were gearing up, I never thought we'd find one in time."
"But you did and once it's done, it's going to be amazing and you and Gabby can grow old in here."
"That's the plan." He smiled as he looked at Gabby and Shay run after the kids. "What about you? What's going on with you and Christie?"
"She asked me to move in with her and Violet but I don't know Matt."
"How come you didn't tell me this before?" Christie hadn't said a word about it either the last time they had seen each other.
"I wanted to, a few times actually but I didn't know how to tell you." Matt knew this couldn't be easy for him, specially since he had never really had this stable of a relationship before.
"What's keeping you from saying yes?"
"Violet."
"She likes you, I don't see what the problem is."
"I guess I'm just scared that things will change once I move in with them. I'm scared to screw it up."
"I've known you a long time Kelly and I've seen you go through a million one night stands and then Renée, and the other Renée but I've never seen you in a better place than since you started dating my sister. And she's been more happy with you than I ever saw her be happy with Jim so I just say; jump in with both feet and you'll be just fine." He patted him on the shoulder, taking another pull of his beer.
Kelly looked at Christie as she was now talking with Gabby and Shay, the three of them laughing together. "Maybe you're right."
"I know I'm right." He smirked. "Just man up." He removed the burgers and the hot-dogs from the grill, leaving Severide alone with his thoughts as he called everyone else to show. Once people started to eat, that's when Matt gave himself the opportunity to go spend some time with Gabby and the kids.
The girls cleaned everything up while Christie and Laura came out with the fruit platters Gabby and her mother had prepared. Matt and Kelly took the opportunity to go get the piniata's out and installed so the kids could digest their lunch while they hit on the candy filled piniata's.
"Who's ready for some candies?" Matt called, two colourful sticks in his hand. All the kids became excited and he handed one to Grace and the other one to Filippe, their twin waiting for their turn. Kelly and Shay were each holding one of the piniata's up. Filippe's first hit made more dammage than Grace's but once she took a second one, it did what it was supposed to, make a small hole in the side so when Emma gave it a swing, the hole became bigger. Luis did as good as a job as his brother but with a little help from Shay who was making it a bit harder or the boys to reach it, the both piniata's were smashed open at the same time, making candies and toys appear to be falling from the sky, all the kids running in every direction to grab as many as they could, the adults laughing as they did.
Once all the candies were now collected and put aside, Matt and Gabby returned to the kitchen with Shay and Laura to get the cakes ready. Gabby's parents were getting all the kids situated at a big table, all four kids in the center, all of them excited to get the cake.
"Those cakes are amazing Laura. Thanks again for making them." Matt smiled at his possible sister-in-law as he opened the cakes to reveal one with Charlie Brown and Snoopy and the other one with Olaf and Elsa from Frozen.
"It's my pleasure. Grace and Emma are like family so they get the same privileges. Gabby open the boys cakes, tell me if you think they'll like them."
"Oh they'll love them Laur." Gabby opened the first box to reveal a spiderman cake for Luis and a a Ninja Turtle one for Filippe.
"There should be enough cake to go around."
"I'd say." Matt laughed as he looked at all four cakes before they put the candles in and lit them up. "You guys ready?" Everyone took a cake and as soon as they made it outside, everyone started singing happy birthday to the twins. Matt noticed Valentina was comfortably seated on Kelly's lap, her little hands clapping along to the birthday song.
"Make a wish." Gabby whispered as the four cakes were set in front of all four excited kids. Both girls closed their eyes before reopening them and all four blew their candles at the same time, everyone clapping. Once Laura and Gabby had cut all the cakes in pieces for everyone, the kids insisted on helping them out with the distribution.
The gifts were already set on two different tables and in four different piles so that they could keep track of what gift needed to be given to who and once all the kids were done eating their cake, Gabby cleared everything out to make some place for the present giving ritual part of the day.
"Ok so we'll give out the presents and then you guys will be able to go say thank you ok?" All four kids nodded, Gabby giving Matt the signal to start giving the presents away.
Once the mountain of presents were opened and placed in four different piles again, all four kids made a thank you round and slowly some people started to leave, the party coming to an end. Antonio and Laura offered to drop some of the presents off at the old house while the kids had a little more fun together in the yard. They managed to pack everything in the car and with Gabby's key, they were off to unload some stuff off Gabby and Matt's plate for the day.
They returned a bit later to pick up Diego and Eva. "Thanks again for all the help and thanks for the cakes Laura." Matt hugged her and shook Antonio's hand.
"Anytime." Antonio smiled before they left, leaving Matt and Gabby with her parents and Shay, Kelly, Christie and Violet.
"Thanks again for all of your help today and for helping me get the kitchen and the yard ready for today."
"We're always there for you Casey." Severide pulled him in a hug before Shay could even get to him.
"And man up." Matt whispered to Kelly and smiled at his sister. They pulled away from each other and Matt pulled his sister in for a hug. "Thanks Chris, it means the world that you're always there for me."
"You're my little brother, of course I'm there for you. And I would do anything for my two favourite nieces."
"We're your only nieces." Grace yelled, making all the adults laugh.
The kids said thank you again before they left, only Edouardo and Esmeralda left now. "Do you want us to drop the kids off at the house while the two of you finish cleaning this place up?" Esmeralda offered.
"You would do that mom?"
"That would be great." Matt echoed Gabby's thoughts.
"Alright kids, we're bringing you home and we're having pizza for dinner." Edouardo smirked knowing how excited the kids would become.
"YAYYYY!" They yelled, both grand parents rounding them and their things up.
"Let's go so mom and Matt can clean this place up." Esmeralda picked Valentina in her arms.
"Thank you again for bringing the kids back home."
"You're welcome. We'll see you at the house." Gabby hugged her dad and gave him the keys to the truck in exchange for those of his own car and all five kids with her parents were on their way, leaving Matt and Gabby alone.
"This was exciting."Matt pulled her to him.
"And exhausting." She laughed.
"But I wouldn't have it any other way." He kissed her forehead. They were lucy the yard wasn't too full of things that eeded to be cleared out since they had done it as soon as something was finished in the afternoon but when they made it to the kitchen, there was a lot of things to get cleaned up and sorted out so Gabby got a move on the dishes while Matt took care of putting the rest of the things in the cupboards.
"What did your dad have to say when you guys went upstairs?"
"I just showed him around the house and what I was planning on getting done up there." That wasn't all they had talked about but he wasn't about to share that with her.
"And what are you planning to do up there." She asked as she put the last service plate in the drying rack.
"I know we haven't really talked about it much yet but I had an idea for the boys room and I want to know what you think about it."
"I'm listening." She smiled as he trapped between his arms against the kitchen counter.
"Well since the rooms aren't huge rooms and the boys room is one of the two smallest, I was thinking of building them a bunk bed and we could get two chests in there for their clothes."
"I think the boys would love that Matt." She smiled at him, putting her arms around his neck.
"Actually I was thinking that they could help me out in there, make it a boys only special project, if that's ok with you." He added.
"You are a wonderful man Matt Casey and I love you for it. The boys will be over the moon to do that with you. How did I ever get so damn lucky?"
"I was asking myself the same thing." He lifted her up to sit her on the counter and made the space between them disappear, their bodies inches from each other's.
"I can't believe we bought a new house but I'm so excited now and I can't wait to start forever in here with you." She kissed him.
"I love how forever sounds." He smiled, pressing his lips to hers as they made out in the middle of the kitchen.
a/n: Tah dah. I hope you guys liked it and please take a few minutes to review before you go, I always like to know what you guys think - Sarra
