Hello everyone! I'm finally back with the next chapter of this story for you all. Honestly, I got this one done sooner than I thought I would, so I'm a little proud of myself for that. I know the last chapter was a little rough, but you'll see here shortly how Matt and Gabby are continuing to navigate being apart, so I hope you like it.
Also, as I'm sure you all saw, there wasn't an update for I Won't Let You Go today. Long story short, I had got to working on the chapter then decided I didn't like the direction it was going and decided to scrap it. But I didn't have enough time to get the new one done and posted for today, so just be on the lookout for that update next Monday. I'm sorry about that, but thank you for understanding!
I'm super excited to hear your thoughts on this chapter, I really hope you all enjoy it. Thank you so much for reading, everyone!
Stay safe xx
part fourteen
Casey fished around in his pocket for his keys as he stood outside his front door, the man releasing a soft groan as he felt his phone begin to buzz in his back pocket. He wasn't sure who was calling him, but with his hands full he wasn't currently in a position to answer as he finally found his key, the man pulling it out of his pocket and shoving it into the lock. While juggling the bags in his arms he managed to twist the knob far enough to get the door to open before he kicked in the rest of the way, Matt huffing out a heavy breath as he stepped into the apartment.
"You need some help, man?"
He looked up as he worked on getting his key out of the lock to see Severide sitting on the couch with Kidd, Casey fumbling with it for a few seconds before he managed to get it free, Matt shooting him a tight glare before stepping further inside. "No, I'm perfect." He replied sarcastically, Severide cocking his head to the side as Casey kicked the door closed behind him.
"Well, someone's in a good mood." He continued to prod as he pushed himself up from the couch, Stella following after him as they all met at the island, Matt placing the few bags of groceries down on the counter just as his phone stopped buzzing. "What happened from when we left shift to now, you seem a little… on edge." Kelly commented, Matt looking at him for a moment before he began to pull the food out of their bags.
"Nothing happened, I'm fine." He answered shortly, his words earning an unimpressed look from Kelly as the Lieutenant pressed his palms into the edge of the counter.
"You sure? … You didn't get into another fight with Dawson or anything? She's usually the only reason you act like this- Ow!"
He wasn't even able to finish his sentence before Stella smacked him harshly on his arm, Matt giving Kidd an appreciative glance as her narrow eyes were focused on her boyfriend. "You've got to stop saying every thought you have out loud."
"What? It's a valid question? And it's not like we're at the firehouse, it's just us. If it were something with Dawson, he'd tell me anyway." He countered as Matt put some of the cold items in the fridge, Stella continuing to glare at Kelly. "So what is it, what happened this time?" He pushed, Matt unable to fight off the slight hint of annoyance he felt at his friend's wording; like he was just expecting something to be wrong between him and Gabby.
Though, admittedly, it wasn't an unreasonable assumption. Not after how up and down things had been for them lately.
After their turbulent first few months apart, things had calmed down a bit, though they hadn't gotten much easier on them either. After their late night conversation about how hard things were, they'd both started making more of an effort with each other and their relationship, but they were still in the same situation; there were thousands of miles between them, with no end in sight. And it wasn't an easy reality for them to face. So they'd just stopped focusing on it.
The rest of May had come and gone, and it was now well into June, and Matt and Gabby were no closer to seeing one another than they had been a month ago. They tried for a few weeks after his last trip had fallen through to find another time that could work, but when they couldn't get any solid plans, they eventually just stopped trying. It was creating more issues between them than anything else, so they weren't actively trying to find any time for them to see one another. At least not right now.
And though that had seemed to help a bit, their conversations no longer leading to disagreements or bickering between them when they were confronted with the fact they wouldn't be able to see each other, it was still hanging over their heads. It was something they tried their best to ignore, though it wasn't easy. Their conversations had become superficial at best, the couple mostly just talking about work as they'd both thrown themselves into their jobs more so than ever before, and avoiding any type of heavy conversation. And while it had helped smooth things over for now, Matt knew that was sustainable, not for them.
They spoke of nothing but how busy they were, and occasionally checking in to make sure the other was doing okay. But aside from that, they weren't really talking about anything. All Matt knew about things going on with her was that work had been keeping her pretty tied down right now, the firefighter coming to understand she was just as swamped as he was, if not more so. But he couldn't even entirely be sure about that at the moment as the two of them hadn't had a real conversation in almost two weeks.
He wasn't sure how it happened, he never intended for it to happen, but they hadn't spoken for more than five minutes in a while. Aside from a few texts here and there, they weren't really talking, and it wasn't lost on Casey how their lives right now felt eerily similar to how things had been before their divorce; when he was here, and she was there, and they barely spoke to one another as to avoid a fight. With so much uncertainty around them, it felt like that awful time in their lives all over again, and he couldn't help but feel worried because of it.
But despite how nervous it all made him, he didn't know what to do to fix it.
"Casey!"
Matt nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard his name being called, the man turning away from the refrigerator to find both Kelly and Stella watching him, the two of them wearing varying degrees of concerned looks on their faces.
"Sorry- what?" He questioned after clearing his throat, Matt shaking his head slightly as he realized just how caught up in his thoughts he'd been.
"You okay?" Kelly spoke with a questioning look in his eyes, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He breathed out, though he could tell neither one of them believed him. "Just, uh…"
"It is about Dawson, isn't it?" Severide commented when Matt had trailed off, the Captain shaking his head.
"When I came in, no, that wasn't about Gabby- though I wasn't in a mood," He defended himself, Severide scoffing lightly before Matt continued. "But just now, I…" He stopped himself once more, Casey's eyes flashing towards Kidd for a moment before he looked back to Kelly.
And Stella picked up on it too, the woman stepping away from the counter slightly as she looked between them. "I can give you two a minute." She offered, but Matt shook his head slightly before drawing in a deep breath.
"No, it's fine." He told her, Kidd waiting for a moment before she nodded, the sole woman in the room returning to her previous spot. "But yeah, that was about Gabby." He admitted, Severide nodding with a knowing look on his face. "I was just thinking about us, how things had been going lately… When you just assumed we were fighting, it made me start thinking about everything- that was it." He finished explaining, Severide sharing a look with his girlfriend before responding.
"...Are you?"
"What?" Casey questioned with a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"You and Dawson, are you guys fighting?" He questioned again, Casey clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he crossed his arms over his chest, the shake of his head giving Kelly his answer.
"We're not… But we haven't exactly been talking much lately." He admitted, Kelly watching him closely before nodding.
"What's not much?" He prodded, his words being met by raised eyebrows from Casey. "When was the last time you two talked? Like actually talked, not just texting or something like that?"
Releasing a heavy sigh, Casey gave him a slight shrug as Severide watched him expectantly. "It's been a few weeks." He answered, causing Kelly to give a sigh of his own.
"Why?" He pushed, it becoming more and more clear to Casey that his friend wasn't just going to let this go as he so often had before.
"I don't know, kind of like you said- Avoiding a fight, I guess. Or at least I am, I'm not sure if it's the same for her." He rambled out as he lifted his hand up to rub over his temple, Severide and Kidd both seeing the stress and exhaustion radiating off their roommate. "I mean, things were fine at first, for awhile. And we both want to fix things. But even after we talked everything through, our situation is still the same, and it's only seemed to have gotten harder... So we haven't been talking much, at least not as much as we were."
Severide bit down on the inside of his cheek as he thought over Casey's words, Kelly trying to decide what to say to his friend before he released a heavy breath, the sound catching Matt's attention. "...You should call her, Casey."
Matt purses his lips together as he locked eyes with him, Kelly giving him a nod for emphasis. "You need to call her, and sort all this out. And you need to go see her."
"I can't just leave, Sev." He was quick to interject, Kelly shaking his head in response. "Don't you think if I could just up and leave at a moment's notice, I would've done that months ago? I want nothing more than to be with her right now, I've wanted to be with her since I left her. But with work and everything-"
"You need to see her, Matt." Kelly repeated himself, the Captain breathing deeply as he stayed quiet. "I don't care what you have to rearrange, or how long it takes you to figure out, you need to see her." He repeated himself, as he hoped his words would truly sink in. "You at least need to try and figure it out… You need to stop avoiding it so you two don't fight, and start trying to find a way to get there."
Casey took another breath, his gaze moving between his two friends as he paused for a split second, Stella giving him an encouraging nod. "...He's right, Casey." Kidd added, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek as he focused his sole attention on her. "I've tried to not get too involved with all this, it's not my business, but I know this thing has been hard on you, and on Dawson… When I've talked to her, I can tell she's not doing too great," She told him as Casey winced at her words. "This thing has been hard on the both of you, but I think you seeing each other would help a lot." She finished, Casey swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat.
"You've been talking to her?" He asked, Stella giving him a soft nod.
"A little, yeah."
"Is she okay?" He questioned before he could stop himself, Matt hating the fact that he even needed to ask her as it was just another reminder of how difficult things had been on him and Gabby as of late.
"She's fine, you know… She's Gabby." Kidd answered, Matt sighing softly before he nodded. "But I can tell she misses everyone, you especially. Which is why I think Kelly's right."
"Yeah, listen to her. I'm right." Kelly added lightly, trying to diffuse a little bit of heaviness in the air around them.
"Which means he'll do anything he needs to to help make this happen." Kidd continued without missing a beat, Matt raising his eyebrows. "Like if there's any work things holding you up, I'm sure Kelly would gladly take care of it for you." She spoke up, Severide glancing towards her. But all it took was for her to nudge his side painfully before he was agreeing, Kelly giving a tight nod.
"Yeah, of course man." He spoke, Matt glancing between them. "And you know Boden will do anything he can to help, especially after what happened last time. I mean, it was no one's fault, but still… And you still have furlough. I know it might take some planning, and some work things might need to be moved around, but if you can make this work- I really think you need to go and see Dawson, soon rather than later." He spoke carefully, Matt taking a few slow breaths before he nodded.
"I know… You all are right, and I want to- More than anything, I wanna go see her."
"Trust us, we know." Severide huffed out, Kidd giving his arm another smack. "But that's exactly what we're saying, is you both need this." Kelly continued pointedly, shooting his girlfriend a quick glare. "So get your ass on a plane to Puerto Rico."
Matt paused for a moment to think over what they'd both said, the man drawing in a deep breath before he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, his mind racing as he tried to figure out if this was something he could actually pull off. It wouldn't be easy, Matt knowing that already as he'd tried and failed at this many times before, and there was still a chance it wouldn't work out. But as he stood here in the kitchen, thousands of miles away from the woman he loved more than life itself, he knew he had to try.
"...You would really help me with this?" Casey questioned as he looked at his best friend, Severide nodding without an ounce of hesitation.
"Of course. Anything you need." He answered genuinely, Matt sighing softly before a light chuckle escaped his lips.
"Alright, well… I guess I've got some things to figure out." He replied, Kelly cocking his head to the side as Casey reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, the Captain knowing his first call before he did anything else needed to be to Boden.
But as his phone lit up, his eyebrows furrowed when he saw the missed call he had, Matt having forgotten about the person trying to reach him on his way in. But his confusion soon turned into a slight bit of concern when he saw who had called him, Casey not expecting to hear from him at all as his back straightened.
And his abrupt shift in demeanor must've been noticed by Severide as the man shared a quick, unsure look with Kidd before speaking up. "Everything okay?" He questioned, but Matt hadn't looked away from his phone. "Casey?"
"Yeah?" He asked as his head snapped up, both Kelly and Stella seeing the uncertainty in his eyes.
"What is it?" Severide pressed, Matt shaking his head slightly. "You look a little lost there."
"It's nothing, I just- I missed a call from Antonio." He told him, his eyes flashing down towards the screen to look at his former brother-in-laws name once more before his eyes moved back to Severide.
"...Is that a bad thing?" He questioned, the Lieutenant not quite understanding what had Casey so freaked out over one missed call. "I mean, are you thinking he's calling to kick your ass or something?" He added lightly, Matt shooting him a quick glare before shaking his head.
"No, it's just weird… Him and I don't talk much, I wasn't expecting to hear from him." He replied with a slight shrug, Severide glancing down towards his phone before finding Casey's gaze once more, seeing his friend was definitely a bit on edge. "We haven't really talked since I was in Puerto Rico."
"Wow, really?" Kelly questioned, Matt giving him a nod.
"Yeah… We just don't really talk to each other, so I'm not sure why he'd call me. Unless it was something important, if it was something with-" He cut himself off, Severide watching as Matt pushed himself away from the counter slightly. And it was as if he could see the wheels beginning to turn in Casey's head, Kelly knowing he was beginning to fear the worst.
"Alright, just take a breath man. I'm sure everything's fine." Severide cut in quickly, though with how long it had been since Matt and Gabby had spoken, he knew Casey likely wouldn't trust that. "Just go and call him back, see what's going on." He replied, Matt giving him a slight nod before he began to step towards the hallway.
"Yeah, I'm gonna go call him." He responded, Kelly and Stella both nodding before Casey disappeared around the corner to head towards his room, his steps picking up pace a little bit as he went to return Antonio's call.
He put his phone up to his ear as he stepped through the open doorway, Matt closing the door behind him while he listened to the line ring. He wasn't sure if Antonio would pick up, or if he'd have to wait and talk later, but with each passing second he was starting to feel more and more anxious. He just couldn't shake the fact that Antonio wouldn't be calling him unless something was going on, and that left an unsettling feeling in his gut.
Just as he was about to give up, Matt certain that he'd be reaching his voicemail soon, the ringing stopped, telling him Antonio had picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Antonio, hey man. I, uh- I saw where you called." Matt spoke after clearing his throat. "I was bringing groceries in, I couldn't get to the phone." He explained, though he wasn't entirely sure why.
"It's fine." He answered rather easily, the tone in his voice leaving Casey a bit confused. He didn't sound like anything was wrong; he wasn't frantic, or worried. And oddly enough, that gave Matt a little bit of comfort, knowing that Gabby was likely fine and that wasn't why he was calling. But still, he needed to know for certain, as Casey still couldn't think of any other reason he would be reaching out.
"...Is Gabby okay?" He questioned after a beat of silence, hearing the man sigh softly on the other end of the line. "I mean, I just wasn't sure if something happened. With you calling me, that doesn't… I just wasn't sure." He settled on, Matt continuing to wait for him to respond, which he soon did.
"No, nothing happened, she's alright." Antonio responded, his tone softening a tad, Matt assuming it was because he heard the concern in his voice. But that soon changed as the older Dawson spoke up once more, the rigidness having returned as he spoke. "Well, physically alright anyway." He added, Matt blowing out a heavy sigh as he now had a pretty clear understanding of exactly why Antonio had reached out to him.
"Antonio…"
"I'm just saying, Casey." He responded shortly as Matt huffed out of a breath. "Gabby, she- things haven't been easy on her lately. And you two barely speaking hasn't helped that." He continued, Casey collapsing down onto the edge of the bed before rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. "And I… I honestly don't even know why I called you, Gabby would probably kill me if she knew, but I just need you to explain this to me. Because I'm really tired of having conversations like this with you," Antonio spoke roughly, Matt's eyebrows narrowing as he felt his defenses rising. "What the hell is going on?"
"Antonio-" He tried again, but he could barely get a word in before the older man continued.
"I thought things were going to get better?" He asked, Casey hearing the clear frustration in his voice. And he could only imagine that was coming from whatever Gabby had been telling him, which wasn't a comforting thought. "She told me about that conversation you two had last month, how you both wanted things to work. That you were determined to make this work, and Gabby seemed better after that, for a little while. But now you barely talk to each other? And if Gabby won't be the one to ask you, then I will, what's going on?"
"Nothing's going on." Casey replied as he heard a scoff on the other end of the line. "We're just… Things are busy, for the both of us. You know that."
"Yeah, that's what I keep hearing. Though I don't think being busy is a good enough excuse to not talk for two weeks." Antonio spat before he could stop himself, Matt blowing out a heavy sigh as he shook his head lightly. He heard the man take a few deep breaths on the other end of the line, the former detective needing a minute to figure out his next words as a thick tension had formed between them. "I… Look Casey, I really didn't call to fight with you, I didn't. I'm just sick and tired of seeing my baby sister so upset, especially after you two agreed to fix things. And she-" He cut himself off once more, Matt furrowing his eyebrows as he waited for him to say whatever he was holding back. "She misses you, man. More than I think she'd ever admit to anyone, but she misses you. And all this, the distance, and you two not talking… She's not okay."
Matt felt his heart constrict in his chest as his head hung forward towards the ground, Antonio's words hitting him like a ton of bricks as he felt an intense pressure begin to form in the base of his skull.
"Matt…" Antonio spoke up after a couple moments of quiet, Casey clenching his eyes shut as he pinched the bridge of his nose tightly.
"Yeah, I'm here, I- I didn't know she was… I just didn't know it was that bad."
"How could you… You two haven't really talked to each other." He replied, though his words were a lot less hostile than moments prior. "But this whole thing, man... I know I've only seen how my sister is handling it, but can you honestly tell me that this hasn't been killing you, too?" He questioned, Matt's eyes slowly opening. "There's no way you're fine with this…"
"Of course I'm not fine with it." Casey countered almost instantly, the muscles in his back tightening. "I hate that this is what we have to do, I hate that we've been apart for four months. I hate that we've barely spoken to each other because we're so afraid to fight with one another, I hate all of it. All I want is to be with her, I wish could be there right now, and stay there. But I can't… And she can't come and stay here. But don't sit there and act like I'm okay with this and that I'm not having a hard time, because I am. I hate this too, Antonio." He breathed out roughly, the man on the other end of the line going quiet for a few moments before he spoke up once more.
"...Then why aren't you doing anything to fix it?"
Casey released a heavy scoff as he shook his head, the firefighter feeling a swell of anger bubbling in his chest at the man's words. "That's not fair, and you know it." He shot back harshly, his voice rough. "This isn't only on me."
"No one's saying it is." Antonio replied, his tone much calmer than Casey's. "And you don't think I've had this exact conversation with my sister? Multiple times?" He continued on, Matt's defenses falling as he drew in a deep breath. "That's the only reason I'm calling you, is because me trying to get through to her doesn't work… And I- I don't know if it's because she's scared," Those words caught his attention as a heavy feeling settled in his gut, Matt gnawing on his bottom lip harshly, "But I do know she's afraid of losing you again, and Casey I don't know if she could handle that…"
His eyes fell closed, Matt shaking his head as his entire body tensed. "It won't happen, I refuse to let it." He spoke with a conviction Antonio hadn't heard from him in a long time. "I won't lose her."
"Yeah, but I don't know how much she believes that right now." Antonio responded. "Because, I'm sorry man, but it doesn't really feel like that's the case. I know you told her everything would be fine, but it doesn't seem like it will be. I mean, you two either want this to work or you don't, and right now… It isn't working." He told him, Matt swallowing the thick lump in his throat as that harsh reality was continuing to settle in. "And if neither of you are willing to try-"
"We are trying." Casey cut in quickly before hearing Antonio click his tongue against the roof of his mouth, clearly not believing him. "We are… And I'm sorry, I know she's your sister, but don't act like you know exactly what's going on in our relationship, alright?" He spoke firmly as Antonio stayed quiet. "We are trying… Trust me, we are. Because as I'm sure you remember, we've both not tried at this before. Us not trying is what caused us to get a divorce… We didn't try then, at all- I didn't try," He told him, Antonio doing what he could to digest his words as the Captain continued on. "I know I didn't… I didn't try at all last time, I just let her go. I didn't show her that I still wanted to be with her, but that's not what this is. I know-" He cut himself off, shaking his head slightly as he blew out a soft breath. "I'll admit, these last few weeks I haven't been doing as much as I should have to show her how much I'm still in this, and I haven't been putting as much effort in as I need to, but that has nothing to do with how much I love her, or how much I want this to work." He finished, making sure to keep his voice as steady as possible, Casey not wanting Antonio to find any way to doubt his words.
The other line stayed quiet for a few moments, Matt hearing nothing but the man's breathing as his words hung in the air between them. He wasn't sure how Antonio would react, or what he would say, but Casey waited nonetheless, needing to know that the man who used to be his family had really heard what he said.
"Casey, man…" He started after a couple seconds, his tone leaving Matt a little uncertain as to what was coming. "I know how much you love my sister, even at your alls lowest moments I don't think I ever doubted that at least part of you didn't still love her. But at some point, there has to be more than that." He spoke, Matt's eyes falling closed as his hand ran along the side of his face. "This isn't about how much you love her, or how much you want to be with her… You've told her that, but your words don't seem to be cutting it anymore. It's about what you do to show her. And how you're gonna figure this out while you two are apart." He told him, Matt swallowing thickly before he nodded, despite the fact that he couldn't see him.
"I know… Alright, I know you're right." He responded with a sigh, Matt clenching his eyes shut tightly before slowly opening them. "I've gotta do better, but that's why-" He stopped himself short of what he wanted to say, Matt unsure of how much he should tell the man before he knew anything for certain. Because the last thing he wanted was for it to get back to Gabby and then something happens and it doesn't work out, Casey knowing he couldn't give her any more empty promises, even if they were ones he had every intention of following through on.
"Why what?" Antonio pressed when he had yet to continue, Matt leaning back slightly before he spoke up.
"I… I was talking to Severide about this, and, well it's something I've been wanting to do for a while, I guess I just needed to get my ass kicked to do something about it, but- I'm trying to figure something out." He rambled out vaguely, Casey practically able to sense Antonio's confusion before he had even said anything.
"What are you talking about, Casey?" He questioned, Matt drawing in a slow, deep breath.
"I'm not sure yet… It's- nothing's been decided, and I don't wanna tell Gabby, but I might have an idea… And I could use your help."
Gabby blew out a frustrated breath as she stared down at the papers in front of her, the woman not liking any of what she was seeing as the brutal June sun was beating down on her. Sweat was forming on nearly every part of herself, her body reeking of exhaustion as she was finishing up her last day on site for a little bit. The break she had coming up wasn't a long one, Dawson only scheduled off for a few days, but it was something that was desperately needed. Though if not for the push from her brother, she likely never would've taken the time off.
She wasn't sure if it was cause he was worried about her, or if he just saw how she was running herself ragged lately, but regardless of the reason, Antonio had all but forced her to take some time off after today. It had taken her a few days to agree to it, as Gabby knew there was so much work to be done here, but eventually he had worn her down enough to get her to take a couple days off, and now here in a few hours Gabby would be heading back to her apartment for the first time in a while.
And despite any reluctance she felt about leaving work, she also knew she needed this. Though the break wasn't long enough to do the one thing she wanted to do, she still knew time away from the site would serve her well. Because for as much as she'd been throwing herself into her work lately to try and keep her mind off of other things going on in her life, she couldn't keep doing this for much longer. So she'd settle for getting a few days to herself to relax and recharge, even if that wasn't exactly how she'd be wanting to spend any of her time off.
"Hey sis." Antonio's voice hit her ears before she looked up from the plans in her hands, the woman being met by a warm smile from her brother as he came up beside her.
"Hi Tonio." She replied softly, the man looking her over before he continued.
"How are things going? You almost ready to get out of here?" He questioned, Gabby cocking her head to the side as she squinted slightly, the sun definitely a little too bright.
"Well, I'm not exactly leaving yet… Though with how things are going, I probably shouldn't be going at all." She huffed out, Antonio immediately shaking his head.
"No, none of that." The older Dawson was quick to respond as he shook his head. "You need a break, sis. And everyone already knows you're gonna be gone, so sorry, you're not getting out of your little vacation." He told her, his words earning a scoff from her.
"I'm not sure how much me sitting at home by myself is considered a vacation, but alright." She replied, Antonio raising his eyebrows slightly as he tried to think of how to respond to her, but he never got the chance as Gabby's phone buzzed in her pocket, the woman quickly reaching for it. She moved faster than he expected, a look of confusion covering his features as he saw her look at whoever had texted her, before her face fell slightly, Gabby huffing out a breath as she shoved the device back into her pocket.
"Everything alright?" He questioned, Gabby looking up at him before she nodded slightly.
"I'm fine, just… wasn't who I thought." She responded vaguely with a shrug, Gabby feeling a few beads of sweat sliding down the side of her face as Antonio crossed his arms over his chest.
"You expecting to hear from someone?" He prodded, his insistence earning a strange look from his younger sister before she rolled up the papers in her hands and mimicked his stance.
"No, I'm not expecting to hear from anyone, not really," She replied, her eyes softening when she saw her brother was expecting more of an explanation from her. As she released a quiet sigh, Gabby glanced around their surroundings, checking to see who all was in earshot before she continued. "I just thought it might be Matt." She told him, seeing a wave of realization wash over him. "I texted him yesterday morning and never heard anything back, so I thought it might be him, but it wasn't." Gabby confided, Antonio pausing for a moment before he gave her a weak nod, the man pursing his lips together.
"I thought you said things had been going better between you two?" He questioned, Gabby's eyebrows knitting together slightly as she was unsure of why that had been his first thought.
"They have been." She replied as she eyed him curiously, before her mind went back to the conversations she'd had with her brother about the current status of her relationship over the last few days. Though things between her and Casey had been up and down for a while, over the last week or so, everything had been better. They were talking more, Matt reaching out to her more than he had in a long time, the man seemingly in a much better mood about the state of things than before. And while she hadn't known what caused the shift in his demeanor, she wasn't questioning it, as speaking with Matt more had definitely helped her feel better about everything. But it also made her miss him even more. "Nothing's changed, we're still good. Great, actually. I just haven't heard from him… But I'm sure it's nothing, I know he's busy." She added with a shrug just as she heard her brother's phone ding.
The older Dawson gave her a nod as he pulled out his phone, Gabby seeing the way a soft smile formed across his face while he read whatever message he'd been sent, but then he quickly tried to mask it when he noticed her stares. Cocking her head to the side, she wiped away some of the sweat on her brow as she watched him quickly shove his phone back into his pocket.
"You good?" She asked, Antonio nodding quickly before his eyes moved past her, the man drawing in a slow breath before finding her line of sight once more.
"Yeah, yeah I'm good." He replied, waving her off. "That was just Joseph, he was wanting me to come help him with something over by the church." He told her, Gabby nodding in response. "You wanna come? We could use the extra set of hands."
"Oh, uh.. Well, I should really try and finish up-"
"Come on, sis. Just for a second?" He pushed, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded in agreement, the woman placing the rolled up papers in her hands down on the table before following after her brother.
They could hear the sounds of an abundance of people around them as they walked through the busy site, Gabby feeling more and more of her exhaustion creep in with every passing second. So much so that she was close to counting down the hours before she'd be allowed to head out of here, Gabby coming to an abrupt stop when Antonio slowed down in front of her.
Looking up, she saw he paused to let some people walk by, Gabby rolling out her neck before looking around once more, Antonio glancing back at her.
"Everything alright, sis?" He asked as they continued moving.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine… Just ready for this day to be over."
"Somehow, I doubt that." He murmured underneath his breath, his words causing her to narrow her eyes in confusion.
"What do you mean?" She questioned as they got to their destination, Gabby's eyes glancing around. "And where's Joseph?"
"Oh, uh- Well," He spoke, Gabby no less confused as Antonio watched the van pull up a few yards down the dirt road, his smile widening.
"Antonio?" She asked once more, her eyes focused on him as he was looking past her. "What are we doing here? I need to work… If you don't actually have anything for me to do, I'm gonna-"
"Gabs." He stopped her, his voice soft as he watched the van door open, Gabby turned away from the vehicle as she watched her brother closely, seeing the exact second he perked up.
"What?" She spoke exasperatedly, Gabby only becoming more irritated as Antonio wasn't making any sense.
"Look." He responded simply, her annoyance morphing into confusion as he nudged her arm, Antonio nodding back behind her, Gabby huffing out a breath before she turned around.
And the second she did, it was like everything around her stopped, her eyes widening in shock as her lips parted slightly, Gabby unable to hide just how surprised she was as she saw the man standing maybe ten feet away from her. The man that she was never expecting to see here, that she hadn't seen in months, but the man she missed more than anything else.
"Hi baby."
His voice like music to her ears, Gabby feeling a few tears that she wasn't able to stop beginning to prick the edges of her eyes as he took a step away from the van. Her gaze raked over him, like she still couldn't believe he was here, Gabby seeing just how tired he was as well. But aside from his evident exhaustion, he looked good- great, Matt sporting a little bit of scuff as it was clear he hadn't shaved in a few days, his bright blue eyes shining back at her as he took a step forward.
"I-" She wasn't able to form a coherent thought, not until she felt Antonio push her back lightly, clearly trying to snap her out of her haze of shock as she took her own small step forward. "Oh my God." She breathed out before she hurried towards him, the smile on his face growing to a size she hadn't seen in a long time as he held out his arms, preparing for her inevitable impact.
And the second she was within reach, she launched herself into his arms, Matt holding onto her as tightly as he could as he lifted her up off the ground, Gabby hugging her arms around his neck while they soaked in this moment. It almost didn't feel real, Gabby feeling his body against hers for the first time four months as she tightened her grip, his arms squeezing her back as he supported all her weight before placing her back down on the ground. But Gabby refused to go far, her eyes falling closed as she felt his breathing against her, Matt tucking his head into her neck as he breathed her in. It wasn't her usual Gabby scent, as that was being masked by the sweat and dirt her body was caked in. But it was still her, the man smiling softly before pressing a gentle kiss against her skin.
"How did you… How are you here?" Her voice was soft, Gabby giving him one last squeeze before reluctantly pulling away. But she stayed close, her hands staying up on his shoulders as he gripped her waist. A smile formed over his face at her question, Gabby feeling her heart nearly constrict in her chest at the sight, this moment only reinforcing just how much she'd missed him. "I just- I don't even know what to say, I'm-"
Her words were cut off by Matt pressing his lips against hers, the action catching her off guard for a moment before she smiled against him, Gabby soon reciprocating the gesture as she slid her hand up to grip the back of his neck. He tightened his grip on her waist as he deepened the kiss, the two nearly forgetting where they were as it felt like every ounce of stress and uncertainty they'd felt over the last few months just washed away. And after all this time, getting to kiss her was the most wonderful feeling in the world, Matt wishing he could just stay like this with her forever.
When air became a necessity they pulled apart, their eyes staying closed as Matt rested his forehead against hers, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. They stayed like this for a few moments, neither of them caring about the attention they were surely drawing, Casey smiling softly when he felt her thumb stroking along the side of his neck.
"I missed you." He breathed out, his words causing her to smile before she pulled her head back, both of them slowly opening their eyes only to be met by their happy faces.
"I missed you, too." She responded, Gabby finally feeling as if this was actually starting to sink in. The fact that he was here in Puerto Rico, with her, it was finally beginning to hit her, and even though she had no idea how long he was staying, she didn't find herself caring too much at the moment as she was just beyond grateful to have him here. But that didn't mean she still didn't have questions.
Rubbing his hand over her side gently, Matt leaned in to steal another quick kiss, this one much more tame than the last as he knew they couldn't give one another as proper of a welcome as they'd like, not until they were somewhere much more private.
"I… I still can't believe you're here." She spoke when they separated, her words bringing a smile to his face, Matt seeing Antonio walking towards them out of the corner of his eye now that they'd had some time to greet one another. "I still don't- I don't know how you're here. How did you get away from work, I didn't think you could?"
"Well, I… technically, I shouldn't have," He started, seeing her face falter slightly. But he merely gave her a smile, shaking his head slightly. "It's fine, I got everything worked out. I was able to get Severide to cover a few things for me, and it's all good." He told her, Matt breaking away from Gabby long enough to greet Antonio. "Hey man." He spoke, shaking his hand before bringing him in for a quick hug, the men happy to be seeing one another in person after speaking over the phone a lot this last week.
"Hey Casey, it's good to see you."
"You too." He answered as he stepped back, Gabby immediately tucking herself into his side. The action made him smile, Matt wrapping his arm around her shoulder before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"How long have you been planning this?" Gabby asked him, Matt glancing down to her as she worked through the list of questions in her head.
"Just since last week… But up until yesterday, I still wasn't sure if this was gonna work out, so I decided just to surprise you instead." He responded with a gentle gleam in his eye, Gabby smiling softly before hugging herself to him. "Though I definitely couldn't have pulled it all off without your brother, either," He continued, the younger Dawson's eyebrows furrowing as she glanced towards Antonio. "Between him and Severide, they're the main reason I'm able to be here right now."
"You knew?" She questioned as she caught her brother's gaze, Antonio smirking proudly before he nodded.
"Of course I did… You think he could plan this all out on his own?" He asked back rhetorically, Casey scoffing lightly before waving his hand in the air, Gabby's smile growing as she looked between two of the most important men in her life.
"Yeah, he definitely helped me out a bit." Matt conceded as Gabby glanced up at him before she leaned her head back down against him, tightening the grip she had around his waist as he rubbed his hand up and down over her shoulder.
"Well, however it happened, I'm just so glad you're here." She replied softly as she felt his breathing beneath her touch, neither of them noticing how Antonio was watching them.
"Me too… I'm happy to be back."
"Everyone certainly has missed you around here." Antonio chimed in, Matt looking up towards him. "I mean, no one as much as Gabby, but you were missed." He spoke lightly, Gabby shooting him a playful glare as Casey grinned.
"The feeling was definitely mutual." He responded as he lazily ran his hand over her arm. "Everyone was so welcoming last time, I'm looking forward to seeing them all again."
"Well, I'd make sure you say hi to everyone here soon," Gabby prompted, Matt raising his eyebrows as he glanced down to her, "because I actually have a few days away here in a couple of hours, so your timing couldn't have been better… Though as I'm saying this, I think that might not have been an accident." She said as her head cocked to the side, Gabby's eyes finding her brother's gaze. "That's why you had me take that time off, isn't it? Because of Matt…"
"No comment." Antonio replied with a pleased smirk, Gabby fighting off the urge to roll her eyes as her hand rubbed lightly over Matt's side. "But, about that, you're not leaving in a few hours, you're leaving now." He continued, his words earning a confused look from his little sister.
"What?"
"You and Matt, you're leaving now… I've got everything taken care of, you two go enjoy your time off."
"Antonio…"
"No Gabs, we're all good." He assured her with a soft smile. "You can look at this as also being a part of the surprise if you want, but everything's fine here. I've got it under control, you go home." Antonio told her as he nodded back towards the van. "They're waiting to take you two back to your apartment, so hurry up and get your things so you can get going."
Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby's grin widened before she nodded, the woman breaking away from Matt to go give her brother a hug. "Thank you, Tonio." She murmured, her older brother rubbing her back up and down before they pulled apart.
"You have nothing to thank me for," He responded, Gabby picking up on the knowing gleam in his eye as he was well aware of just how much his sister needed this time with Matt. "Now you two go, enjoy your little break… Everything will be fine here when you get back."
With one last smile, Gabby gave her brother a thankful nod before they began to part ways, Matt stopping to say a quick goodbye to Antonio before he jogged to catch up with Gabby. And as they made their way through the work site, Gabby couldn't help but feel compelled to stay close to him, her hand staying clasped tightly in his as they made their way to her tent. She still had a lot of questions for him, maybe even more than she started with now that her mind had cleared a bit, Gabby still just unable to believe that he'd managed to get here.
Even though they hadn't talked about visiting one another in awhile, she knew he wasn't able to get away; that's exactly why they hadn't talked about it. So for him to have been here now, she couldn't help but think he'd downplayed just how difficult it had been to make this work.
"Everything is looking great." Matt commented, his words pulling her from her thoughts as she looked up at him, the intense sun making his hair look even blonder than before. "You all have made a lot of progress since I was here."
"Yeah, we have… It's part of what's been keeping me so busy." She replied as they walked in step with one another, Casey nodding in understanding. "But things have been going well, we're actually ahead of schedule on some stuff, which I didn't think was possible." She added with a soft smile, Matt giving her hand a squeeze as he matched her look.
"Well, with you in charge that's not at all surprising." He commented as they got closer to her tent, Gabby scrunching up her nose before stepping slightly ahead of him to open up the entrance to get inside. Matt's eyes moved around, a soft smile forming over his lips as she walked in, the man soon following after her. "Oh, I've missed this tent…" He spoke, his words earning a heavy scoff from Gabby before she turned back towards him. It wasn't lost on her as to what he was referring to, and Gabby would be lying if she said she didn't also think about their mornings and nights here, especially on days where she was really missing him.
"I'm sure you have." She responded with a smirk, Matt watching her with a proud grin as she began to gather up her things. "But I'd say you missed my bed at home more." She countered, Casey running his tongue along his bottom lip as his head tilted to the side.
"Oh, definitely." He replied without an hesitation, Gabby chuckling in amusement before she shoved her worn clothes into her bag. "But more than anything, I just missed you." He told her, his soft voice filling her chest with warmth as she paused her movements, Gabby looking up at him just as he started walking towards her. "And I'm so glad I get to be here, with you… Even if just for a little bit." He spoke as he came to a stop beside the cot, Gabby turning her body to face him as she looked up at him with nothing but love shining in her eyes.
"I am too… I wasn't expecting this at all, but I'm so glad you're here." She breathed out, Matt's hands finding their usual place to rest on her hips, the movement effectively pulling her closer. "Which… how long are you here, anyway?" She asked, her head tilting to the side slightly as he watched her.
"Five days." He answered, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, or how long she'd been hoping he could stay, but in this moment five days sounded perfect. It was five more days than she ever expected to have with him, and she wasn't gonna take that for granted.
"Well, we'll just have to make the most of those five days." She responded, Matt matching her grin before he nodded.
"Absolutely." He spoke, giving her side a squeeze as he relished in the feeling of having her this close again.
"Though I am supposed to be coming back here in four days, but maybe I can push that back… I guess we'll have to see."
"That's fine. Whatever you need to do, I know you're needed around here." He told her, Gabby giving him a small smile as she ducked her head. "And that's just one of the many reasons I'm proud of you."
His words caused her to lift her head back up, Matt seeing the somewhat surprised look in her eye as he gave her a soft smile, Gabby clearly not expecting his words. "Yeah?" She questioned, Matt tapping his hand against her hip before nodding.
"Yeah. I'm proud of you… Of course I am." He spoke like it was the most obvious thing in the world, the look on her face causing warmth to flood through him. "For all the work you're doing here, all the people you're helping… I don't think I tell you it enough," He continued on as their eyes were locked on one another. "But I really am so damn proud of you, and all you've accomplished here… You're amazing." He finished, Matt soon seeing the effect his words had on her as he saw how happy she was.
"Thank you." She murmured before she slid her hand up behind his neck and pulled him towards her, the two meeting in a gentle, yet passion filled kiss. He guided her closer to him, her body flush against his as they kept their pace easy, both of them just wanting to enjoy this for a second as not only had they not been together in months, but this was the first they'd been together alone.
Matt was the one to eventually pull back first, Gabby breathing in deeply before she slowly opened her eyes, her bright smile faltering slightly when she saw the look on his face. His eyes were still closed, but after knowing him for as long as she had, she knew something was going on his mind, her head tilting to the side slightly as her eyes traced over him. But before she could question it, he opened his eyes to meet her gaze, Matt breathing deeply before speaking up.
"I'm sorry."
His few words caused a rush of apprehension to flood through her, Gabby unsure of what he was talking about as her eyebrows furrowed.
"For how I've been acting… For everything these last few months." He continued on before she could say anything, her face softening as she bit down on her bottom lip, his grip on her hips keeping her close. "I… I never wanted things to get so weird between us, or for us to go so long without talking like we did. I never wanted that at all."
"I know." She murmured as she brought her hand up to cup his cheek, Gabby running her thumb over his skin as he gave her a slight nod.
"And I'm sorry it happened." He added softly. "Being away from you was terrible, but I know I didn't help things by being so distant, or whatever you wanna call it. That wasn't fair to you, and I'm sorry." He finished, Gabby drawing in a slow, deep breath.
"It's not just on you." She was quick to reply, her hand brushing over his skin as he watched her. "This is hard, us being apart… But I wasn't helping things, either. I played just as much of a part in it. And I'm sorry, too." She told him, Matt nodding before he leaned in to give her a quick kiss.
"I love you." He spoke against her lips, Gabby smiling softly before giving him another kiss, both of them desperate to hold onto this feeling for a moment longer.
It wasn't lost on her that this wasn't the end of their discussion. She knew they needed to talk more, that they needed to have more of a conversation about what happened while they'd been apart, and where things had gone wrong for them during these last four months to ensure it didn't happen again. And she knew he was aware of that, too.
But those weren't conversations they needed to have right now, not when all she wanted was to get out of here and get back home with Matt. They would have time later to sit down and work through the problems they had while he was in Chicago, and she knew they would. Because neither of them could go through many more months of how things had gone as of late. But for now, right in this moment, she didn't want to talk. Not about that. So they'd table it for now, Gabby slowly pulling back when air became a priority, their eyes locked on one another as she gave him a warm smile, Matt soon matching her look as she spoke up.
"I love you, too… Now let's go home."
