Here's another chapter for you guys, hope you all enjoy!
Chapter Fourteen
Matt stood in front of the mirror in their bedroom, tucking his white shirt into his pants, adjusting his belt as he made sure his appearance was up to code. His eyes glanced down to the small bandage taped to his arm, Gabby having switched from wrapping his entire arm to just using a bandage a few days ago, feeling comfortable enough with how it was healing that he didn't need the extra support.
It had been twelve days since Gabby had come back, and today marked the first day Matt would be back on shift. He didn't necessarily want to go back just yet, but Gabby had all but forced him. He'd missed three shifts, on top of the shift he left halfway through. He knew it was close to time to go back, but he was nervous. Not for himself, but for Gabby. This would be the first time she'd be alone at all since she'd gotten back, let alone for over 24 hours. He knew she'd be fine, he did, but it wouldn't stop him from worrying.
The last twelve days had been spent with Matt and Gabby getting back into a routine together, finding their rhythm as they got used to having each other in their lives again. And it had been some of the greatest days of Matt's life, especially lately. They'd done a lot in their time together, almost like they'd gotten a vacation from life, the two of them living in their own little world. They'd done a lot of things around the house, like get all the photos of them back up in their rightful home, and they'd gone through all the belongings of Gabby's that had arrived from Puerto Rico a couple of days ago. He was glad to see that some of the possessions he'd expected to be taken, like her phone and wallet, were sitting in the boxes with all her other things. Most of what had gotten sent back was just her clothes, but he was glad to see some of her sentimental possessions hadn't been stolen from her. But he did notice one item was missing, something he knew she'd taken with her, and that was her engagement ring. He knew they'd taken her wedding band, him reminded of that fact every time he saw the claw marks across her chest, but he never knew what happened to her engagement ring and he didn't want to ask, for fear of bringing up unpleasant memories. But when they finished going through everything and it was nowhere in sight, he knew what had happened to it.
Them unpacking her belongings proved to be an emotional affair for both of them, but Gabby especially, the memories overwhelming her more than she thought they would as they'd gone through her things. One thing that had sent her over the edge was pulling out a bag that had the photo of them from their wedding day, the broken frame being sent along with it. He was surprised to hear a soft sob come from her as she held the broken image in her hands, Matt immediately pulling her into his arms, holding onto her tightly while she cried.
They had to pause a few times, when Gabby's emotions got the best of her, but there wasn't much said between them while they sorted everything. Neither of them had brought up the engagement ring, Matt figuring because Gabby didn't want to open up another can of worms with that topic, at least not right now, and he couldn't blame her.
But after it was all said and done, Matt couldn't help but feel a sense of peace after all of her things had been put away and the boxes had been broken down. It felt like the last roadblock holding them back from starting this new chapter of their lives together was gone. There was no more looking back, only looking forward.
Arms wrapping around his waist broke him from his trance, as he saw Gabby behind him in the mirror, her arms squeezing tightly around his body, resting above his belt buckle. He placed his hands over hers, smiling as she pressed her head against his back.
"What are you doing up?" He murmured, having done his best to be as quiet as possible as he'd gotten ready.
"You really think I wouldn't wake up to send you off? Plus, I need to change your bandage again."
"I could've had someone at the house do it."
"Yeah, but I don't mind." She told him, placing a kiss to the middle of his back before pulling away, heading into the bathroom. He followed her in there, seeing her standing by the counter, getting out the supplies she needed. He came to her side, leaning his body weight against the countertop, holding out his arm to give her the space she needed.
He grimaced as she started pulling the bandage from his arm, the sticky material irritating his skin. But he continued to let her work, knowing this process would be done soon.
Keeping his eyes on her, he saw how concentrated she was, her tongue sticking out from between her lips slightly, a look of pure determination covering her face. As he looked over her, he couldn't stop himself from smiling. She was slowly started to look like his Gabby again. Aside from the light marks on her side, all of the bruises had faded on her body, the only visible marks left being the scratches, the scab from her split lip, and the scar on her forehead. All of the swelling from the various injuries covering her body had gone down, now only detectable if it was pointed out. The stitches had fallen out a few days after she got back, Gabby taking to keeping the wound covered just to be safe. But she decided a couple days ago it was healed enough that she didn't need that anymore. The scar and her lip were the only signs of injury visible to anyone other than him, and he found himself thankful for that. From their many talks, he knew she felt self-conscious about the injuries she'd sustained in Puerto Rico. He was glad the more emotionally painful ones were covered by her clothes, that way she wouldn't have to answer any questions she didn't want to.
The non-visible injuries she had were slowly healing as well. Her sprained right shoulder was nearly completely healed, Gabby not having any flares ups from that injury in over a week. It was her ribs that worried him the most, Matt never wanting to hurt her. He knew anytime he'd accidentally hurt her, she played it off, choosing the comfort of his embrace over the pain of her injury, but he could tell whenever he'd held on too tight. But over the course of her time back, they were getting better. Now, as long as too much direct pressure wasn't applied to the specific areas of her injury, she was fine. There was no more wincing every time she moved too quickly, or a sharp pain shooting through her body if Matt accidentally hugged her too tight. Still, he'd been extra mindful of her heavily bruised ribs, usually letting her take the lead in any hugs or touches. He knew she still had some time before they'd be healed completely, but she was getting better everyday.
He'd also slowly noticed her putting on weight again. He wasn't blind, compared to the Gabby he'd known for so long, the Gabby that had come back was skin and bones. She was breathtaking, still as beautiful as ever, but the apparent weight loss had worried him. He figured it was due to stress, not having brought it up because he didn't want to give her something else to be self-conscious about. Not that he cared how much she weighed, never had he cared. She was always beautiful to him. But especially now, here being here with him was all that mattered. The worry came from wanting her healthy, and when he saw her for the first time she looked anything but. Thankfully, she's started putting weight back on, looking more like herself. And he could tell she was feeling more like herself too.
"You're staring, Matt." She commented as she turned to toss her trash away.
"You're pretty, what can I say." He spoke with a smile, Gabby smiling as she walked up to him, leaning against him. His arms wrapped around her waist, holding her to him as he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to her lips, both of them melting into the contact. "Are you sure it's okay if I go back?"
"Yes." She spoke confidently. "I'm fine, I promise."
"I know you are, I'm just worried." He said honestly, Gabby's hand coming up to run over his cheek.
"I know, but you don't need to be. I'm just gonna be lounging around here. I think Antonio is coming by for dinner. I'll be fine." He nodded, giving her another quick kiss. "But you…" she started, narrowing her eyes. "I need you to come home in one piece. No more getting thrown around buildings.
"I promise to do my best." He assured her.
The two of them stayed in the warmth of the embrace for a few more minutes, only separating because they knew Matt had to leave soon. Gabby left for the kitchen as Matt finished getting ready. He put on his navy Captain's jacket, grabbing his bag for shift before leaving the room. He placed his belongings on the counter, watching Gabby as she filled a travel mug of coffee for him.
Matt swung his bag over his shoulder, putting his phone and keys in his pocket as Gabby walked around the island to stand beside him.
"I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Absolutely." He responded, taking the coffee she offered, leaning in for one last kiss. "I love you, try not to be too bored."
She laughed lightly, tapping his cheek as she kissed him again. "I love you too, but I think I'll be okay. I can always call you if it's too bad."
"Definitely call me if you need to." He spoke, giving her a soft smile.
They said a few more goodbyes before he walked through the door, neither of them really wanting to spend so much time apart, but they knew they didn't have a choice. She stood by the back door, waiting until he was out of her sight until turning the lock. Leaning against the glass, she closed her eyes, taking a slow, deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves. She was worried about him going back to work, not able to shake the feeling that he wasn't one hundred percent, that there was something he wasn't telling her. But she had to believe him when he said he was fine.
Her focus shifted as she realized she was all alone in what now seemed like a huge, empty apartment. She knew she'd be okay, but she also knew her first day alone was bound to cause some anxiety. But all she could do was keep herself occupied, knowing the busier she was, the easier this day would be.
Matt pulled up to the front of the firehouse, parking his truck in the spot that had been deemed his for years now. Pulling the keys from the ignition, he braced himself for all the questions that were most definitely going to get thrown at him. He'd heard from Kelly that everyone was asking questions, the beginning of every shift they'd ask Severide if he had any updates. And all Kelly would say is that Gabby was doing better, because that's all Matt had given him. But he knew he wouldn't be able to give them any more than that. Last night while he and Gabby laid in bed, he checked with her again to see what all he could say, and as he expected, she hadn't changed her mind. She was quick to answer him, she didn't want them knowing what had happened. He didn't press her on it, although he was surprised at how adamant she was. But he'd never try to change her mind, he would do whatever she asked of him.
But he knew he was about to walk into a building full of people who would have tons of questions for him, questions he couldn't answer.
Aside from his conversation with Boden, his calls with Kelly, and a visit Severide had made to the apartment, Matt hadn't had any contact with anyone from the firehouse since the day he left shift. At first, he'd found it a little strange, that no one had reached out to him to check in on Gabby. He knew a lot of them had been hurt by her decision to not come back, but he didn't think that ran deep enough for them to not care about her. But when Kelly had clued Matt in on how he told them to not call, the radio silence began to make sense.
Glancing at the clock, he realized shift started in a few minutes. He'd left later than he wanted to this morning, finding it difficult to leave Gabby. He'd become so used to the routine they'd set, it was hard to break that. And he didn't feel good about leaving her alone, either. He knew he'd have to eventually, but he personally would've felt better if he took a few more shifts off.
Knowing he didn't have any more time to sit, he got out of his truck, making sure to lock it before heading inside. Since he was late, he figured everyone else was already here, which might be better anyway. If everyone was already in one room, he'd only have to address the situation once, instead of explaining it over and over.
Stepping onto the apparatus floor, he walked around the rigs parked in their rightful place, seeing all of squad seated at the table. Aside from Boden, know one, not even Kelly, knew he was coming back today. So Matt wasn't surprised to see a look of shock covering Kelly's face once he saw him.
"Hey man." Severide spoke, standing up from the table. The rest of squad fell silent, watching truck's Captain closely. "I didn't know you'd be back today." Kelly gave him a quick hug, patting him on the back as they pulled apart.
"Yeah, we decided it was time."
"We as in both of you, or she kicked you out?" Kelly asked, a teasing tone in his voice which caused Matt to smile.
"A little of both."
The members of squad glanced around at each other as the two men spoke, surprised to hear them speaking about Gabby so casually. It was a definite shift from how that topic had been handled around here the last few months.
Matt and Kelly started walking towards the doors, squad following as they all walked inside, no one wanting to miss the conversation that was bound to happen.
It was like you could hear a pin drop when Casey walked into the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing, surprised to see their Captain looking so calm. The only person who wasn't surprised was Herrmann, only because about five minutes prior he'd been told by Boden that Casey was coming back today, meaning he wouldn't need to be acting Lieutenant anymore. But everyone else was clearly shocked.
"Hey guys." He said, nodding to Boden who was in the back of the room.
"Welcome back, Captain." The Chief spoke, breaking everyone from their daze. A chorus of 'welcome back's rang through the common room as Matt came to stand in the entrance.
"How are, uh, things?" Otis asked carefully, no one really sure how to handle the topic. Matt couldn't blame them. Gabby had been a sore subject around him for months, he couldn't fault them for their apprehension.
"I'm doing good, we're doing good." He prompted, hoping that would make them feel more at ease about bringing her up.
"How is she, Casey?" Herrmann asked, the worry clear in his voice.
"She's okay, you know, we're getting through it… She's getting better every day."
"What happened over there?" Brett asked softly, everyone dying to know the answer but no one else wanting to be the one to ask. Matt cleared his throat before he responded, knowing they wouldn't really like the answer they'd be getting.
"Gabby, uh, she doesn't really want people knowing. Not right now at least." He could see the concern mounting in their faces, and he could only imagine what all was going through their minds. "But she's doing good. She's okay guys." He promised, giving them as much as he could without getting into details.
"Well tell her we're glad, and we can't wait to see her." Herrmann spoke, understanding they'd be getting nothing else from the Captain. Matt saw the looks that crossed a few faces from the members of 51, and they confused him. They seemed nervous, almost apprehensive, at the thought of seeing Gabby again, and he couldn't understand why. He understood their nerves before, when they wouldn't want to bring her up around him. But now, it wasn't the reaction he was expecting, that's for sure.
"I will." He replied simply, his eyes finding Boden, who nodded towards the exit, signaling they needed to have a conversation. "Kelly, can you put this in my office?" He asked his friend, handing him his bag.
"Yeah, of course." He respond, taking it within his grasp before Matt walked through the common room, heading for the exit Boden had just left through.
"Hey Casey," Herrmann's voice stopped him, "is she coming back?"
"She's home, yeah." Matt said, but the older firefighter shook his head.
"I meant is she coming back here…" Matt glanced around the room, seeing everyone waiting for his answer.
"I don't know Herrmann, that wasn't exactly high on our list of priorities." He spoke before walking out, leaving behind the suffocatingly quiet common room and heading for Boden's office.
He saw the looks of the civilian staff as he walked through the building, everyone knowing what all had transpired over the the last couple of weeks. But he didn't care, he knew people would have questions and want to know exactly what was going on between him and Gabby. He was sure the company members of 51 had those exact same questions, but he also was aware it really wasn't any of their business.
"Hey Chief." Matt spoke as he got to his office, Boden waving him in.
"Close the door, Casey." Matt followed the instructions, coming to sit down across from the man at his desk. "How's Dawson doing?"
"She's doing pretty well, all things considered."
Boden eyed him carefully, before continuing. "And how are you doing?"
"Honestly, I'm just glad she's okay. I'm great, now that she's back and I know she's alright." Matt spoke truthfully, Boden giving him a small smile.
"Look Casey, I have no idea what all she went through, what both of you have gone through, but the entire house is here for you all."
"I know Chief."
"I know you do, just make sure she knows that too." Matt gave him a nod, Boden signaling that he was excused. Casey started walking towards the door, Boden's voice stopping him.
"You sure you're ready to be back?"
"I am Chief." He confirmed, before heading out. He walked through the firehouse, walking back into the common room, surprised when conversation came to a halt when they saw him. Furrowing his eyebrows, he opened his mouth to question it, but was cut off by the bells ringing throughout the firehouse, signaling them to a fire.
Matt walked into his office, groaning as he felt an ache course through his body. He knew with being out of the swing of things for a few shifts, he was bound to feel a little soreness, but he wasn't expecting to feel this uncomfortable. The ever-present headache he'd been feeling had come back with a vengeance. After their first call, they'd immediately gotten called as backup to an apartment fire, something that had taken up the entire morning and well into the afternoon. Climbing all those stairs, as well as having to carry a few victims out, left him feeling more exhausted than he expected to.
It was now late into the afternoon, and Matt really just wanted to take a nap. He also wanted food, but he wasn't exactly in the mood to be out with everyone else right now. There'd been a weird shift in the air of the firehouse since he'd come in this morning, and he didn't know why. Well, he had a feeling he knew the reason why, he just wasn't sure why the topic of Gabby had elicited such a strange reaction from them. Knowing how happy he was having her back, he was sure 51 would have those same reactions, but clearly that wasn't the case.
Taking a deep breath, Matt collapsed down into his chair, stretching out his back as much as he could, grimacing slightly as he heard a few pops and cracks as he continued to stretch out his limbs. Pulling out his phone, he saw he had a text from Gabby. She'd sent him a message about three hours ago, asking him how shift was going. A frown formed over his face, hoping he hadn't worried her by not responding.
'Hey, sorry we've been at calls all day. It's going well, I could use a good nap right about now'
He smiled softly when he saw her read the message immediately, and she began typing a response.
'Maybe you should've stayed in shape a little better during your time off, Captain. You've been kind of lazy'
He typed quickly, sending his response to her teasing. 'Never heard you complaining, Miss Dawson'
"Back one day and you're already sexting Dawson?" Matt looked up to see Kelly standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face. Rolling his eyes, Matt put his phone down on the desk, turning his attention to his friend.
"Like I'd tell you if I was."
"How's she been doing?" Kelly asked. It had become the first question he'd ask Casey anytime they had a conversation lately, his worry for her always present. And his worry only increased after he saw her for the first time.
After the first full shift without Casey, Kelly had called and checked to see if it was okay to stop by. When he got there and Matt let him in, seeing Gabby for the first time had knocked the air out of him. She was still Gabby, but she looked different. He could see the remnants of bruising on her face, a busted lip that was nearly healed, and the large healing gash above her eyebrow. She was thinner, and she looked nervous. She definitely didn't have the same Dawson confidence he'd known for years. She was timid, keeping her arms wrapped around herself as he walked in. He hadn't wanted to push her, she looked so fragile that she might break, but she initiated a greeting by walking to him, Kelly quick to wrap her up in a light hug. He'd told her how much he missed her, and how thankful he was she was okay.
During his visit, he and Matt both wanted to keep the conversation light. He wanted to apologize for not being there for her, but he didn't want to bring up any unpleasant memories. He'd tried hard not to focus on the marks over her face, or how worn down she looked. He just wanted to focus on getting to spend time with her again.
"She's doing good, Sev. She's starting to act like her old self." Matt spoke with a smile, knowing he could be more truthful with Kelly than he could with the rest of the house. Kelly still didn't know the whole story, but he knew more than most.
"Good, I'm glad. I've been worried about her since I saw her."
"I know you have, but spending time with you did her some good. Getting her around other people that aren't me or Antonio, I think could only help. Slowly, though... She definitely went through a lot, but things are getting better. She's getting better." He spoke, both me turning around as they heard talking in the bunkroom, seeing Brett and Foster passing through.
"Can I ask you something?" Matt lowered his voice considerably, Kelly nodding slowly, wondering where this is going.
"Sure."
"Do you know why everyone's acting so weird about Gabby?" Kelly sighed in response, Matt's eyebrows furrowing, gathering that Kelly knew something. "They're acting like they're, I don't know, worried about her coming back. Or nervous, or something. I don't know, but it's weird."
"Yeah, I think I have some answers to that." Matt looked at his friend, waiting for him to elaborate. "It's a few different things, but mostly they're just nervous. Some of them feel guilty, for not reaching out to her when she left, or after. I know some of them are upset, that she never reached out to them. And that she left the way they did, I think that hurt some of them more than they're willing to admit." Matt's eyebrows furrowed as the information sunk in. "And they're worried about you." His ears perked up at the statement. "They saw what her leaving did to you, and they're worried she'll hurt you again."
"They said that?" Kelly nodded, Matt's eyes flickering back out towards the bunkroom. "Who?"
"Uh, Herrmann and Brett were talking about it this morning, while you were with Boden. And everyone else kind of agreed." Matt blew out a frustrated sigh. "They mean well, Matt. They're concerned, I get it. They don't know what happened, or that you all had problems before she left. All they really know is that she left, and they saw how it affected you. I know it's coming from a good place."
"I know… but like you said, they don't know what happened. They shouldn't be mad at her when they don't know the whole story."
"I know. Maybe you should talk to them, tell them as much as you can. Or at least explain to them that things happened between you two before she left, and that was part of it. I don't know, I can't tell you how to handle this, but I think if you talked to them about it, they'd be more understanding." Matt remained quiet as the words sunk in, Kelly continuing. "You know they love her, Matt. They're just confused, and little nervous about her being back."
"...I should talk to them. But I need to talk to Gabby about it first, and figure out how much she's okay with them knowing."
Kelly nodded, debating whether or not he should ask this next question. Deciding to just go for it, he opened his mouth. "Have you two talked about it?" Matt raised his eyebrows, signaling Kelly to elaborate. "Is she wanting to come back here?"
"Honestly, we haven't. We haven't really talked about what she's wanting to do, we've just been focused on getting past the attack and everything that happened." Kelly's body went rigid as the word 'attack' left Matt's lips. While he assumed something along those lines had happened, Gabby's appearance only solidifying it in his mind, hearing Matt say the word made it real. Seeing Kelly's reaction, it was like Matt realized what he said, muttering a 'dammit' under his breath.
"It's okay, Matt. I won't say anything about it. After seeing her- I figured it was something like that." Kelly assured him, Matt nodding in thanks.
"So- aside from work, have you talked about other things?" Kelly asked, skillfully changing the subject, hoping Matt understood his not so subtle questioning.
"We've worked through a lot of things, we're wanting to figure everything out." He saw the slight look of apprehension on Severide's face. "We both screwed up, but we both want to be together. So that's where we're at. We're taking it one step at a time, but things are going well."
"So you're back together?"
"Yeah, we are." Kelly nodded, his eyes finding the ground. "What Sev?"
"Look, there was much more that went down between you two than I ever realized, and I'm sure there's a lot more I don't even know about." Matt nodded, telling Kelly his words were true. "But you're still my best friend, and I don't want you to get hurt again, man." Matt had known Kelly had the same apprehension that the other's in the firehouse had, but he just appreciated Severide talking to him about it, instead of talking behind his back.
"I know you're worried, I know the whole house is, but...I love her, Kelly. I was miserable without her, nothing made sense without her." Matt paused to take a breath. "Since she's been back it's like- I don't know, like I finally have purpose again. I never want to live without her, it was the worst thing I've ever experienced... I need her, Kel." Matt preached, a knowing smile falling onto Kelly's face.
"I know you do, I just wanted to make sure." He said with a smirk, patting Matt's shoulder. "But that goes both ways, I don't want her hurt either. You two have been through enough heartache."
"I won't hurt her, we've both done enough hurting." Matt promised, Kelly unable to respond before the bells rang out again.
Matt pushed open the back door to the apartment, surprised when he breathed in the fresh smell of coffee, hearing the tv on in the living room. He figured Gabby would still be sleeping, seeing as it was barely after eight. But she was clearly awake, or she had been.
Stepping inside the warmth of their home, he closed the door shut behind him, turning the lock and tossing his keys down onto the table. Dropping his bag, he hung his jacket on the coat hook, walking further into the apartment.
"Gabby?" He called softly, walking past the kitchen table, seeing her as she came into his line of sight when he entered the living room. She looked up at him, wearing a soft smile and tired eyes.
"Hey." She spoke lightly, Matt glancing over her quickly. She was sitting with her legs crossed on the couch, wearing one of his faded CFD t-shirts and a pair of leggings, the box of her belongings from the firehouse sitting next to her, some of its contents strewn out in front of her on the coffee table.
"What are you doing up?" he asked, coming around to her side, placing a quick kiss to the side of her head before sitting next to her on the edge of the couch. She shrugged by his side, continuing to flip through the pile of photos in her hands.
"Couldn't sleep." She responded, Matt watching as she individually separated the photos in her hands into two different piles. Frowning, he moved his arm across his body, placing his hand on the side of her face, turning her head to look at him.
"Are you okay?" His concern was met with a small smile, as Matt rubbed his thumb over her cheek.
"I'm fine… I was more anxious yesterday than I expected, that's all." She spoke, his frown deepening.
"I shouldn't have gone back to work yet…" He mused quietly, Gabby shaking her head.
"Matt, I was bound to have some anxiety, whether you went back yesterday or you waited another month. It was just different, not having you here. Being by myself for so long was an adjustment, but it's something I have to be able to do." She told him. He was aware she was right. She needed to be able to be alone again, but there wasn't a timeline for how quickly she needed to recover. He didn't want her to be pushing herself and end up making things harder.
"Maybe I should take next shift off." He suggested, Gabby shaking her head.
"No, Matt, that's not necessary. I was okay, I am okay, it's just an adjustment. I have to be able to do this." He knew she was determined to get past this, and he knew she would. But he didn't want her forcing it.
"I know, and I have no doubt you can. But there's not a schedule for this Gabby. If you're not ready, I want you to tell me." He spoke softly.
"I will, but I do think I'm ready to start being on my own again, at least for as long as you're on shift. But I promise if that changes, I'll tell you." She assured him, Matt eyeing her skeptically for a moment before nodding in acceptance.
"Okay, thank you." He leaned forward, kissing her quickly, before the two settled into the couch.
"How was your dinner with Antonio?" Matt asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she leaned into his side. He watched her curiously as she continued to separate the photos from her locker into two different stacks, Matt wondering what the significance of the two piles were.
"It was good, I made fajitas. There's some leftovers, if you'd want that for lunch."
"Sounds great."
"How'd shift go?" She asked, glancing towards him.
"It was alright… busy. Everyone was asking about you."
"Oh yeah?" She asked, turning her attention back to the photos she'd finished separating.
"What are you doing with those pictures?" He asked her as she picked up the pile that had a photo of the two of them on top of it.
"Well, these-" she spoke, lifting the stack in her hand, "are finding a new home, maybe somewhere around the apartment, I'm not sure." She spoke, Matt reaching for the pile, wanting to look through them. She handed them over, watching as he flipped through them. He noticed once he got to the end that the only photos in this pile were ones with the two of them, ones with Shay, and a few with Kelly.
"What about those?" He nodded to the second pile on the table, able to see a couple of the pictures, photos of her with people from 51.
"Uh, I don't know yet. Maybe put them away for now." She spoke, Matt sighing. Every time the firehouse had come up since she got back, she started acting strange. He was beginning to think that some of the reservations the house had about seeing Gabby, she had about seeing them.
"There's actually something I need to ask you." He decided to drop the picture discussion for now, knowing he'd probably get an answer to the questions he had from that, from this new conversation. She raised her eyebrows at him, as he continued. "I think I need to tell the house about what happened to us." Gabby immediately tensed at his side, shaking her head. "Just hear me out, alright? I'm not saying we have to give them the details, but I think they need to know that we'd had problems before you left. I think it would help them understand why you did what you did." He spoke, Gabby reading between the lines.
"They hate me, don't they?" She asked quietly, Matt blowing out a sigh.
"They don't, I swear. But they're confused, and- they don't really know how to act whenever you come up. I think they're nervous about you being back, and I want them to know they have no reason to be. That you didn't just up and choose to leave for no reason."
He watched as her eyes fell down to her lap, Gabby fiddling with her hands as she thought over what he was asking. "If you think it would help, then you can. It's fine with me… just- please don't go into the details of everything, I don't…" She trailed off, Matt rubbing her shoulder comfortingly.
"I won't, I promise." He agreed, placing a soft kiss to her temple. "But they also asked me something else. They wanted to know if you'd be coming back to 51." They hadn't broached this topic at all since she came back. Matt wasn't lying to Herrmann when he'd said it wasn't high on the list of priorities, but now he was curious. He wanted to know where she was at with all this.
"Honestly… I'm not sure if I want to."
Hope you all enjoyed this one. If you can, please leave a review and let me know what you think!