Wow wow wow. Fifty chapters? It's so insane that this story has made it this far. I'm sure most of you know I never had a long-term plan for this story at all, but I've enjoyed writing it so much. And I hope you all have enjoyed reading it.
Thank you for the constant love and support on my work, it means the world to me.
Also, holy crap?! 1000 reviews?! That's absolutely crazy, never did I ever dream I'd have so many people supporting me and this story. I appreciate each and every one of you so so much. Thank you.
I hope you all enjoy this one. Happy reading!
Chapter Fifty
Matt stared at himself in the mirror as he got ready for work, his eyes moving over his bare chest as he stood there clad in his blue work pants, the clothing hanging off his hips. Since his accident six weeks ago, he hadn't spent much time looking at the damage done to his body, but mostly everything had healed as much as it was going to. There was slight scarring on his neck from the burn, and he could see the edge of the small scar left on his side from the deep cut he'd had. All the other scratches and cuts had healed, Matt seeing no other visible reminders of just how badly he'd been hurt. All the cuts on his face had healed a while ago, and the swelling and bruising was long gone, the only remains left were the scars.
Turning around, he looked to the mirror, drawing in a deep breath as he saw the more prominent scarring on his back. It wasn't very pretty, the rough skin covering part of his back and moving down, disappearing beneath his pants.
Throughout his long career as a firefighter, Matt knew he'd been lucky. In all the fires he'd gotten stuck in, in the fires that had left him with worse damage than burns, and even in the few calls that he was sure he wouldn't make it out of, he had rarely been left with visible scars. Despite the small scar from his head injury years back, and the more recent scarring from the explosion last year, he'd gotten lucky in not being left with more intense marks.
But he couldn't say that anymore. His accident a month and a half ago left him with scars that he'd be stuck with for the rest of his life. Scars that he'd have to see every day, that Gabby would have to see. Scars he'd have to explain to his daughter.
"Matt?"
He snapped out of his headspace as his eyes moved to the door, seeing Gabby standing in the entrance, her hands resting on her stomach. From the look on her face, he could tell this wasn't her first attempt at getting his attention.
"I'm sorry, what'd you say?" He asked, turning his body to face hers, Gabby watching him with a curious gaze.
"I was telling you breakfast was ready." She spoke, taking slow steps towards him. "Are you okay?"
Matt flashed her a small smile, reaching out for her when she got close enough. "I'm fine." He assured her, resting his hands on her hips, pulling her towards him until her belly touched his.
"You sure?"
"Yeah… I was just checking out the damage." He responded, Gabby resting her hands on his bare chest.
"Ah, well, I have it on good authority that chicks dig men with scars." She spoke lightly, her words bringing a soft smile to his face.
"Oh, is that so?" He questioned, Gabby scrunching up her nose as he leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss against her lips. "Well, I'm really only interested in one woman's opinion." He spoke as he pulled back, Gabby rubbing her thumb over his chest.
"I don't care about any scars, you know that." She responded, trailing her hand up to his face, brushing her fingers over his cheek. "As far as I'm concerned, they're just another part of you. And I love you. I keep telling you, I didn't just fall for you because of your good looks." She joked, Matt raising his eyebrows.
"No, you were only after my money." He replied, Gabby scoffing lightly as she shook her head, tapping her hand against his cheek.
"Well, jokes on me then, if that's true." She teased, Matt chuckling as he slid his hands around to her back, pulling her closer to him. Pressing a kiss to his collarbone, she rested her head against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his back. The position wasn't quite as comfortable as it used to be, Gabby's belly getting in the way, but they made it work. She could feel the rough skin on his back against her arms, Gabby squeezing him a little tighter. "But really, I love you, no matter what. Scars aren't gonna change that." She murmured against his chest, feeling him place a kiss to her head.
"I know. And I don't think it's even so much the scars that are bothering me, it's just… I think it's more the reminder of how quickly things can change." He breathed out, Gabby's body tensing in his grasp. "I mean, I fell through a building in a fire that should've been nothing, I know I'm lucky scars and a bum knee are all I have."
Gabby frowned as she listened to him talk, moving her thumb over his lower back as a source of comfort. Since his accident, they hadn't really talked about how he was handling the everything mentally. Anytime she'd check in with him and ask him how he was doing, he'd tell her he was fine. And she believed he was. She knew him well enough to know when he was struggling with something, but even though he had come to terms with what happened, that didn't make it any easier to face the reality that it could've been much worse. Calls like what he went through, those are the type that stick with a person. Both Gabby and Matt had a few of their own that they'd never be able to forget, but now not only would this one always stick with him, he would be reminded of it every time he looked in the mirror.
"But, I don't know, I guess it just feels different now." His voice brought her out of her thoughts, Gabby pulling back so she could see him, keeping her hands around his waist.
"What do you mean?"
"I guess… I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but ever since the baby, and then the accident, calls just stick with me more than they used to. Because it's not just us anymore." He breathed out, Gabby nodding understandingly. "And I don't want you thinking you weren't enough for me to be careful, that's not it. I'm always careful, and I can't stand the thought of leaving you behind, I just…"
"No, I get what you mean." Gabby responded, Matt releasing a heavy breath. "It's different, because she changes things." She continued, Matt moving his hand to rest over her stomach. "Before, we only had each other to consider, and not that that wasn't important, but this baby, she's gonna need us for everything. She's completely reliant on us, and the thought of us not being able to be there for her just…" Gabby trailed off, shaking her head as tears began forming in her eyes. "I understand what you mean." She finished, Matt placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
"I didn't mean to make you upset." He murmured against her skin, hearing her sniffle before looking up to him.
"No, I know. And I'm okay. I just don't like thinking about either of us not being able to be there for her. And I know there's a real possibility I might not be, and I can't ignore that, but it's just hard…" She spoke, blinking back the tears forming in her eyes. "It's hard to think about one of us not being there to watch her grow up, so I get why you're feeling like this."
"I know you do. But hopefully we'll both be there for her, scars and all." He spoke, watching as she chuckled lightly. "It'll all be fine." He assured her, moving his hand up to wipe away the lone tear that had escaped down her cheek.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make this about me… I know you're having a hard time-"
"Don't apologize, please." He told her, shaking his head. "Never apologize for that. It's a hard situation for both of us." He spoke understandingly, Gabby nodding softly.
Leaning forward, he captured her lips in a gentle kiss, feeling her relax into him, the two letting their worries and fears fall away for a second, focusing on only one another. Gabby pulled back first, needing to catch her breath as their foreheads rested against one another, both of them relishing in their intimate, quiet moment.
"Your breakfast is getting cold."
Matt chuckled, not expecting those to be the first words out of her mouth after their heavy talk. Pulling back, Matt met her eyes as he rubbed his thumb over her cheek.
"That's okay." He responded. "Are you alright?"
"I am." She replied, resting her hand against his chest. "Are you?"
"I am." He repeated, giving her another quick kiss before pulling from her embrace. "Let me finish getting ready, then I'll be out." He told her, Gabby cocking her eyebrow as he moved towards the closet.
"I don't know, I kind of like the look you've got going on right now." She teased, Matt shaking his head. Sometimes it felt like he was getting whiplash at times by how back and forth her emotions were, but he always just tried to go with it, knowing that even though it was often confusing for him, it was much harder on her.
"Oh I'm sure you do." He spoke back, flashing her a grin before disappearing into the closet.
It took only minutes for Matt to finish getting ready, the firefighter walking out into the kitchen in his shift clothes, a soft smile coming to Gabby's face as he approached her at the table.
"It's been awhile." She commented, Matt grinning as he sat down in his normal place, seeing his breakfast waiting for him.
"Yeah, it almost felt weird putting this on again. But I'm excited to get back." He responded, glancing towards his drink, seeing that Gabby had gotten his pill for him already. "Thanks for this." He told her, picking it up and swallowing it, chasing it down with his drink.
"Of course. And I went ahead and put your medication in your shift bag, so we don't forget them." She told him before taking a bite of her toast.
"What would I do without you?" He questioned with a gleam in his eye, Gabby scoffing.
"Well, you'd have to get your own pills… And make your own breakfast." She shot back jokingly.
"Yeah, thank you for that, too. You didn't need to do all this." He spoke, earning a shrug from her.
"I was up."
"I heard you up and moving around pretty early." He commented, Gabby nodding.
"Little girl was ready to get up, apparently she thought I'd had enough sleep. Although I doubt she'll feel that way here in a few hours." She replied lightly. "Oh, and I meant to tell you, I put in my request for leave at the SAS."
"Already?" Matt asked with widened eyes, watching her nod in response. "When'd you do that?" It had only been a couple of days since she'd been instructed to take a step back, and even though he knew she was on board, he wasn't expecting her to do it so soon.
"I went to headquarters yesterday while you were out with Kelly. Figured there was no reason to put it off any longer."
"Have you told Jemma?"
"Yeah, I let her know the day of my appointment." Gabby explained, taking a drink of her water.
"How'd she take it?"
"About like I expected. She's a little sad, but I mean I was seeing her more outside of shift than I was when we were at work, anyway. And she understands why I need to start my leave now, she just said she'll have to come over a lot more." Gabby spoke with a grin, Matt nodding as he glanced down to his watch.
"We probably should get going here soon, wouldn't want to be late on my first day." He told her, shoving another forkful of eggs into his mouth before standing up. "Are you done?" He asked, looking towards her almost full plate.
"Yeah."
"You didn't eat very much." He commented, picking up the plate to take it into the kitchen.
"I'm not that hungry, I'll take some snacks with me, though, just in case. And I can always get something at the station." She spoke, Matt nodding as he discarded the food in the trashcan before quickly washing off their plates.
Gabby went and checked to make sure the front door was locked while Matt gathered their shift bags from the bedroom, the two meeting up at the back door, heading out into the warm June morning.
The ride to the firehouse was uneventful, Gabby and Matt mostly staying in a comfortable quiet as they prepared for the shift ahead, Matt soon pulling up to the curb outside the firehouse, putting his truck in park.
"You ready?" She asked with a small grin, glancing towards him.
"I am."
"And you're gonna be careful?" She questioned, her eyebrows raised.
"Of course. But I need you to be careful, too." He told her, placing his hand over her expanding stomach.
"I will be." She promised, grabbing his forearm, gently pulling him towards her, Matt smirking as she leaned forward to meet his lips, the two connecting in a surprisingly heated kiss, leaving him breathless as they pulled back.
"What was that for?" He asked in between breaths, Gabby biting her bottom lip as she gave him a shrug.
"Just reminding you why you need to be careful." She spoke, her lips curling up into a grin.
"Oh, I don't need any reminders, but I'll take them any time if they're like that." He replied, kissing her again swiftly, rubbing his hand over her bump. Matt chuckled against her lips when he felt movement against his hand, both of them pulling back as he glanced down to her stomach. "That was a big kick, huh? Were you wanting some attention?" He asked, his eyes focused solely on her belly, Gabby's chest filling with warmth as she watched him talk to their daughter. She felt their girl kick again, Gabby resting her hand on the side of his face as his smile widened. "Oh, you were definitely wanting some attention." He joked, rubbing his warm palm over her shirt, Gabby stroking his cheek as she blinked back the tears in her eyes.
Glancing up, his smile fell, his lips forming into a frown as Gabby shook her head. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's nothing. Just these damn hormones, I swear to God." She spoke, wiping away the tears under her eyes as Matt nodded. "Hearing you talk to her, it just… it makes me so happy. And whenever I'm happy, I start crying. But I'm fine, I swear." She replied with a laugh, a soft smile coming to his face.
"I think I made Momma cry…" He spoke as he glanced back towards her stomach, Gabby scoffing lightly. "She cries a lot." He joked, smirking when she swatted the back of his head, Matt using his free hand to reach for hers, gripping it in his as he moved his attention back to her. "But if they're happy tears, there's nothing wrong with that. As long as I didn't do something to piss you off, we're good." He finished, the teasing tone never leaving his voice.
"Mocking a pregnant woman, that's not very nice, Casey." She responded, his last name coming out sharply as she playfully narrowed her gaze on him. He leaned forward, kissing the pout off her lips, feeling her eventually give in and smile against him.
"I love you." He spoke again her lips, Gabby giving him another kiss before pulling back.
"I love you, too. Now let's get inside before we really are late." She told him, tapping his cheek before they both started getting out of the truck. Matt hurried around to her side, holding the door open and extending an arm to help her out, waiting until she was firmly on the ground before shutting the door and moving to grab their bags from the truck bed, Matt holding onto them both in one hand, taking hers in his other.
"Looks like you two had a good morning."
Matt tensed at the voice, turning to see Garcia walking towards them with a smug grin on his face.
"Garcia." Casey spoke, feeling Gabby squeeze his hand as the man walked past them.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how you work, Captain. It's gonna be a fun shift." He replied, glancing towards Gabby with a smirk before heading to the firehouse.
"What is he still doing here?" Gabby asked once Garcia was far enough away, Matt drawing in a deep breath, shaking his head.
"I don't know." He replied, shooting her a small smile as they began their walk into the house.
The second they got into the garage, Casey was met with hugs and cheers, Gabby standing back as he got reacquainted with his friends, everyone forming a circle around him as they spoke. Well, almost everyone.
From her spot a few feet away, Gabby saw Garcia hanging back, his eyes focused on her, an almost challenging look on his face. When his eyes met hers, she immediately glared, her actions only spurring him on as he smirked, beginning to walk over to her. Gabby's body tensed, her arms crossing over her chest as he came to stand beside her, Gabby keeping her attention on Matt.
"Good morning, Dawson." He spoke softly, Gabby ignoring his greeting as she watched Matt talk to Herrmann. "What? No hello?"
"Nope." She bit out, feeling him move closer to her, his arm brushing against hers. Gabby took a step away from him, forcing herself to look towards him, seeing his eyes on her. "What do you want?"
"Just wanted to say hello while you had a minute away from the Captain."
"Why?"
"Well, I have a feeling that Casey doesn't like the idea of us talking very much. Figured it'd be easier to chat while he's distracted." He responded, Gabby's eyes narrowing.
"Yeah, and what gave you the idea that I would want to talk to you?" She questioned, her agitated words only encouraging him.
"You're a fun one, Dawson." He spoke, his eyes moving up and down her body, his grin widening. Feeling uncomfortable under his stares, she instinctively took another step away from him, her gaze rigid.
"I don't know why you're even still here, but I'd appreciate it if you kept your comments to yourself… You not talking to me at all, actually, would be preferable." She bit out, her eyes moving towards Casey. She didn't want to make a scene here, but she also didn't want to be around him any longer than she had to, Gabby's gaze focused on Matt, silently willing him to look her way.
Within seconds, he glanced towards her, Matt able to feel her eyes on him, his face hardening as he saw Garcia standing next to her, and the uneasy look on her face.
Clearing his throat, Matt turned back to the group, flashing them a smile. "Well, I appreciate all the excitement, and I'm glad to be back. But I wanna try and get settled in before the day starts." He told them, patting Otis on the shoulder before he began to move towards Gabby, his stern demeanor returning as he walked towards the two. "Did you need something, Garcia?" He asked roughly.
"No, Captain. Just having a nice chat with Dawson, here." He spoke with a smirk, Matt's neck clenching as he looked to Gabby, seeing her shake her head, telling him to leave it alone. Silently, he reached for her hand, moving her away from Garcia as they headed for the doors.
"Casey, hold on a second." Boden's voice stopped them, the Chief walking towards the couple as they waited in the doorway. "Once you get settled, come to my office." He told him, Matt's eyes moving behind Boden to Garcia, seeing him watching them with that same smug grin.
"Okay, Chief." He responded, swallowing thickly before moving into the firehouse with Gabby, hearing her release a heavy breath once they were alone in the hallway. "What did Garcia want?" He asked almost immediately, Gabby rolling her eyes as they made their way to the locker room.
"He was just trying to talk to me, I'm not sure about what, but I tried to ignore him. Thanks for coming over there, by the way. I don't know where he was trying to take that conversation, but I didn't want to find out." She responded, Matt raising his eyebrows.
"Well, I could practically feel you drilling holes in the side of my head." He joked, Gabby shaking her head as they got to their lockers, Matt placing their bags on the bench as they began the process of putting their stuff away.
"Do you know what Boden wants to talk about?" She asked as she put her bag on the hook, hearing him sigh.
"I'm guessing it's about why Garcia's still here… I don't get it, I'm cleared to work. We don't need two Captains here." She could hear the frustration in his voice, a small frown pulling on her lips. "But I'll find out soon, I guess." He breathed out, shutting his locker before moving towards her, placing his hand on her hip as he stood behind her. "Are you good?"
"I'm alright, just gonna finish up here and then probably go sit with everyone. Go, talk to Boden, figure out what the deal is. Just let me know." She told him, Matt nodding as he placed a kiss to the back of her head before sliding past her, heading out of the locker room.
The walk to Chief's office was a quick one, Matt finding a few members of 51 in the common room, shooting them smiles as he passed. When he got to his destination, he walked in through the open door, tapping on the glass.
"Casey, come in." Boden spoke, Matt stepping inside, closing the door behind him. "Have a seat." He told him, Matt complying as he sat down across from him. "So, I'm sure you might know what this about…"
"Garcia." Casey answered, Boden giving him a pointed look. "What is he still doing here, Chief?" He questioned, the older man sighing.
"I know you've been cleared to work, and that's great. But when headquarters got the paperwork from your doctor, they saw where he recommend that you ease back into it. So the higher ups felt more comfortable keeping Garcia around for a few more shifts, just until you're 100%."
"But I am 100%." Casey argued. "I wouldn't be back here if I wasn't."
"Yes, and you've also missed over six weeks of work." Chief responded, Matt sulking back in his chair.
"I have no say in this, do I?" Casey asked, Boden shaking his head.
"No, you don't. And I don't either." He answered, Casey clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he nodded. "I know there's some weird… tension between the two of you, and I'm not sure why, but if I see you are fully capable of performing your duties, I'll let headquarters know. And I'm sure I could get them to reassign him somewhere else."
"It's because he's a douche." Casey bit out, Boden's eyes widening slightly, not expecting the hostility from his Captain. Blowing out a heavy breath, Casey shook his head, sitting up in his seat. "Sorry Chief, I'm sorry. I know that's not very professional of me, but I get a bad feeling with the guy. And some of the things he says… He just seems like trouble."
"What has he been saying?"
"Stuff about Dawson, mostly. He's made comments about her, to her and to me… And I wasn't really expecting him to be here, that's all."
"I didn't know that." He responded, rubbing his hand over his mouth. "...Unless she reports it, there's not much I can do. But headquarters isn't transferring him here, this isn't a permanent thing. It's only until they feel like you're fully able to do your job." He told the Captain, Matt nodding slowly. "You're still in charge, this is your truck, your house. Not his. That's been made clear to everyone, Garcia included. You're still making the calls, he's only here in case he needs to step in."
"Alright Chief." He responded, pushing himself up from his seat.
"It's good to have you back, Casey." Boden told him, Matt nodding as he headed for the door.
"It's good to be back." He replied just as the bells went off, signaling the entire house to a fire downtown.
"Get out there, Captain." Boden prompted, Matt flashing him a small smile before jogging towards the garage. As he moved, he felt confidence rise within him as he realized there was no pain in his knee, despite the higher impact movement of his running. It felt good, he felt good. And he was glad to be back.
Casey hopped down from the truck, taking in the scene in front of him, seeing the small shop ablaze as a few bystanders stood on the street, a few mixed in the crowd who had clearly been inside when the place went up.
"81, with me. Let's move." He called, walking towards the building. "Is anyone else in there?" He questioned one of the bystanders, seeing a woman beside him coughing harshly, soot covering her face.
"I don't… I don't know, it all happened so fast." A man stuttered out, Matt glancing back to see 61 pull up.
"Alright, sir. Mouch, take these people to Brett, have them get checked out. Everyone else, with me."
"What's the plan, Casey?" Severide asked as he came up beside him.
"Do a quick sweep, it looks like a relatively small store. Your guys start from the east, we'll start at the other end and go through it quickly." He told his friend, Kelly nodding.
"My daughter! Help, my daughter!" A man yelled as he came stumbling through the smoke, hacking out coughs as he fell forward onto the pavement, landing on his hands and knees. "Help, my daughter's still inside, I can't find her!" He shouted as loud as he could, despite his lungs being filled with smoke.
"Foster, over here!" Casey called as he rushed over, him and Garcia dragging the man away from the fire.
"Where was your daughter, sir?" Garcia asked, as members of truck and squad began to mask up.
"I… I don't know. She ran off when I in the deli. She's only three, you have to find her."
"We'll get her, sir." Garcia spoke, putting his mask in place, heading for the door.
"Garcia, wait." Casey called, stopping the man in his tracks. "You and Kidd, stay together. Otis, with me." He ordered, Luke waiting impatiently by the door.
"We need to hurry, Casey. We don't have any time to waste, or it could get her killed."
"Killed?!" The man shouted, scrambling up off the ground, pushing away from Foster. "What are you doing just standing here, get inside! Get my daughter!" He yelled through his coughs, Matt nodding towards Severide to take squad in, Garcia and Kidd following with them.
"We are going to do everything we can to find your girl, but to do that I need you to stay back. Alright? We'll get her." Casey spoke, Mouch and Herrmann pulling the man back towards one of the other ambulances.
Gabby stood by 61, administering oxygen as she looked up just in time to see Matt run into the burning building with Otis right behind him. It never got any easier, watching him put his life on the line to save others. And especially after their conversation this morning, she knew it wasn't easy for him either.
There wasn't any point in time where she didn't worry about him on the job. Even though she knew he was always careful, and more than capable of doing his job, she still worried about him, and felt nerves rise in her gut every time he disappeared into a burning building. Because she knew there was millions of aspects to this job that were out of his control. His last call before his injury was a perfect example of that. It should've been nothing, and it could've killed him. Had he fallen harder, or fallen on something, he could've died. There was no way to know what was happening to him in there, and it worried her.
"Casey, you got anything?" Gabby heard Severide's voice over the radio, the paramedic trying her best to focus on her patients.
"No, not yet. We've almost cleared our side. She's gotta be in here somewhere, but it's getting hot in here." Matt spoke back.
It was only a few more moments that had passed when Gabby heard a loud explosion, her eyes widening as she ducked, watching fire pour out through the windows, smoke rolling out into the sky.
"We need to get out, now! Everyone alright?"
Gabby waited with bated breath, hearing everyone respond saying they were good. Everyone except Matt and Otis.
"Casey? Otis?" Severide called through the radio, Gabby watching on in panic, trying her hardest to keep calm despite the nerves flooding her system. "Casey?!"
"I got them!" Garcia's voice came through, Gabby releasing a heavy breath, feeling Brett's hand come up to rest on her arm. Looking over, she saw the blonde giving her a supportive smile, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. "The explosion knocked down some shelves, they're underneath them."
"We're fine." Casey choked out, Gabby's breath hitching, her eyes falling closed in relief. "I've got the girl. Make sure 61's on standby, she's unconscious." Matt responded.
"We're ready, Casey." Gabby responded immediately, keeping her voice steady.
"We're coming out." Garcia spoke after a few moments, Gabby and Brett moving towards the door with the gurney, Foster coming to meet them from her position over by another ambulance.
Firefighters started coming from the building, Gabby keeping her eyes peeled for Matt. It wasn't until the last few came out that she saw him, Matt cradling the little girl in his arms, holding her head to his shoulder. He walked straight to the gurney, placing her down on it while a few of the firefighters had to hold back the girl's father.
"Sir, you've gotta stay out of the way." Severide spoke, him and Cruz holding him back. "Our paramedics are gonna try and help her, but you've gotta stay back."
Brett and Foster began working on the girl, getting her hooked up to monitors and oxygen, Brett nodding at Gabby, telling her they had it.
Instantly she turned to Matt, seeing his eyes glued to the little girl as he pulled off his mask, his breathing heavy.
"Did you hurt anything, are you okay?" She asked quickly, her eyes tracing over his body, looking for any obvious signs of injury. But with the bulky gear, it was hard to see much. "Matt?" She questioned when he hadn't answered her, his eyes snapping into focus as he heard her voice, tearing his gaze away from the little girl to look towards Gabby, seeing the fear and concern in her eyes. "Are you hurt?" She asked again, Matt shaking his head, Gabby's hands coming up to cup his cheeks.
"No, no I'm okay." He breathed out, Gabby nodding as she pulled him into a tight hug, her arms wrapping around his neck. "I'm okay." He assured her, rubbing up and down her back.
"You gotta stop doing this." She whispered in his ear. "You're scaring the hell out of me."
"I'm sorry." He responded, holding her a little tighter. "But I'm good. I swear."
"Okay." She spoke, placing a kiss against his neck before pulling away, rubbing her hand against his face as they separated, Gabby giving him one last once-over before returning her attention back to the little girl, the paramedics wheeling her towards the ambulance.
Matt tossed the pillow back on his bunk, looking at his handiwork as he had the dirty sheets piled by the door, next to a box of random belongings that weren't his. 81 had gotten back from their first call about an hour and a half ago, Matt having spent some time with the guys before returning to his office, needing the chance to get settled in. Thankfully, Garcia had gotten rid of all the trash and dirty dishes he seemed to like to leave around, and had gotten the majority of his paperwork sorted, not leaving Matt left with much to clean up. But he had left a few of his personal belongings in here, along with a few files he must've missed, Matt putting them all in a box for him.
"Looks like you've gotten settled in quickly." Matt looked up to see Garcia standing in his open doorway, Matt keeping his face blank before going back to tidying up.
"Well, it's my office." He responded, nodding towards the box on the ground. "That's your stuff, by the way."
"Oh, thank you. I was just coming to finish up, but looks like I don't have to." He spoke, Matt merely nodding as he sat down in his chair. Garcia bent down to pick up the box, hanging back in the doorway, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
"Need something?" Matt asked, glancing back to see him still standing there.
"I just want to make sure there's no hard feelings about the call earlier…"
"What?"
"About me trying to go in before you. I hope you didn't take it as any disrespect." He spoke, Matt shaking his head.
"I didn't. I know you're a Captain, too. You're not used to listening to orders, I get it. We would've only had a problem if you ignored me." He spoke, Garcia nodding.
"I guess I'm just used to jumping in. And I know you've been out for awhile, I wasn't sure how it was gonna go… All things considered, I think we got lucky."
"Lucky?"
"Yeah. I mean, we were already pushing it waiting that long… it's a good thing nothing happened to that little girl. Or you." He replied, Matt's eyes narrowing.
"You have to have a plan before running into a burning building, you can't just go be a cowboy and expect things to go okay." Matt responded, leaning back in his chair. "We had to take the time to establish a plan for everyone. If we don't, that's when it becomes dangerous. And it wastes time."
"I know. All I'm saying is we got lucky today." He repeated, Matt's head tilting to the side. Before he could question him any further, he caught a glimpse of Gabby walking towards his office, carrying something by her side as she approached, her steps slowing.
Garcia saw Matt's line of sight change, the man turning around to see Gabby walking towards them. "Oh look, Dawson's here." He spoke lightly, her gaze narrowing as she got closer. "I'm gonna get out of the way, after seeing you two in the truck this morning, and that show you put on at the call, I don't think I want to be here to see anything else... Dawson." He nodded towards her as he stepped away, Gabby's glare burning into his back as he left the bunkroom.
"I really hate him." She muttered, shaking her head as she stepped into Matt's office, Casey shrugging.
"Yeah, I'm not a fan either. Did you guys just get back?" He asked as she came to stand in front of him.
"A few minutes ago."
"How's the girl?"
"She's good, she woke up during transport. She just has some smoke inhalation, they're gonna keep her overnight, but she'll make a full recovery. You saved her." She spoke, Matt nodding.
"Good, good. I'm glad she's gonna be okay." He responded, catching a glimpse of what was in her hands. "Whatcha got there?" He questioned, pulling her closer to him.
"I got these out of your locker, figured they should go back where they belong." She responded, holding out the picture of her and the one of them together.
"You broke into my locker?" He asked with a smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes as she leaned over him, placing the photo of them on his shelf, Matt resting his hand on her bump.
"I don't think it's considered breaking in if I know the combination." She responded, handing the one of just her to him, Matt grinning as he placed it back on his desk.
"Fair enough." He responded, looking back to her to see her eyes on the picture.
"I'm not sure why you like that one so much." She spoke, glancing towards him. "There are far better pictures of me."
Matt shook his head, wrapping his arm around her waist, guiding her down into his lap. "Nope. I love that picture. And I can't wait to add many more pictures alongside it. Like pictures of our little girl." He responded, tapping his fingers against her stomach.
"You can have as many of her as you want... And I'm gonna break your chair." She replied, scrunching up her nose as she tried to stand up, but Matt wouldn't let her.
"Wrong again." He spoke, placing a kiss to the side of her head, Gabby wrapping her arm around his neck, leaning her head against his.
"It's a shame Garcia left, I'm sure he'd love this." Gabby spoke sarcastically, Matt scoffing.
"Who the hell cares what he thinks."
"I know, but just- I didn't do anything wrong, did I? By checking on you at the scene?"
"Of course not." He spoke quickly. "I would've done the same thing. Hell, I have done the same thing. And I know I was kind of out of it, but I do know you checked to make sure Brett and Foster had that little girl before checking on me." He replied, lightly massaging her hip. "Don't let Garcia get in your head, he's not worth it."
"No, I know… I'm just always overthinking things these days. And then with you in that fire, when you didn't respond, you were all I could think about…"
"I didn't mean to scare you."
"I know you didn't. And I'm fine, I am. You've just had me worried lately." She breathed out, rubbing her thumb over his neck.
"That hasn't been my intention, in fact it's been the exact opposite of my intention. Believe me, I'm being as careful as I can. I'm hoping to get some easier calls here soon, my last two haven't exactly been great…"
"No, they haven't. But you saved that little girl. And you didn't injure yourself… right?" She questioned with a raised brow, Matt shaking his head.
"I'm fine."
"Your knee isn't hurting you?"
"It's a little sore, but nothing I can't handle. Dr. Williams said that was to be expected, because I haven't been on it that much."
"You sure it's not anything serious?"
"I'm sure."
"And you're not just saying that to get a certain Captain gone?"
"Nope." He replied, the word popping as it left his mouth. "That's just a bonus. Me pushing myself too hard won't do anything except make him stay longer. Trust me, I'm not overworking it."
"Good, because I need you healthy." She responded, pressing a kiss against his head. "We need you healthy."
"I'll do my best." He promised, cradling her stomach as they sat together in his office, enjoying the time they had before the next call came.
Matt looked up in shock as the back door opened unexpectedly, his surprise disappearing the second Severide walked into the apartment.
"You need to learn how to knock, Sev." Matt spoke, shaking his head as he went back to preparing dinner, Kelly scoffing as he came up to the other side of the island.
"You knew I was coming." He responded, grabbing a crouton from the salad and popping it into his mouth. "Where's Dawson?"
"In the living room." Matt spoke, nodding that direction, seeing Kelly's smirk widen as he began walking that way. "What?" Matt questioned, Kelly shrugging as he walked past the already-set table.
"You're such a househusband. It's cute." He joked, Matt rolling his eyes as Kelly walked into the living room, finding Dawson on the couch.
"Making fun of Matt, already?" She asked teasingly, Kelly grinning as he moved towards her.
"Maybe just a little." He replied, leaning down to place a quick kiss to the top of her head, rubbing his hand against her stomach. "How are you and the princess?" He asked, Gabby's smile widening as he moved to sit in the chair beside her.
"We're good. A little tired, but good." She responded, muting the television.
"That's good." He responded, glancing back out towards the kitchen, seeing flashes of Matt moving around the room. "So, what did you invite me over for, anyway? Not that I don't love an evening in with my favorite old married couple, but I just wasn't expecting it… You don't have more furniture for me to move, do you?" He asked, Gabby chuckling as she shook her head.
"No Sev, there's no furniture to move. Although I'm not sure if you've seen the crib yet, Matt finished that about two weeks ago."
"Oh, he showed me. He was all impressed with himself." Severide responded with a grin.
"I can hear you guys, you know." Matt called from the kitchen, Kelly waving his hand, ignoring his comment.
"We just asked you to come for dinner because we like you, Kelly." She responded, Severide's eyes narrowing. "...And there's something we want to talk to you about."
"Oh man, I knew it. I'm in trouble. Look, I haven't made any more jokes about Matt having an affair, nor have I made any stupid comments about how you look-" Kelly cut himself off as he saw her raised eyebrows, Gabby cocking her head to the side. "Beautiful. You look beautiful." He added, Gabby scoffing as she shook her head.
"Nice save." She responded, adjusting her positioning on the couch. "But no, you're not in trouble Kelly. At least not yet."
"Then what is it?" He asked, their conversation getting interrupted by a knock on the front door.
"Can you get that?" She asked, Kelly looking at her skeptically before slowly standing.
"Why? Who is it?"
"You'll see when you get it, can you please just be helpful so I don't have to get up." She groaned, kicking against his leg to get him moving, Severide heading towards the front door. Pulling it open, he was pleasantly surprised to see Jemma on the other side, seeing her initial reaction of shock morph into a soft smile.
"Hey Severide." She greeted, Kelly stepping aside so she had room to walk in.
"Hey Jemma, I see you got invited as well." He spoke, the paramedic placing her bag down by the front door as Kelly closed it.
"Yeah, Gabby called and asked me to come for dinner. I didn't realize you'd be here, too."
"So you don't know what this is about?"
"What do you mean?" She asked, stepping further into the apartment.
"Gabby said we're here because we 'need to talk'. Doesn't sound good." He replied.
"Severide, would you calm down." Gabby spoke from the couch, Jemma smiling as she caught Gabby's gaze.
"Hey Gabby." She spoke, coming over to give her a friend. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm doing good, feeling decent."
"That's good." She responded, sitting down on the edge of the couch next to her. "How's the baby?"
"She's doing great, everything's good."
"Great, that's good to hear. Is Matt here?"
"He's working on dinner." Gabby replied, the sound of a plate hitting the floor filling the room as if on cue. "Well, he's trying."
"We're good!" He called from the kitchen, Kelly shaking his head.
"I'm gonna go see if he needs some help."
"Please don't burn the place down." Gabby teased, Severide rolling his eyes as he disappeared into the kitchen.
"So it's a little chaotic around here." Jemma commented, earning a laugh from Dawson.
"Just a little. We should probably get in there, dinner should be ready soon." Gabby spoke, Jemma nodding as she stood up from the couch, offering her hands to Gabby to help her, Dawson graciously accepting. Even though she hated to admit it, she was getting close to the time in her pregnancy where every day tasks kept getting harder and harder, but she'd been doing better at allowing others to help her, even when she didn't really want to.
The paramedics walked into the kitchen, seeing Matt and Kelly standing in the kitchen, whispering something she couldn't quite make out. But when Matt's eyes widened slightly when he saw her, and they immediately halted their conversation, she assumed it had something to do with her.
"Everything alright?" She asked carefully, Matt shooting her a smile, grabbing the large plate filled with chicken, heading towards the table.
"Everything's perfect." He replied, placing a kiss on her lips as he passed her.
The four soon got settled at the table, Matt and Gabby sitting on one side while Kelly and Jemma sat across from them, everyone digging into their food.
"So, how was your first shift back, Matt?" Jemma asked.
"It was good. My knee held up well, which is what we were going for."
"That's great." She responded, flashing both Matt and Gabby a soft smile. "I'm so glad you're feeling better. You had me worried there for awhile."
"Yeah, me too." Gabby added, Matt smiling softly at her, leaning over to place a kiss to the side of her head before returning his attention to his food.
The night wore on, the friends enjoying their meal, laughter often being heard around the table up until dessert, Matt having gotten up to grab the pie from the fridge.
"Gabby, did you make this one?" Kelly asked as Matt placed it down on the table.
"With help. I mostly sat while instructing him… so if it's not good, blame Matt." She teased, Casey rolling his eyes as he went to get plates so they could enjoy the last part of their meal.
"Alright, enough stepping around this." Kelly started as Matt served him a piece of pie. "What'd you all really bring Jemma and I here for?" He asked, gesturing back and forth between himself and the paramedic.
Matt glanced to Gabby, seeing her shrug before looking to Kelly.
"I told you, we wanted to talk to you. Both of you."
"About what?" He asked before taking a bite of his dessert. "...Yeah, definitely not as good as Dawson's, but it's not bad Casey."
"Thanks, I think." Matt responded with a chuckle, Gabby rolling her eyes.
"Kelly, put the fork down." Gabby ordered lightly, Severide huffing before complying, leaning back in his seat. "Matt and I want to talk to you, or I guess we want to ask you something." She spoke, seeing both of them looking at her. "You wanna do it?" She asked Matt, Casey nodding.
"Sure."
"Do what?" Kelly asked impatiently.
"Gabby and I want to know if you'll be our daughter's godparents."
Jemma's eyes widened in excitement, Kelly's face mirroring hers as they looked towards the expectant parents.
"Of course!" Jemma blurted out quickly, joy filling her voice as she stood up, coming around the table to wrap Gabby up in a tight hug.
"I knew it..." Severide breathed out, coming over as well, Matt standing up to give him a hug. "Of course, yes I'll be her godfather." He spoke, patting Matt's back. Jemma and Kelly switched positions, Kelly giving Gabby a hug as Jemma went to Matt.
"Thank you guys, for trusting me enough for this. This is incredible." Jemma said, hugging Matt tightly.
"You were our first choice, honestly." He told her as they pulled back. "Both of you were." They all returned to their seats, Gabby wiping away the few happy tears that escaped down her cheeks. "It didn't take much of a discussion, we love both of you so much, you've both been amazing friends to us. Kelly, I know you already kind of assumed you'd be her godfather, and I know I had some fun messing with you about it, but there was really no other choice. I know you're gonna love our daughter so much. And yeah, you'll be her Uncle Kelly, but we both want you to be her godfather."
"Of course, absolutely." Severide spoke, blinking back the tears in his eyes. "You've made an excellent choice." He responded, trying to ease some of the heaviness in the room, earning chuckles from around the table.
"And Jemma, I know we haven't known you all that long, not nearly as long as Kelly here, but even though it's only been like seven months, you've been the greatest friend to Gabby." Matt spoke, clearing the emotion from his voice. "You've helped her so much, you've been there for her when she needed you, and I can never thank you enough for that. Knowing she has you, that she has someone there for her like you are, it's made me not have to worry as much. And Gabby and I both know you'll be there for our daughter the same way. We know how much you already love her, and how you'll always look out for her. We want you to be her godmother, if you want to."
"Yes, yes of course." She responded, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "I'd be honored." Jemma stood up again, coming to Gabby's side, wrapping her up in another hug as the friends cried happy tears together.
Matt turned the lock on the front door once he closed it, securing it in place before moving through the apartment, turning off the lights as he went. It ended up being a long night for Matt, Kelly, and Jemma, the three friends chatting in the living room long after Gabby had called it quits. She had encouraged both Kelly and Jemma to stay before she left them to go to the bedroom, the pregnant paramedic more than ready for bed. Matt had spent a few good hours with them, only leaving them long enough when he needed to help Gabby into the bath, and then again to help her out of it, along with the one time he went to go check on her after she'd fallen asleep.
After making sure the back door was locked, Matt headed for the bedroom, slowly opening the door, the light from the bathroom giving him a view of Gabby. She was curled up in the middle of the bed, surrounded by multiple pillows supporting her. The sight made him grin, Matt shaking his head in amusement as he moved towards the bathroom, knowing he'd had to get creative to find a place to sleep next to her.
Once in the bathroom, he stripped from his clothes, turning on the shower, beginning his routine to get ready for bed. Once the water was warm enough, he hopped inside, beginning his quick shower. He didn't want to take too much time, knowing the noise might wake Gabby, and, aside from that, he was absolutely exhausted. He had gotten out of the rhythm of working twenty four hour shifts, and his first one back had been a harder adjustment than he thought it would. That, added on top of the late night with his friends, it all left him very much ready for bed.
Within ten minutes, Matt was back in the bedroom, tossing his dirty clothes in the hamper before moving to the dresser. After pulling out a pair of boxers and sliding them on, Matt stepped towards the bed, carefully pulling back the covers and climbing in. He knew this wouldn't be a night where they could hold onto one another while they slept, Gabby having already made herself comfortable, so he settled for lightly resting his palm over her stomach while he faced her, glancing up as she stirred in her sleep.
"Matt?" He winced as he heard her groggy voice, Matt caressing her belly softly.
"Hey, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's fine." She responded, a yawn escaping her lips, Gabby placing her hand over his as she opened her eyes. "Did they leave?"
"Yeah, about half an hour ago." He answered, Gabby nodding as she closed her eyes again, a content smile on her face.
"I think tonight went well." She spoke quietly, her voice thick with sleep.
"It did." He agreed, leaning over and pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Go back to sleep. We can talk in the morning."
"Okay. I love you." She murmured, Matt smiling as he placed his head back onto his pillow.
"I love you, too." He replied, rubbing his hand over her stomach before closing his eyes, sleep soon overtaking them both.
And there's the end of chapter fifty. Thank you all for the amazing amount of love and support you've constantly given me. There aren't enough words for me to express how much each and every one of you mean to me. Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my work, thank you for taking the time to leave me a review. Thank you to everyone who's favorited this story, followed this story, favorited and followed me. Just thank you.