Hello hello! Here's the next chapter for you all. Thank you for the kind words you left me on the last one, it meant the world to me.
I hope you enjoy this one!
Chapter Fifty One
Matt and Kelly walked into the common room, Casey's eyes catching Gabby's from her spot at the table as the paramedic flashed him a soft smile, the action causing his chest to fill with warmth.
"Guys guess what," Severide spoke up, gaining the attention of the full room, "the kid is mine!" He yelled triumphantly, Casey rolling his eyes as he walked towards Gabby.
"What?" Herrmann asked, confusion clear in his voice.
"Dawson's baby, I've got dibs."
"Oh, for the love of." Casey muttered, leaning down to place a kiss to the top of Gabby's head as he stood behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder. Gabby chuckled, narrowing her eyes as the gazes of a few firefighters in the room moved towards her.
"Is he high?" Cruz asked as he leaned over to Otis, the man shrugging.
"No, I'm not high." Kelly responded, swatting the back of his head as he passed. "I'm just the godfather." He spoke with a smug grin, Kelly leaning his body against the counter as he faced the room, Matt squeezing Gabby's shoulder.
"So you went with Severide, huh?" Herrmann asked with a smirk, Gabby nodding.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time." She responded, placing her hand over Matt's.
"And you're sure that's the best choice?" Kidd questioned teasingly.
"Well, we had limited options." Casey joked back, Severide rolling his eyes.
"Joke around all you want, there's no going back now. You two made an excellent choice, that little girl is gonna love me." Kelly replied smugly.
"You guys are having a girl?" Garcia spoke up from his spot at the other end of the table, Matt nodding with a tight lipped smile.
"We are."
"And Uncle Kelly's gonna be her favorite." Severide chimed in, Matt scoffing as he shook his head in amusement.
"You do realize we're not actually giving you our daughter, right?" Dawson asked, Kelly waving her off.
"The details aren't important," He replied quickly, earning chuckles from around the room. "What's important is that Kelly Severide is the godfather to little baby Casey."
"Best of luck to that kid." Capp whispered under his breath, Severide shooting him a glare.
"Did you all choose a godmother yet?" Foster asked as she took a sip of her water, Gabby's eyes moving towards the paramedic, catching Brett's gaze.
"Yeah, we did. We asked Jemma." She spoke softly, seeing Sylvie nod slowly, a small grin coming to her face.
"She's a great choice." Brett replied, Gabby blinking tightly as she nodded, flashing her a smile before dropping the blonde's gaze, an unsettling feeling rising in her gut.
Not too long ago, Brett would've been Gabby's first choice to be the godmother to her child, but they weren't really in that place in anymore. They were friends again, there was no awkwardness or weirdness between them, but their relationship wasn't anywhere close to what it used to be. Despite how much Gabby wished they could get back what they lost, she didn't think it was possible anymore, at least not right now. For now, all she hoped was that her choice of godparent didn't make Brett uncomfortable.
"Ah yeah, Jemma will be great. She's a great girl." Herrmann spoke from the couch, Matt rubbing Gabby's shoulders.
"Who's Jemma?" Garcia questioned, Gabby blowing out a breath as she turned towards the man.
"Dawson's friend." Severide replied. "They work together at the SAS." He spoke, Luke's eyebrows furrowing.
"Wait- like the private company? You work there, too?" He asked, Gabby nodding.
"I do." She responded, picking up her drink, taking the last sip of her water.
"Why?"
"It's a long story." She spoke, beginning to stand up, Matt stepping out of the way so she could move her chair, his hand instantly going to her back.
"You alright?" He asked quietly, Gabby giving him a soft nod.
"I'm good, just out of water." She replied, walking towards the kitchen, Matt following her closely.
"I could've gotten it." He offered, Gabby flashing him a small, appreciative smile as she shook her head.
"It's okay, I'd been sitting too long anyway." She spoke as they got to the fridge. With them partially hidden from view, Matt reached out to place his hand over her stomach, Gabby glancing towards him.
"You're feeling okay? Nothing's hurting you or anything?" He questioned, Gabby shaking her head.
"I'm fine, Matt." She responded with a soft grin. "I'm just a little tired, and achy. But I'm fine." Matt nodded understandingly, tapping his thumb against her stomach.
"Could I persuade you into taking a nap?" He asked, Gabby's head cocking to the side.
"It's nine in the morning." She replied, Matt's smile widening.
"So.. Never too early for a nap, especially when you're creating a human life." He spoke quickly, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as she shut the fridge. "Speaking of, have I told you how incredible you are lately? Because you are."
"Someone's feeling sweet today…" She murmured, patting his cheek before walking past him towards the counter, Matt following along behind her.
"Well, it's true. You're the strongest person I know, and you've taken everything with this pregnancy in stride and I'm just.. amazed by you." He breathed out softly, Gabby blinking back the few tears beginning to well in her eyes.
"You know, you can't just say those things and expect me not to cry." She joked, Matt smiling understandingly as he leaned forward, placing a kiss to the side of her head.
"Sorry." He apologized meekly.
"No, it's fine. It's nice to hear, actually… I needed that." She spoke quietly, Matt's face falling slightly, his hand resting on her back.
"You sure you're okay?" He tried again, Gabby giving him a sharp smile as the bells rang out through the house, signaling 61 to a stabbing victim.
"I'm good." She replied, stepping out of his hold.
"Be safe." He told her, Gabby giving him a nod before heading towards the garage, Brett and Foster a few steps ahead of her, the paramedics exiting the room.
"So what's the deal with Dawson, anyway?"
Matt's eyes narrowed as he looked towards the sound of Garcia's voice, seeing his gaze on the door to the garage before he turned back to the room. Luke noticed a few stares, but he didn't elaborate.
"What do you mean?" Severide asked when no one else had, Matt moving around to stand in front of the counter beside Kelly.
"Why does she work both places?" He questioned, everyone looking towards Matt.
"She's only here part-time." Casey replied, Garcia raising his eyebrows.
"Yes, I know. But why? Is it cause of you?" He asked, his gaze locked on Casey.
"I'm sorry?"
"Did you like, get her a job here so you could keep an eye on her and your kid?"
"No." Matt responded sharply.
"Dawson worked here long before her and Casey got together." Herrmann supplemented, Garcia breaking his eye contact with Matt to look towards the older firefighter.
"Really?"
"Yeah, she's been here for a long time, she used to be our PIC before she became a firefighter." Herrmann continued, Garcia's eyes widening slightly.
"Dawson was a firefighter?" He questioned, letting out a light scoff. "Wow, I never would've guessed that."
"She was, yeah."
"What made her go back to being a paramedic? Because of you, Casey?" He asked, Matt's gaze narrowing.
"No, it wasn't because of me. But it's a long story." He spoke sharply, Garcia nodding slowly.
"Why'd she leave the house?" He chose a different tactic, Matt blowing out a heavy sigh, unsure of why Garcia was so curious about Gabby. "I mean, I didn't realize she'd been here for awhile, because of Foster and Brett, so why'd she leave?" Herrmann glanced back to Casey, seeing his body tense, but the Captain made no attempt to answer him.
"She, uh, she went to Puerto Rico for awhile, to help with relief efforts after the hurricane." Herrmann eventually spoke up, Garcia nodding.
"But she didn't decide to come back to work here? Or had her job already been filled?"
"She decided to go work for the private company, thought it was a better fit for her." Herrmann replied, Garcia glancing back towards Casey, being met by his harsh stare.
"Got it… Well, Dawson sounds like quite a woman." Luke spoke, eyeing Matt with a smug grin.
"She is." Herrmann responded slowly, glancing back and forth between the two Captains.
"So why'd she decide to come work here part time, if she chose to go work somewhere else?"
"Why do you want to know so much about Dawson?" Severide questioned before anyone could answer him, Garcia shrugging.
"Just trying to learn a little more about her. She's not the most transparent person I've ever met."
"Well, she doesn't open up to a lot of people." Herrmann replied, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "But she's one hell of a paramedic, maybe the best I've ever worked with."
"I'm sure she was, before she got pregnant." He spoke, heads snapping towards him. Anger flooded through Matt's system as he pushed himself from the counter, taking a step forward.
"Her being pregnant doesn't take away from her abilities as a paramedic." Matt bit out, Garcia shaking his head.
"No, but it does change them. There's nothing wrong with her being pregnant, I admire her for still working. But I guess it all just makes sense now…"
"What does?" Casey questioned, irritation present in his voice as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Why she gets special treatment around here." He responded casually, shrugging his shoulders.
"What are you talking about?" Kelly questioned with a narrowed gaze.
"I just mean how she's able to kind of just work when and how she wants, with sitting out calls and stuff. I don't mean anything bad by it, I just always assumed it was because of Casey… I didn't realize she had been here for so long."
"She doesn't sit out calls because she wants to, it's when she has to, for her safety and for the baby." Matt spoke roughly, Garcia nodding.
"Yeah, I get that. That's why I was confused when she was still working, cause she can't really do her job, and then other people have to pick up the slack… I don't know, the first few times I saw it happen, I just figured it was something that would bother you guys. But it didn't. Now I know why." Garcia said, earning a mixture of confused and annoyed glances from around the room.
"Why would it? No one here has a problem with Dawson needing breaks every now and then." Herrmann spoke up, his voice firmer than usual. "Brett and Foster especially don't mind, and considering they're the people it effects, they're the only ones who really get an opinion on that, don't you think?"
Garcia let out an amused chuckle, shaking his head. "The subject of Dawson is a real touchy one around here, huh? I didn't mean to offend anyone." He spoke with a laugh, Casey's eyes narrowing. "I was just trying to figure out what the deal was, I'm sorry I won't ask questions about her again." He replied sarcastically, Herrmann shaking his head, running his hand over his mouth.
"So, uh, Garcia," Severide broke through the uncomfortable quiet that had filled the room, clearing his throat. "Do you know how many more shifts you got here?" He questioned, Luke grinning, shaking his head.
"Nope. I just keep coming here until headquarters tells me not to. I guess it'll just depend on the abilities of your Captain, here." He spoke, nodding towards Casey.
"I'd say our Captain is just fine." Kelly responded, Garcia smirking.
"Yeah, you seem to be back in fighting shape Casey, which is surprising considering you had so much time off. But this is only your second shift back, I'm guessing they just want to make sure all is good before I go."
"I think we're just fine." Kelly spoke under his breath, Matt's neck clenching as he had to keep himself from firing back at Garcia. This man wouldn't be his problem much longer, pretty soon he'd be gone from the house and, with any luck, Casey would never have to see him again. The last thing he needed was to complicate things by responding to every dumbass comment or remark he made, especially when Matt had a good feeling he was only doing it to get under his skin. He just wished Garcia hadn't latched onto Gabby as his way of getting to him.
Casey sat at his desk in his office, taking a break from the seemingly never-ending stack of paperwork he had to get through as he flipped through the newspaper.
It was pretty quiet in the house right now, both squad and ambo out on separate calls. Truck had gotten back from their only call of the day so far about half an hour ago, squad being routed straight from that scene to help with a car accident. Casey wasn't entirely sure where 61 was at the moment, all he knew was that they hadn't gotten a chance to breathe all morning. They hadn't been back to the house since they first got called out this morning, and that had been nearly four hours ago now.
Matt couldn't help but worry as he sat here, knowing the quick pace wasn't easy on Gabby. He could only hope she'd hung back on a few calls, that she wasn't overdoing it. And he hoped that she'd made a point to get something to eat, seeing as how it was now well past lunch time.
He'd texted with her a few times throughout the morning and early afternoon, Gabby responding when she could, always assuring him she was feeling alright. But still, he worried, knowing she hadn't had any chances to slow down.
Movement through the bunk room caught his attention, Matt glancing up from his newspaper to see Foster walking through the room, Matt's head cocking to the side.
"Foster, hey." He called, stopping the woman in her tracks, Emily moving to his open doorway.
"What's up?"
"I didn't realize you guys were back already." He commented, placing his paper down before pushing himself up from his chair.
"Yeah, we've been back for about ten minutes or so." She replied, Matt nodding.
"Is Gabby in the common room?"
"No, last I knew she was still out in the rig." She spoke, Casey's eyebrows furrowing.
"Thanks Foster." He responded, Emily nodding before continuing her path towards the locker room, Matt leaving his office as he began walking towards the garage.
Pushing open the double doors, he moved towards the rig, the ambulance soon coming into view as he walked past 81. Matt saw Gabby in the front seat, his pacing picking up when he saw her sitting with her head pressed against the headrest, her eyes closed tightly.
As he got closer he noticed her hand resting over her stomach, Matt quickly pulling open the door, worried something was wrong.
Gabby jumped at the unexpected movement, Matt frowning as he placed his hand on her thigh, squeezing it gently.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He spoke quietly, Gabby shaking her head as she gave him a soft smile.
"It's alright, I just didn't hear you coming." She responded, Matt placing one foot on the step into the rig, Gabby's hand coming up to brush through his hair.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes tracing over her face, looking for any signs of discomfort.
"I'm fine."
"You sure?" He questioned, Gabby's eyebrows raising. "It's just you looked like something was wrong, I wasn't sure if you were hurting or anything."
"Nope, nothing's wrong. I'm just tired." She assured him. "Although if me saying I'm sore would get you to give me a massage after shift, well then my back is hurting me a little." She spoke with a grin, Matt shaking his head in amusement.
"You know I'll give you a massage regardless. Are you still wanting to go shopping for more baby stuff tomorrow?"
"I was, yeah. We need to get a bassinet for our room, and there's some other things we still need to get. I don't wanna put it off too much longer."
"No, I agree. I do have a construction job tomorrow though, so the massage may need to wait until after dinner." He told her, Gabby nodding.
"That's fine." She spoke, Matt's eyebrows raising as her face scrunched up slightly.
"What is it?"
"She has the hiccups." She replied, Matt glancing to her stomach with a grin on his face.
"What does that feel like?"
"Weird." She replied after a few seconds, placing her head back against the headrest. "But she's also moving around a lot in there, she's gonna run out of room soon." Gabby breathed out, grimacing as their girl gave her a swift kick. "Yup, right in the ribs, thank you for that." She muttered, Matt shaking his head.
"You gotta be nice to your Momma." He spoke softly as he leaned forward towards her stomach, placing a kiss on her belly. "She's doing a lot for you, let's try and help her out a bit, okay?" Matt placed another kiss over her shirt before pulling back, finding Gabby watching him with a sleepy smile. "How would you feel about that nap now?"
"I'd love one, but I think I need to eat something first."
"That can be arranged." He responded, Gabby scratching his head before dropping her hand, Matt moving out of the way to help her down. Once she was firmly on her feet, he shut the door the rig, wrapping his arm around her shoulders before they began walking through the garage.
Matt blew out a sigh as he pushed his way through the double doors, the Captain making his way back out into the garage, finding Kelly where he'd left him at the squad table moments prior.
"Find out anything?" Severide asked, Matt pulling out his chair, falling down into it.
"Yeah, according to main they just left med. They're fine, should be here in a few minutes."
"See, you worried for nothing." Kelly responded, Matt huffing out a breath. "Do you feel any better? Now that you've kept tabs on Dawson?"
Rolling his eyes, Matt leaned back in the chair, crossing his hands behind his head. "I'm not keeping tabs on her, but she hadn't answered any of my messages, I just wanted to know she was okay." He defended, Kelly looking at him with an amused grin. "I tried to get her not to go on this call, I told her to just stay back and rest, it was already pretty late for her, but she wanted to go. Although I think had she known ahead of time they'd be gone for almost three hours, she would've stayed back."
"You're so overprotective." Kelly chuckled, Matt narrowing his eyes.
"Can you blame me?" He challenged, Severide shaking his head.
"No, I can't. It's just funny, considering we all know how much Dawson absolutely loves being watched over." He spoke sarcastically, Casey releasing a heavy breath, shaking his head.
But Matt didn't bother responding when he heard the sound of the ambo pulling up, Casey able to see it partially through the maze of rigs as it got into place.
"What, you're not gonna go help her out of the ambulance?" Severide asked with a gleam in his eye, Matt leaning forward to smack the back of his head.
"You're not funny." Matt responded, turning back to look, seeing Brett and Foster walking towards him, a look of confusion spreading across his face when he didn't see Gabby.
"Hello ladies." Severide greeted, Matt's attention getting drawn to movement across the garage, seeing Gabby heading straight for the doors. Figuring she just hadn't known he was out here, he pushed himself up, walking towards her.
"Hey there." He called, but Gabby gave him no response as she went through the doors, not even glancing his way. Worry settled in his gut as he picked up his pace, Matt quickly following after her. It didn't take him long to catch up, the slower pace she was moving at these days making it relatively easy for him to find her in the hallway. "Gabby?" He questioned, reaching for her arm.
Drawing in a deep breath, she reluctantly turned around, Matt's frown deepening as he saw the sad look in her eyes, her exhaustion mixing with a few unshed tears.
"Whoa whoa, what's wrong?" He questioned immediately, his hand coming up to cradle her cheek, his frown deepening when she shied away from his touch. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She responded shortly, his concern morphing into confusion as he watched her tired eyes bounce around the small space they were in.
"You sure?" He prodded, worry permanently etched into his face. He knew she was lying, it was obvious that something had upset her, but Gabby wanted nothing to do with his comfort.
"I'm sure. You don't have to constantly check up on me all the time." She bit out, his eyebrows raising slightly, surprised by the slight hostility he heard in her tone. Matt wasn't sure why she was pushing him away, but whatever this was, she didn't want his help right now. He just didn't know what could've happened to cause her to be this angry; it was a complete shift from how she'd been when he last saw her, and it had him worried.
"Sorry..." He apologized slowly, his eyes tracing over her tired face. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright, that ended up being a pretty long call." A look he couldn't read flickered in her eyes, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek roughly. Matt tentatively reached out for her arm, squeezing it gently.
"I'm fine, I just want to sleep. I'm exhausted." She responded, avoiding his eye contact as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Knowing better than to push her, he nodded, dropping his hand from her arm. "Okay." He replied, slowly leading her towards the bunk room.
It didn't take much guessing for him to know something had happened during her last call, that she wasn't so much mad at him, she was just taking out whatever it was on him. It wasn't something she did often, and in the past, she usually only did it when he was pestering her and wouldn't leave her alone. But this was something different altogether. And clearly, she didn't want to talk about it. Whatever it was, it wasn't something she wanted to discuss right now, so he decided to leave it alone. Even though he was a little caught off guard by her agitation towards him, he didn't want to make it worse, so he took it in stride and just walked with her to the bunk room.
"How about you sleep in my office?" He offered, Gabby glancing up to him, Matt feeling his stomach sink when he caught the sad look in her eyes.
"I don't care to sleep out here."
"You'd sleep better in there." He replied, Gabby taking a deep breath before nodding, letting him lead her to the small room, too tired to put up any more of a fight.
She moved to the bed and climbed under his covers in silence, Matt grabbing the extra pillow he kept at his bedside for her, watching as she shoved it under her stomach. "You need anything?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head wordlessly. Releasing a soft sigh, he nodded, leaning down to place a lingering kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, sleep well." He murmured before heading for the door, hearing her mumble a response before he left the dark office, closing the door behind him.
A mixture of confusion and concern swept through him, Matt bringing his hand up to rub over his mouth, the Captain shaking his head before heading out of the bunk room. He was as quiet as possible, not wanting to wake the few sleeping firefighters as he made his way back out to the garage, seeing Brett and Foster still where he'd left them with Severide.
"How is she?" Brett asked when she caught sight of Matt, Casey blowing out a heavy breath.
"Something's going on with her. What happened on that call?" He questioned, Brett and Foster glancing to one another as they heard the concern in his voice.
"We lost our patient on the way to the hospital, our gunshot victim." Emily spoke up first. "The woman was pregnant." Matt's eyes fell closed, his hand coming up to run over the side of his face. "We didn't know until after we got her in the ambulance, but there wasn't anything we could do for her. She never really had a chance… Dawson took it hard, though."
Matt nodded slowly, sitting down in the chair next to Severide. He knew that was bound to rattle her. It was a terrible situation regardless, but especially with her being pregnant, that had to have been hard.
"I think it just hit close to home, and upset her. I'm sure once she sleeps it off, she'll be fine." Foster added, Matt nodding slowly, barely registering the paramedics as they said their goodbyes, heading inside.
He knew Emily was probably right, that it was just Gabby having a hard time dealing with the call, but something in his gut was telling him that wasn't the entire story. Gabby had never been the type to project herself onto other people, especially not patients. She was able to compartmentalize better than most anyone else he'd ever worked with, so he wasn't convinced that's all it was. He knew that would've upset her, it would've upset anyone, and the fact that she had been somewhat unpredictable lately when it came to her emotions didn't help matters either. Logic told him that's probably all it was, that the call had upset her and she was taking it harder than she usually would've, but the nagging feeling in his stomach couldn't let it go. He couldn't see that being the only reason for the hostility she'd shown him, that being the only reason she pushed him away, it didn't make sense to him. He couldn't help but think there was more going on, he just wasn't sure what.
All he knew to do was let her rest, and see if she felt any better in the morning. He just had to hope that he'd be able to get some answers as to what's really bothering her tomorrow, there was nothing more he could right now.
Jemma stepped into the busy bar, the door falling closed behind her as her eyes bounced around the room. She wasn't sure the person she was looking for would be here, but, knowing that Gabby's shift at the firehouse had ended this morning, she was hoping he'd be here somewhere. Her gaze traced over the many unfamiliar faces in the room before she landed on a few she recognized. It wasn't the person she came here looking for, but it was a start.
"Hey Jemma." Kidd greeted from behind the bar as the paramedic came into view, Stella flashing her a wide smile. Jemma reciprocated the action, glancing to her right to see Brett sitting there, the blonde giving her a nod. "I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight, how have you been?"
"I'm doing good, how are you?"
"Can't complain." She replied, wiping down the bar in front of her. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"Uh, no, I was actually wondering if Herrmann was here? I was wanting to talk to him about something." She asked, Kidd's eyebrows raising in curiosity before she nodded, her gaze moving down the bar.
"Yeah, he's around here somewhere. Everything okay?" Kidd asked, Jemma smiling softly.
"Yeah, I just needed to ask him something." She replied, her eyes following Kidd's, seeing Herrmann step out from the back. "Oh, there he is. Thanks Kidd. It was good to see you guys."
"You too. Oh, and we heard that Dawson and Casey asked you to be the kid's godmother, that's so exciting." Kidd spoke with a warm smile, Jemma nodding slowly.
"Yeah, yeah it is." She replied, glancing in between Brett and Kidd, the blonde giving her a small smile. "I wasn't expecting it at all, but they asked and I couldn't say no. I'm so excited to meet their little girl." Jemma said, her eyes lighting up with joy.
"She's gonna be quite the kid, that's for sure. I imagine a mini-Dawson, with just as much personality, if not more. Casey's gonna have his hands full." Stella joked, earning laughs from the two paramedics.
"Oh, he definitely will." Jemma agreed, her eyes flickering back towards Herrmann. "I'm gonna go and catch him before he gets busy, are you all gonna be here awhile?" The younger woman asked, Kidd nodding.
"Yeah, I'm closing down tonight." Stella responded.
"I'll be here." Brett added.
"After I talk to Herrmann I might come back and hang with you all, if you don't mind the company." Jemma offered.
"Of course not." Sylvie spoke, her smile widening.
"Great, alright I'll be back in a minute." Norris replied, flashing them a smile before stepping away, weaving her way through the different groups of people, walking towards the end of the bar where she saw Severide, Herrmann, someone she's pretty sure is named Cruz, and a man she didn't recognize.
"Jemma, hey!" Severide greeted loudly, placing his beer on the bar as he got up from his stool, giving the woman a quick hug.
"Hey Severide." She responded, rubbing his back before they separated, turning her attention to the small group of men.
"Oh, so this is the Jemma I've been hearing all about." The unknown man spoke, Norris' eyes narrowing in confusion as she glanced between Severide and Herrmann, seeing the annoyed looks on both their faces.
"Jemma, this is Luke Garcia." When Severide said the name, her face tightened slightly. The paramedic had heard all about Captain Garcia, Gabby having called her to vent more than once about the man, and from her friend's experiences, she wasn't impressed. "He was filling in for Casey while he was out."
"Nice to meet you." She replied with a forced smile, the man's grin widening, his eyes trailing up and down her body.
"It's nice to meet you, too." He responded with a smirk, Jemma clearing her throat before looking back towards Herrmann.
"Herrmann, do you have a minute?" She asked, seeing the flicker of confusion in his gaze before he nodded.
"Yeah, of course kid." He responded, nodding towards the back room. Jemma gave Kelly a soft smile before following Herrmann to the back, rolling her eyes as she felt Garcia's gaze on her. "Everything alright?" The firefighter asked once they were alone, Jemma nodding.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine, I just came to ask you something." She prefaced, Herrmann crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm planning a baby shower for Gabby, and I was wondering if 51 would be open to helping me out a little bit?" She questioned, Herrmann immediately nodding.
"Yeah, of course. I didn't realize you had started planning anything." He replied, Jemma shrugging.
"I've been talking back and forth with Casey about it, and I've mentioned it to Severide, but nothing's been set in stone yet." She said, Herrmann nodding. "At first, I thought about doing it while you all were on shift, but I know that's not the most practical. If you all get a call or something, there's no telling how long you'd be gone. So then I thought about maybe doing it here." She continued, realization washing over Herrmann, now understanding why she'd come to him. "I was thinking some afternoon when you all are off shift, we could do it here, if that's okay with you."
"Absolutely, I think that's a great idea." Herrmann responded with a bright grin. "And I agree, doing it on shift would be great, but I think here is the better option. Do you have a date yet?"
"No, not yet. But it'll be soon. I need to nail down a specific day with Matt, but as soon as I know I'll tell you."
"Sounds good. I know everyone would love to help with whatever, just let us know."
"I will. Thanks Herrmann." She responded, the firefighter patting her on the shoulder.
"Of course, anything for Dawson." He spoke, Jemma flashing him an agreeing smile before the two left the back room, Norris heading towards Kidd and Brett while Herrmann went back to the guys.
Matt blew out a heavy breath as he sat on the edge of the tub, listening to Gabby move around the bedroom while he watched the water rise slowly.
It had been a long day for the couple, for Gabby especially, and Matt could only hope this bath would make her feel better, and ease some of the tension that had been present between them during the last twenty-four hours.
After the rough call Gabby had come back from last night, he had hoped that letting her sleep it off would help her feel better. That she just needed some rest, and she'd be ready to talk to him about it. But that wasn't the case at all.
Gabby was in the same mindset this morning as she had been the night before; she was agitated and clearly upset, but not wanting to talk about it. Her frustrations had only continued to be directed towards Matt, and it had made for a tense day.
They still decided to go shopping, Matt being on the receiving end of a harsh glare from her this morning when he suggested they go another day, Gabby not wanting to hear it. So they went, and it hadn't been the most joyous time.
There was obvious distance she had been putting between them, and Matt quit fighting it. He hadn't pressed her to talk, but throughout the morning he'd tried to show that he was there for her, that she could talk to him if she wanted. But his efforts seemed to annoy her as much as him trying to talk to her about it. At one point he had brought up their engagement, hoping that would lift her spirits and get her thoughts off whatever was bothering her, but when he asked if she'd thought anymore about when she wanted to get married, she immediately shot him down. His topic had only seemed to make things worse, so he left her alone. Her mind was clearly elsewhere, and he didn't want to upset her further, especially out in public. He gave his advice when asked, and made a few suggestions here and there while they were shopping, but for the most part they shopped in silence.
When they'd gotten home in the early afternoon, he'd hoped there would be some conversation between them, but Gabby wanted none of it. She'd immediately gone in their bedroom and shut the door, leaving Matt on his own out in the living room. The concern he'd been feeling for her emotional state the last few weeks had only grown after her behavior since last night, so much so that he tried to get out of his construction job this afternoon to stay with her, just incase she wasn't able to ignore whatever was bothering her anymore. But Gabby wanted him to go.
When he crept into the bedroom and found her awake, she'd urged him to go to his job. It took some convincing, but after multiple assurances that she was fine, and that the extra money couldn't hurt, he agreed to go. And something in the back of his mind had told him that maybe a little space for a few hours couldn't hurt.
So he went. And when he had gotten home an hour ago, he was thankful to see Gabby in better spirits. Something was still bothering her, it was obvious, but she was more welcoming than she had been, Matt hoping she was warming up to the idea of telling him whatever had her so bothered.
They had enjoyed a quick, and mostly quiet, dinner, before Matt offered to start a bath for her, wanting Gabby to be as relaxed as possible before he gave her a massage. They hadn't talked about it since yesterday afternoon, but he assumed she was still wanting one, and he was hoping it would help to ease some of the tension not only from her, but between them.
Swirling his hand around in the water, Matt made sure the temperature wasn't too warm before turning off the faucet, sitting up straight as he heard movement from the doorway, glancing over to see Gabby walk in. Clad in his t-shirt that she'd been wearing most of the day, she slowly moved towards him, Matt seeing an almost hesitant look on her face.
When she got to him, she stopped a few inches short of the tub, rubbing her hands together as she met his eyes, a shy smile forming over her face. "Will you join me?" She asked softly, Matt's gaze softening.
He knew it was her version of a peace offering, that she was trying to make up for her distance since last night. And he wasn't about to turn her down.
Nodding slowly, he reached out for her, wrapping his arm around her back, slowly bringing her closer to him, his hand coming up to rest over her growing bump.
"Of course." He replied, rubbing her stomach for a few moments before moving his hands towards the hem of her shirt, slowly pulling it from her body, the material falling silently to the floor. Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her bare belly, whispering soft words to their daughter before carefully guiding Gabby back a few steps as he stood up.
She stepped out of her underwear while Matt got undressed, their clothes forming into a combined pile before he helped her into the tub, both of them moving slowly. Her hands were gripping his forearms as she sat down, Matt not releasing his hold until he knew she was situated. Gabby left room for Matt to slowly and carefully slide in behind her, their large tub able to accommodate both him and her growing body as he leaned back against the bathtub. Gabby got comfortable, leaning herself back into his chest, her head resting against his shoulder as she blew out a heavy sigh, Matt's hands coming around to cradle her stomach.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, Matt focused on her breathing as he kept his eyes on her stomach, feeling her trace her index finger over the inside of his knee.
"I'm sorry for today."
His eyes opened as he heard her gentle voice fill the quiet room, Matt sighing softly before pressing a kiss against her neck.
"It's okay, you don't need to apologize. I'm just worried about you." He spoke against her skin, pressing another kiss to her neck as he felt her rest her forearms on his knees, her hand covering his. "I'm sorry if I upset you, I'm just not sure what I did." He told her honestly, Gabby shaking her head slightly, releasing a heavy breath.
"You didn't do anything." She spoke, pushing herself back against him. "I've been a mess the last few weeks, I know that. And then that call... I started taking it out on you when I shouldn't have." Gabby admitted, Matt stroking her stomach comfortingly.
"You don't have to keep this stuff bottled up, Gabby." He reminded her, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "I don't want you to. I'm here for you, whatever it is."
"I know you are." She breathed out, turning her head to place a kiss against his jaw before relaxing into him again, stretching out her legs, letting the water soothe her aching muscles.
"You wanna tell me what happened on that call?" He questioned after a few moments, feeling Gabby's body tense slightly before she eased up, Matt tilting his head to look at her. "I know she died before you could get her to the hospital, and that she was pregnant." He told her. "But did something else happen? I haven't seen you that upset over a call in a long time…" He murmured, Gabby taking a deep breath, bringing her hand up to caress the side of his head, Matt leaning into the movement.
"She begged me to save her."
Matt's heart dropped into his stomach, shaking his head sadly as he placed a lingering kiss against her skin.
"Gabby…"
"She was barely conscious when we got there, she was coughing up blood. I knew before we even got her loaded into the ambulance that she wasn't gonna make it… But we tried." Gabby spoke sadly, Matt listening intently. "She was having a hard time talking, she was essentially drowning in her own blood… but I heard her. She begged me to save her, for her baby, and then she coded." Her voice was a little shaky, Matt shaking his head gently. "...I couldn't help her."
"This isn't your fault." He spoke instantly.
"But I could've-"
"No." He interjected softly. "There was nothing you could've done. You said yourself, you knew as soon as you got there, there was nothing that could be done." His kept his voice firm, needing her to believe what he was saying. "You're not the one who hurt her. You did everything you could, this isn't on you."
Gabby thought over his words for a minute before nodding, Matt pressing a kiss into her neck.
"Rationally, I know that. Foster, Brett, and I, we all did everything we could… but when she told us she was pregnant, I froze." She admitted, an unsettling feeling rising in Matt's gut. "Because I knew she was going to die, and she definitely wasn't far enough along where there was anything we could do for the baby."
"I'm sorry." Matt murmured, nuzzling his nose against her neck. "I wish there was something I could do to help you, I'm sorry for the woman and what happened to her, but you need to believe me when I tell you there was nothing you could do for her. She was gone before you got there."
"I know." She replied, picking up his hand from her stomach, lacing her fingers through his. "And I'm sorry for not talking to you, I didn't mean to shut you out, or take it out on you… I just feel like I'm losing my mind some days, and last night it all boiled over and I took it out on you when I shouldn't have."
"Yeah, I kind of got caught in the line of fire, there. But I don't care, you can take out whatever frustrations you need to on me, but you've gotta talk to me." He chastised softly, Gabby drawing in a deep breath.
"I know, I didn't mean to be such a bitch all day." She responded, Matt shaking his head.
"You weren't a bitch." He cut in. "Bitch-y, maybe. But not a bitch." He spoke, Gabby scoffing lightly.
"Is there really a difference?"
"Yup." He replied, the word popping as it left his lips, Gabby's lips curling into an amused smile. "There is. At least to me."
"I'll take your word for it." She said, placing their conjoined hands against her chest. "But really, I am sorry. I know, even before yesterday, I haven't been the easiest person to be around… My hormones had been all over the place, and..." She stopped herself, Matt waiting a few seconds to see if she was going to continue, but she didn't.
"You have been worrying me a bit lately." He breathed out. Although their conversation was still surface level, he felt a wave a gratitude wash through him that she was the one bringing this up. He'd been trying to figure out a way to approach her about this without her brushing him off, and it seemed like maybe now they'd finally get somewhere.
"That wasn't my intention, I've just been… I don't know, trying to figure some things out, and it's made me feel a little off." She spoke vaguely, Matt's eyebrows furrowing.
"Like what?" He questioned immediately, but he got no answer. He waited a few moments, trying to give her the time she needed to feel comfortable saying whatever it was, but when minutes passed and she still hadn't said anything, he spoke up again. "Baby, what's going on with you?" His concern was clear in his voice, Gabby sighing deeply, giving his hand a squeeze.
"Can we… can we talk about it later?"
"Gabby…"
"Tonight. I promise, we can talk later tonight, but right now can we just sit here and enjoy this? Please?"
Giving a reluctant nod, Matt placed a kiss to her shoulder. "Okay." He agreed, his concern only growing. "I love you." He spoke against her skin, a soft smile coming to her face.
"I love you, too." She whispered, pressing herself back against him, the two falling into a comfortable quiet.
The couple enjoyed their bath for about twenty more minutes before they decided it was time to get out, the water now cold. Matt got out first, being mindful of Gabby as he climbed out, reaching for his towel as he stood on the rug. After quickly drying himself off, he wrapped the towel around his waist before focusing on Gabby, finding her leaned back against the tub, watching him while she waited.
"You ready?"
"Yeah, let's lift me out of here." She spoke, Matt chuckling as he leaned down, hooking his arms under hers, Gabby raising her eyebrows as he lifted her up with relative ease, helping him when she could. "You didn't need to do all that." She said, holding onto his arms as she stepped out of the tub, planting her feet firmly on the rug.
"I thought it would be easier." He answered, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around her. He led her out to the bedroom, making sure she was alright before he headed back into the bathroom to let the water drain from the tub, and get the lotion and oil he needed for her massage.
By the time he got back to the room, Gabby was getting herself situated in the middle of the bed, clad in a pair of her underwear as she adjusted the many pillows around her, Matt quickly putting on a pair of boxers before heading over to her.
Her massage went by too quickly for her liking, Matt having spent over an hour working on her sore muscles, paying special attention to her back and her calves, knowing those areas hurt her the most. By the time he finished, it was nearing nine o'clock, and he knew Gabby was bound to be ready for bed, but he hoped that wouldn't be happening until after they talked. While he knew Gabby had enjoyed her massage, he hadn't been present much in the moment, Matt only able to think about what could've been bothering her so much that she hadn't wanted to talk to him about it.
"How do you feel?" He asked, sitting back on his heels as he ran his hand across her belly, a content smile rising to her face.
"Amazing. That was just what I needed." She replied, stretching her arms out.
"Good." He spoke, leaning down to place a soft kiss to the side of her head. "How about I go and make you some tea, and then we can talk?" He asked, Gabby's bottom lip falling between her teeth as she nodded.
"Okay." She responded, Matt rubbing her belly one last time before getting up, heading for the kitchen.
Gabby stayed in her spot for awhile, unsure of how this conversation was going to go. It had been weighing on her mind for a couple weeks now, but she didn't know how to talk to Matt about it. She didn't want to make things worse, or hurt his feelings. But she knew they needed to talk. Stepping around the conversation had been stressing her out, and clearly, he had been able to tell. To his credit, he hadn't pushed her to talk to him, but she felt like she needed to. She just hoped he wouldn't be mad at her.
Working up the nerve, Gabby eventually pushed herself up, climbing out of bed and heading for the dresser. Grabbing one of Matt's shirts, she threw it over her body before walking out towards the kitchen, finding Matt standing by the counter.
"Hi." She spoke, snapping him from his trance.
"Hey." He responded, glancing towards her with a smile. "This is almost ready, if you want to go sit down." He offered, Gabby giving him a nod before heading for the living room.
She made herself comfortable, pushing pillows behind her back as she waited for Matt to come in, Gabby crossing her leg under herself. He appeared within a few seconds, a soft smile on his face as he walked towards her, handing her the mug. Matt made the quick decision of sitting on the edge of the coffee table instead of on the couch beside her, knowing he'd have a better view of her from there.
She took a sip as he sat down, Matt resting his elbows on his knees, his hand placed on her thigh as he watched her, Gabby sitting her drink down on the end table before her eyes caught his gaze.
"What's going on, Gabby?" He asked after a few seconds of silence, his worry and confusion growing when he saw the look of fear flash in her eyes. "What's wrong?"
He kept his eyes on her as she sucked in a deep breath, her gaze moving down in between them as his question hung in the air, Gabby clenching her hands together in her lap.
"I… I've been thinking a lot about it, and I'm not sure if we should get married."
Uh oh. That's definitely not what Matt was expecting. This chapter kind of took us on a rollercoaster. It started out well for Dawsey, but they definitely had their struggles, and it's looking like some more conversations are going to be had here soon.
That being said, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'm so excited to hear your thoughts, and what you think is going to happen with what Gabby admitted to Matt. Thank you all for the constant love and support, I appreciate all of you so much!