Hello hello hello everyone. Here's the next chapter for you all. Not gonna lie, I'm super anxious for you all to read this, but I have a feeling all you Dawsey fans are going to very much enjoy it. Happy reading!
Chapter Fifty Three
Gabby climbed up into the passenger seat of Matt's truck, Casey helping her as much as he could until she got settled, Matt shutting the door before jogging around to his side, getting in quickly.
"You feeling okay?" He asked, turning the truck on as Gabby nodded, her hands resting over her protruding belly.
The couple had just finished up their thirty one week appointment at Dr. Tanner's office, this being their first appointment since starting to go weekly. From Matt's perspective, the appointment had gone smoothly enough. It hadn't lasted all that long, Dr. Tanner getting in there quickly to start the ultrasound. They got in and out within the hour, and, best of all, there had been no change in Gabby's aneurysm. It was still measuring the same it had the week prior, and, even though it was bigger than when she first got pregnant, Matt found that encouraging.
Everything with Gabby was good, as well. She had gained a pound since last week, and her vitals were pretty good. And, to Gabby's excitement, she had been cleared to work another week. But most importantly to Matt, she was in better spirits than she had been the last time they visited Dr. Tanner.
Over the past week, Gabby's demeanor had shifted for the better, and Matt was beyond thankful. She was still struggling to come to terms with the realities of this pregnancy, but she was doing better. Since finding out she was pregnant, Matt had always kind of known that Gabby hadn't thought of herself in all this. She was only really focused on their child, which is what had caused so many of the issues between them when they first found out about this pregnancy. He was the only one thinking of what could happen to her, and he knew she hadn't really let it sink in.
But last week had been a harsh dose of reality, and it took her some time to recover from that, he knew that she was still trying to recover. Although he hated seeing her break down like she had, he knew it probably needed to happen. She needed to face what could happen to her, and now that she had, he was determined to help her through it. She was slowly coming to terms with the possible outcomes of this pregnancy, and day by day, he saw her mental state improving. She was doing better, and she had done a much better job of coming to him when everything became too much. Gabby was in a much better place than she had been even a week ago, and he was beyond grateful.
As awful as their circumstances were, he wanted her to be able to enjoy the remainder of this pregnancy. Despite everything, the last thing he wants is for her to be consumed by fear. He knew how terrible it was, he was still struggling with the uncertainties of it all, and he didn't want her to feel that way. He wanted her to be excited and enjoy this experience, and leave the worrying up to him. But they both knew she wouldn't be able to fully enjoy this if she had kept ignoring the reality of their situation.
"I am. I wasn't sure how these weekly appointments were going to go, but if they're all as quick as that, I don't think I'll mind them too much." She spoke with a soft smile, Matt squeezing her leg.
"Yeah, it's kind of an adjustment with our schedules, but it's worth it if it'll help you. And I'll never complain about getting to see our little girl." He responded, Gabby's nose scrunching up as she gave an agreeing nod.
"She is pretty cute." Gabby replied, Matt chuckling as he leaned over, placing a soft kiss on her lips.
"Just like her Momma." He whispered against her, feeling her smile before he kissed her again, their movements slow and gentle until he pulled back, Matt stroking her cheek with his thumb. "So, do you feel up for stopping by Molly's for a bit?" He questioned, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing.
"It's only noon." She replied, Matt shaking his head.
"Not for socializing, Herrmann asked me to come by. I guess there's a leaking pipe or something in the bathroom, I'm not sure. But he wanted me to come take a look before he brought anyone in." Matt explained, Gabby nodding. "I wasn't sure if you would mind sitting around the bar for a bit, I didn't know how tired you were."
"I don't mind." She replied, Matt flashing her a smile as he turned to face the street, making sure she was buckled before he pulled out into the road, heading for the bar.
The drive was relatively quiet, Matt hiding a smile on his face as he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, Gabby's attention mostly focused out the window. Matt pulled up to the curb outside the bar and put the truck in park, the movement causing Gabby to look over at him, suddenly realizing they had arrived.
"Where'd you go?" He asked, tapping against the side of her head.
"Thinking about you, mostly." She responded, Matt's smile widening.
"Anything good?"
"Just how you're going to be such an amazing father." She told him, Matt cradling the side of her head. "And also how you're kind of handsome." She added, Matt's head cocking to the side.
"Just kind of?"
"Well, you've had better days." She responded with a laugh, turning her head to place a kiss against his palm.
"That's cold, Ms. Dawson." He spoke, rubbing the side of her head before dropping his hand, killing the engine as he got out of the truck. Walking towards her side, he helped her out of the vehicle, making sure to lock the doors before they slowly crossed the street, Gabby's arm wrapped around his back.
"So, how long has Jemma been planning this?" Gabby asked, Matt stopping in his tracks as they got on the sidewalk, his lips parting slightly.
"You know?"
"That this is a baby shower? Yes, I know." She spoke, seeing the confused look on his face. "You talk very loudly on the phone." She replied with a smirk, Matt blowing out a heavy breath. "I heard you talking to, I guess Jemma, the other night while I was in the bath."
"Dammit." He breathed out, Gabby chuckling as she patted him on the stomach.
"I'm sorry baby, I know you guys were excited. I wasn't gonna say anything, but I couldn't help myself." She replied, Matt shaking his head with a grin. "Although the lie about Herrmann, I will admit, that wasn't bad. Had I not known already, I definitely would've believed it."
"It took me all morning to come up with that." He mumbled, Gabby stifling a laugh as she pressed a kiss to his neck.
"I'm sorry." She apologized again, Matt narrowing his eyes playfully before placing a kiss on her lips.
"It's okay. Just at least try and act surprised, everyone's really excited for this."
"I'll do my best." She promised, rubbing his side before they continued their walk to the entrance, Matt shaking his head with a smirk as he pulled the wooden door open, nodding at her to go in.
The second she stepped inside, Gabby heard a chorus of clearly unrehearsed 'surprise's being yelled throughout the bar, her eyes widening as she looked around her surroundings, seeing the usually dim atmosphere filled with pink decorations. She saw a table full of gifts in the corner, as well as a cake and table covered in food. All of 51 was here, along with some of the firefighter's wives, everyone from the SAS, and her brother, Gabby smiling wide as she felt Matt come up behind her, placing a hand on her back.
"Wow, guys. This is incredible, thank you." She spoke, Herrmann's eyes narrowing at her as he stepped around the bar.
"Oh, she definitely knew." He said loudly, Gabby biting her bottom lip.
"What?"
"She knew." The older firefighter repeated.
"God dammit Casey." Severide groaned, laughs being heard around the bar as they enclosed around her.
"You had one job, Captain." Kidd called, Matt shaking his head.
"It was an accident." He defended, Gabby smirking up at him. "She heard me on the phone, I didn't even know she knew until a few minutes ago. I thought we were in the clear."
"I told you to leave him out of it, Jemma." Severide spoke, the young paramedic shaking her head.
"It's fine. He got her here, that's better than I expected." She joked, the group laughing as Matt shook his head.
"You've been spending too much time around Severide." Matt told Jemma, the woman chuckling as she walked towards Gabby, bringing her in for a hug.
"Did you do all this?" Gabby whispered into her ear.
"I had help." She responded, rubbing her friend's back before they pulled away, Gabby flashing her a knowing smile.
"Thank you." Dawson spoke, Jemma rubbing her arms before they separated, Severide walking towards the couple.
"Welcome to your surprise baby shower." Kelly said pointedly to Matt as he brought Gabby in for a hug, Casey rolling his eyes.
"Thanks Sev." She responded. "You guys really didn't have to do this."
"It was mostly Jemma, we just followed her lead. She got all this together in like two weeks, but I think it all turned out nicely."
"It did, it looks great in here." She agreed before more people came up to greet her.
It took her awhile to get through everyone, Antonio coming up to her last, giving her a hug before ushering her towards a table to sit down.
"How you feeling, sis?" He asked, sitting down across from her once she got settled.
"Like a whale." She replied, Antonio chuckling as he shook his head. "But I'm okay." She told him, Antonio's gaze lingering on her before he nodded, Gabby's eyes narrowing. "What?"
"What?" He repeated, her head tilting to the side.
"What was that look for?" She elaborated, Antonio shrugging.
"What look?" He questioned, a look of annoyance spreading over her face.
"Antonio…"
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay.. We haven't seen much of each other lately, and I know all this can't be easy." He told ear, Gabby's eyes flickering behind her brother, finding Matt in the crowd speaking to Herrmann and Mouch.
"You've been talking to Casey, haven't you." She stated, Antonio blowing out a breath, turning around to make sure no one was within earshot before looking back to his sister.
"He's worried about you, Gabs." Antonio responded, Gabby sighing deeply. "And after hearing what's been going on, so am I."
"I know I kind of freaked him out." She deflected, Antonio eyeing her for a moment before responding.
"I don't think he cares so much about himself in all this…"
"I know he doesn't, but I wish he would." She replied, shaking her head. "I know these last few weeks have been hard on me, but I was essentially ignoring the realities of this for months. Matt, on the other hand, that's all he's been able to think about since we found out about this baby… I'm worried he's so focused on me he's not taking care of himself."
"Well, in all honesty, he's probably not." Antonio told her bluntly, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "But, I know if I were him, I would need to focus all my energy onto you. That's probably the only way he knows how to deal with it." He spoke, Gabby thinking deeply over his words.
"...I wish it wasn't like this." She eventually murmured, Antonio's lips turning down into a frown. "I mean, I know life isn't supposed to be easy, but some of the things Matt and I have gone through are just cruel." She whispered, Antonio reaching across the table to grab her hand. "This should've been the one thing that was good, and that was simple. But we couldn't even have that."
"It's not fair, Gabby. You're right. It's not fair to either of you, but hopefully everything will be fine. There's not much else you can do now, except hope and pray that everything will turn out alright. And try and enjoy the rest of this pregnancy." He spoke, Gabby's tongue running over her bottom lip as she nodded, blinking back the tears forming in her eyes.
"I need you to look out for him, Antonio." Gabby spoke, her gaze flashing to Matt, seeing him laughing at something being said around the small group of firefighters. "If something happens to me, I need you to make sure he's okay."
"Gabby-"
"Please." She replied firmly, her teary eyes moving back to her brother. "I know this probably isn't fair of me to ask you this, because if something does happen I know it'll hurt you, too. But I need you to be there for him. Please, Tonio." She pleaded, Antonio swallowing the lump in his throat before nodding slowly.
"Okay." He agreed, Gabby releasing a relieved breath.
"Thank you." She whispered, Antonio giving her another nod, squeezing her hand.
"You know this is supposed to be a good day, right?" He joked after a few silent moments, trying to ease some of the heaviness around them, Gabby chuckling softly.
"Yeah, I know.. But there is one more favor I need you to do for me."
"Name it." He replied without hesitation, Gabby breathing deeply as she found his gaze.
"I wrote a letter to Matt." She spoke softly, realization washing over Antonio as his heart sank into his stomach. "I want you to hold onto it for me… and if I die, I need you to give it to him."
"Gabby-"
"There are things I need to say to him, things he needs to hear." She cut in, Antonio rubbing his hand over his mouth. "But I don't want to spend what could be my last moments with him talking about what'll happen if I die. I don't want that. If something happens when I have this baby, I don't want our last words to be about death. But there are things I need him to know, and this is the only way I know how to tell him."
Antonio fell silent, his head hung to the ground as he thought over his sister's request. He knew he couldn't say no, he wouldn't say no. But it was just another reminder of what could happen to her, except this one he had to hold on to.
"I know I've asked a lot of you, and if I do die, I'm asking even more… but I need your help, Antonio."
"Okay." He responded, his voice soft. "I'll hold onto it."
"Thank you." She breathed out, a grateful smile falling onto her face.
"But I'm going to give it back to you." He told her, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "The minute you and Matt get home from the hospital with your girl, I'm giving it back." He spoke, Gabby nodding understandingly.
"I hope so." She replied, flashing him a soft smile, neither Dawson able to hide the tears in their eyes.
"Hey babe." Matt's voice pulled her focus from her brother, seeing him approaching their table, his soft smile falling when he noticed her sad look. "You okay?" Casey questioned, stopping by her side, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"I'm alright." She told him, Matt's eyes flickering back and forth between the siblings. It was clear that whatever they had been talking about was something serious, but Matt knew not to question it here, the firefighter nodding as he placed a kiss against her forehead.
"Okay. Cruz and Otis are getting restless, they were wondering if you cared if we cut the cake." Casey told her, Gabby chuckling as she shook her head, her eyes finding the two firefighters across the room, seeing them standing by the large sheet cake, watching her expectantly.
"Go for it." She called, watching as they high-fived excitedly.
"Thanks mama!" Cruz yelled back, Gabby nodding before returning her attention back to Matt and Antonio.
The day wore on, Gabby mostly staying seated at the table while different combinations of people would come up to her. Although she was extremely grateful for her friends doing this, she tried not to be on her feet too long when she could help it, so she'd taken to stay rooted in her spot, the only constant visitor with her being Matt, who would come and check in on her every fifteen minutes or so.
"So, how'd I do?" Jemma asked with a grin as she walked up to the table currently occupied by Severide and Dawson, Gabby smiling at her.
"This is amazing, Jemma. Thank you for doing all this for me."
"It's the least I could do. And it was fun bossing Severide around." She teased, Kelly huffing out a breath as he stood up to leave.
"Oh yes, it was a blast." He responded sarcastically, patting Jemma's shoulder as he slid past her, the paramedic occupying the seat he had just left.
"So, how are you doing?" Jemma asked, Gabby smiling softly.
"I'm alright. About as alright as I can be." She replied, her partner nodding.
"Good. Did your appointment go okay?"
"It did, the baby's still doing great, and nothing's changed with me really. Everything's fine, as of now." Gabby told her, Jemma nodding as she took a sip of her drink.
"So… any updates on the wedding front?" Jemma asked curiously, Gabby shrugging her shoulders.
"I'm not sure. I know I told you about us getting our marriage license last week, but since then Matt hasn't said anything… I don't know, we'll probably go to the courthouse in the next week or two." She replied, catching an unreadable expression flash across Jemma's face. "Everything okay?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm good." She covered quickly, "Am I still invited?" She joked, Gabby grinning.
"Of course you are. Matt and I just need to talk and figure out what day we want to do it. It's not gonna be a big thing, but we wanna do it soon. Before I'm too big to walk." Gabby spoke lightly, Jemma shaking her head.
"Please, you're such a cute pregnant lady. You're all belly."
"It's nice of you to lie, I appreciate it." Gabby chuckled, Jemma laughing as well before shifting the subject back to their original topic.
"So you guys did decide to just do it at the courthouse?"
"Yeah. We don't really have the time for a ceremony or anything, and plus it's not really our style. We talked about maybe doing something after she's born, you know, if I'm here." Gabby spoke softly, a slight frown falling onto Jemma's face, the woman nodding understandingly. "But right now we don't need all that. We just want to be married again."
"Who all's gonna be there?" She asked, Gabby shrugging.
"Well, me and Matt, obviously." She spoke, Jemma shaking her head in amusement. "And you, and Severide. Then probably just my brother, and my dad. He wasn't able to be there the first time, so I'd like him to come."
"That sounds nice." Jemma replied, Gabby nodding.
"Yeah, I'm excited." She responded, flashing her a smile before taking a sip of her water.
Across the room, Matt stood against the bar, his eyes occasionally flickering towards Gabby, wanting to make sure she was okay.
"Hey man." Matt's head turned towards the sound, seeing Kelly come up beside him.
"Hey."
"So…" Severide spoke, lowering his voice as he looked around, before his gaze landed back on his friend. "We're still good to go for tomorrow?"
A bright grin fell onto Matt's face, the Captain nodding. "Yup. And you guys got everything?"
"Yes sir. I've already enlisted the help of Herrmann, Kidd, and Brett. Everything's ready."
"Good." Matt replied, his eyes moving back to Gabby.
"She doesn't know, does she?" Severide asked, following his gaze.
"As far as I know, she has no idea." He responded. "But, then again, I had no idea she knew about the baby shower either." He breathed out, Kelly chuckling. "But I have a feeling if she knew, she wouldn't be keeping quiet about it. This is Gabby we're talking about, I love her but she always has to know what's going on." Matt joked, Severide patting his shoulder.
"Well, this is the woman you've chosen to love." He spoke lightly, Matt's smile widening.
"I don't think I ever really had a choice. There was always a part of me that knew I was in love with that woman, from the moment I laid eyes on her I knew she was special..." He responded, watching as Gabby laughed at something Jemma said. "But damn, am I lucky she's decided to love me back."
"Oh, you two are gross." Severide sighed. "It's cute, but still."
"Uh huh." Matt responded, taking another sip of his water before placing the glass on the bar. "Now, can you make yourself useful and help me get these presents out to the truck? I'm not sure how much longer Gabby's gonna be able to stay."
Matt's tired body rolled over into the middle of the bed, lifting his arm gently, expecting it to rest against a very pregnant Gabby, but he was surprised to feel his skin hit the mattress. The cold bed beside him woke him up completely, Matt lifting his head up, glancing around the room to see it empty. It was bright outside, so he knew it couldn't have been too early, but considering how cold the sheets were beside him, he wasn't sure how long she'd been up.
"Gabby?" He called, his voice echoing throughout the quiet room, getting nothing in response.
Blowing out a sigh, he threw the covers off of himself and sat up, stretching his arms above his head before getting out of bed. Scratching lightly over his stomach, he exited the bedroom, looking around the main section of the apartment, finding it completely empty.
"Gabby?" He called again, walking through the living room, heading for the nursery, knowing that was the last place he had to look.
"Baby?" He asked as he turned the corner, stopping in the doorway when he saw her sitting in the glider, slowly moving back and forth with her hands resting on her belly. Gabby turned to look at him, Matt able to tell she had been lost in thought before she noticed his presence.
"Hey, sorry I didn't hear you."
"It's fine. You okay?"
"I am. After I woke up the last time to go to the bathroom, I couldn't fall back asleep, so I came in here." She told him, knowing he would've been wondering why she wasn't in bed. "I was tempted to start going through our gifts, but I figured I should wait for you." She spoke, nodding to the huge stack of presents from yesterday's baby shower. When they'd gotten back home yesterday afternoon, Matt had to make four trips to get all the gifts inside, the firefighter having put them all in here.
"You could've gone ahead and opened some, I don't mind." He told her, Gabby nodding. "Were you able to get some sleep? I didn't feel you get up all that much."
"I was, yeah. I'm actually feeling good today." She told him, a soft grin coming to his face.
"Well, that's good to hear." He replied, Gabby's head tilting to the side.
"Yeah? And why is that exactly?" She challenged, Matt stepping further into the room, coming to crouch down in front of her.
"Because… how would you feel about getting married today?"
The second the words left his lips, a huge smile formed on her face, tears immediately filling her eyes.
"You're serious?" She questioned, Matt nodding.
"I'm serious. We should get married today." He replied, unable to say anything else before Gabby gripped his shoulders, pulling him towards her, capturing his lips in a heated kiss. Matt steadied himself, placing one hand on the arm on the chair, deepening their kiss as he rested his hand softly over her belly.
When air became a priority, they pulled back, the smile returning to Gabby's face in an instant.
"You really want to get married today?" She asked again, almost like she couldn't believe it was really happening.
"More than anything."
"But what about Sev, and Jemma, and everyone? We can't just go at the drop of a hat." She replied, Matt smirking as he stroked her cheek.
"I may have planned something special…" He spoke, Gabby's smile growing.
"Matt, what did you do?"
"You'll have to wait and see." He responded with a sly grin, leaning forward to press another quick kiss to her lips. "Now, Gabriela Dawson, will you make me the luckiest man in the world, and marry me today?"
"Of course, absolutely I will." She responded immediately, tears clouding her vision as they kissed again, Gabby gripping the back of his neck as they moved together, their movements getting more intense, Matt groaning before pulling back.
"Alright, they'll be plenty of time for that later, woman." He breathed out, Gabby chuckling as she wiped under her bottom lip, cocking her head to the side, Matt swallowing thickly as he shook his head. "You're gonna be the death of me." He murmured, Gabby bringing him back towards her, their lips connecting once more, Matt not pulling back this time.
Gabby grabbed the plate plate holding her sandwich off the counter, picking up her glass of water before heading into the living room. It was a little past noon, Gabby having been home alone for well over an hour now.
After Matt asking her if she wanted to get married, followed by them opening up a few of the baby's presents, Matt had reluctantly pulled himself away from her, talking about how he needed to shower and run some errands before they went to the courthouse this afternoon.
Gabby wasn't sure how long he was planning on being gone, but if he was out much longer, she knew she'd need to call him to get a better idea of their plan for today's events. But for right now, she was content eating her lunch curled up on the couch.
She had just taken her first bite of food when she heard knocking on the front door, Gabby sighing heavily as she placed her plate on the table, slowly pushing herself up and heading for the door.
Turning the lock, she pulled the door open, Gabby's eyes narrowing in part surprise and part confusion as she saw Jemma standing on the other side of the door, dressed in a light summer dress, her hair down in curls.
"What are you doing here?" She questioned, Jemma's smile widening as she stepped inside, Gabby's confused gaze following her as she shut the door, seeing her friend carrying a garment bag along with a small duffle bag. "Are you going somewhere?"
"No, but you are." She replied, Gabby's confusion only growing as she followed her friend further into her apartment.
"What are you talking about?"
"I was instructed to come here and help you get ready."
"Get ready for what?" Gabby asked, sitting down on the couch, moving her attention back to her lunch.
"That's not important. What is important is that you get cleaned up, and you get into this. Then we're gonna go." She replied, holding up the black bag, Gabby unable to see what was inside.
"Go where?" Gabby tried, Jemma raising her eyebrow.
"I can't say." She spoke shortly, Gabby rolling her eyes.
"I'm assuming Matt is behind this?" She questioned, Jemma grinning as she shrugged. "You're really not gonna tell me anything?"
"Nope. I was told not to."
"Yes, but I'm your best friend, not Matt." Gabby responded, Jemma shaking her head.
"I know, and that's why I'm listening to Matt and not you." She replied with a smirk, Gabby sighing.
"Well, do I at least have time to finish my lunch?"
"Of course. Eat up, then it's shower time."
"Yes ma'am." Gabby said, knowing she wasn't going to get more answers out of her friend.
Gabby finished her food within the next ten minutes, Jemma ushering her quickly towards the bedroom as soon as she was done, reminding her friend that they were on limited time before leaving her alone in the bathroom. Jemma made herself busy while Gabby showered, getting her things ready as well as cleaning up from Gabby's lunch,
When Gabby came out of the bathroom in her robe, Jemma was waiting for her with a bright smile, ushering her over, Gabby seeing the woman had brought in one of the kitchen chairs and placed it in front of the dresser.
"Have a seat."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm gonna fix your hair and you're gonna do your makeup, now sit." She ordered gently, Gabby huffing out a breath before moving to the chair, carefully placing herself down into it.
"You're awful bossy today." Gabby breathed out, Jemma smirking as she began working on her hair.
"Well, I'm a woman on a mission." She replied vaguely, Gabby shaking her head before letting her work.
In under an hour, they got Gabby's hair fixed and her makeup done, Jemma having pulled it back into a low bun, having two braids on either side of her head connect into it. It was easy enough to pull off, and, knowing how hot Gabby always got, she knew it would be better to keep the hair off her neck.
"Are you gonna tell me anything now?"
"I am not." Jemma spoke, moving to grab the garment bag she hung up in the doorway, pulling down the zipper.
Gabby's eyebrows furrowed as she saw the dress inside, Jemma pulling out the white material. It was a simple, knee-length dress, that was light enough for the summer heat.
"This is a little much for the courthouse, isn't it?" Gabby questioned with a grin, Jemma shaking her head, holding out the hanger towards her, Dawson taking it slowly.
"Just go get dressed, before I have to force you into it." She responded, Gabby chuckling before she moved towards the bedroom. "And don't mess up your hair." She called just as Gabby shut the door.
She reemerged in a few minutes, a bright smile forming on Jemma's face when she saw her. The dress was sleeveless, and flowed out starting under her chest, laying perfectly over her belly. It ended a little above her knees, Gabby smoothing it done over her stomach, her hands resting under her bump.
"Does it look okay?" She asked, Jemma nodding as she blinked back the tears in her eyes.
"You look absolutely stunning. Matt's gonna lose it when he sees you." She commented, heat rising to Gabby's cheeks as she walked towards the bed, carefully sitting down. Jemma had gotten her a pair of white flats to compliment the dress, the paramedic knowing that was the best choice of footwear for her heavily pregnant friend.
Once Gabby had slid her shoes on, Jemma held out her hand, offering to help Dawson up.
"Now, let's go get you married." Norris told her, Gabby taking a deep breath before nodding, following her friend out of the room.
Gabby felt nerves rising in her stomach as they drove through the streets of Chicago, Jemma ignoring her multiple attempts to get more information about what was going on. Gabby realized pretty quickly after they left the apartment that they weren't going to the courthouse, her friend driving off in the complete opposite direction.
"You're seriously not gonna tell me where we're going?" Gabby questioned one last time, Jemma chuckling as she shook her head.
"You are so impatient, just wait." She replied, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before looking back out the windshield.
"Well, I'm sorry it's just that until this morning I didn't even know this was happening today, but I have the feeling you knew about this before I did, and- wait." Gabby cut herself off, taking in her surroundings. "What are we doing at the firehouse?" She questioned, Jemma's smile widening as she pulled into the driveway.
Gabby could see inside the garage as they pulled up, seeing all the rigs gone, now replaced by an altar in the middle of the room, chairs set up on either side. Her breath caught in her throat as she caught a glimpse of Matt waiting for her in front of everyone, Gabby turning towards her friend, tears welling in her eyes.
"Let's go get you married." She responded, blinking back her own tears as Gabby nodded, carefully wiping under her eyes before unbuckling her seatbelt.
Gabby got out of the car, seeing Antonio and her father walking towards her, both of them in dress pants and a button down, a watery smile resting on her face.
"What is all this?" She asked, Ramon getting to her first, pulling her in for a hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"This is your day, mija." He whispered, Gabby sniffling before turning to her brother, Antonio pulling her into a hug.
"We're here to walk you down the aisle." He spoke, a lone tear escaping down her cheek, Ramon quickly wiping it away. "Last chance, you sure you want to be with Matt forever?" He asked teasingly, Gabby chuckling as she lightly hit his stomach.
With her father and brother on either side of her, Gabby began slowly walking towards the garage, tears filling her eyes as music began playing, everyone standing up. Her eyes locked on Matt, his shining gaze meeting hers, a wide smile filling his face.
Taking a quick glance around, she saw everyone from 51 in the audience, Jemma having snuck in and joined them, Gabby's eyes moving around until she landed back on Matt, unable to stop the slow tears rolling down her face. He was wearing black dress pants, and a blue button down, looking as handsome as ever as she slowly approached him.
When she got to the altar, Ramon and Antonio both took turns kissing her cheek, giving her quick hugs before Matt held out his hand, Gabby grabbing ahold of it as she stood across from him, his teary eyes moving over her form, a gasp of air leaving his lips.
"You're… you're absolutely gorgeous." He breathed out, shaking his head as he met her watery eyes, Gabby's smile lighting up her face, the sight bringing more tears to his eyes.
"What is all this, Matt?" She asked softly, feeling him squeeze her hands.
"It's our wedding." He responded, blinking back the fresh tears in his eyes as the ceremony started, Matt unable to peel his eyes off of her.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Matthew Casey and Gabriela Dawson, as they declare their love and commitment to one another in front of their friends and family."
Casey tried to focus on the words being said to him, knowing this was one of the most important days of his life, but every time he caught sight of the joyful smile gracing Gabby's lips, he couldn't help but get lost in her presence. She was glowing, she was absolutely beautiful, and he was having a hard time focusing on anything else.
"Mr. Casey." The minister prompted, Matt glancing towards him. "Would you like to share your vows?"
"Yes, I would." He responded, clearing his throat before returning his attention to Gabby, drawing in a deep breath. "Gabriela Dawson, I'm not sure how much there is for me to say that I haven't told you a hundred times before, but I'll never stop telling you how much I love you. You are my world, you mean everything to me." He breathed out, fresh tears filling her eyes. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do to keep you safe, and keep our daughter safe. You two are the most important people in this world, and I am so lucky to have you, to have the both of you. Even before we got together, you were always there for me. You have been there for me from the moment we met, you have helped me through some of the hardest times in my life. And I can say without any doubt that you have completely changed my life, for the better. You are the most selfless, and wonderful, and giving person I have ever known. And I know you have made me a better person. You challenge me, even when I would rather you didn't," He spoke lightly, Gabby chuckling as she wiped away some of the tears escaping down her cheeks. "You support me, you encourage me, you're the one person I know I can always turn to no matter what… You have given me everything. You gave me a family. You are my family, and I can never thank you enough for being apart of my life. You have made me the happiest man on this planet, and I promise to do everything within my power to keep you, and our girl, safe." Matt did his best to keep his voice steady, but he was having a hard time keeping his emotions under control. "You can always come to me, no matter what it is. I promise to always be there for you, I promise to love you for the rest of my life… You are my best friend, and I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together. No matter how much time we get, it'll never be enough. But I am beyond grateful to be here, with you, right now. I'll never stop being thankful for you, for you loving me and choosing me. I love you so damn much, baby. I love you more than anything, and I can't wait to be your husband. Again." He finished, tears streaming down her face, Gabby smiling as she swallowed back a sob, bringing her hand up to cradle his face.
"I love you." She whispered, stroking his cheek.
"Ms. Dawson." The minister spoke, Gabby nodding before taking a deep breath, Matt wiping away a few of her tears as she gathered herself.
"Okay, well bear with me because I didn't know we were doing this today." She spoke, Matt chuckling as laughs were heard around the group. Casey mouthed an 'I love you', the action grounding her before she spoke.
"Matthew Casey, I have never known any man as good as you, and I know I never will. I've known you for a very long time, and when we first met I never imagined this is where we'd end up, but I am thankful everyday that we did. Because I am lucky enough to get to be loved by you, I get to see first hand just how incredible you are. You have shown me a life I never knew I'd have, and a love I wasn't even sure existed. I haven't always made it easy, I know that, and there were times where I wasn't sure what would happen with us, but your endless love for me has made my worst days better. You have given me everything, selflessly. Even in the times of uncertainty, in my heart I knew you'd be there if I needed it. Time and time again you sacrifice yourself for me, and I can never thank you enough for the amount of love you have given me. You make my hard days easier, you make my good days even better, but most importantly you make me better. I'm the best version of myself when I'm with you, and I can never thank you enough for that." Her voice was unsteady, Matt squeezing her hands tightly, smiling brightly as he encouraged her to continue. "You talk about how lucky you are that I chose you, but it was never a choice. You had me from the moment we met. I have loved you forever, and I know, without a doubt, I will love you for the rest of my life." She told him, her voice faltering as more tears escaped down her cheeks, Gabby seeing a few fall from his eyes as well. "I promise to always love you, and care for you. And do everything I can for both you and our daughter. I promise to always support you, and to be by your side for the rest of my life. You are everything I could've ever dreamed of, Matt, and I'll never stop being grateful for getting to love you. You are the most important person in my life, without question. I love you more than I even know how to put into words... Thank you for loving me just as much." She finished, Matt wiping away more of her tears as they stood there, emotion overwhelming them both.
"Do you all have your rings." The minister spoke, Gabby glancing to Matt, seeing him nod before turning around to Severide, taking the necklace with her wedding ring on it.
"I know you can't wear it right now, so this'll have to do." He spoke, Gabby chuckling as she nodded, the minister speaking up again.
"Do you, Matthew Casey, take Gabriela Dawson to be your lawfully wedded wife? From this day forward, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?" He asked, Gabby drawing in a shaky breath, Matt nodding as he placed the chain around her neck.
"I do." He responded, tears sliding down her cheeks as the ring fell against her chest, the two basking in the moment before Gabby spoke up.
"I don't have your ring, I didn't know…" Gabby responded, Matt shaking his head with a grin as he nodded behind her, Gabby turning to see Antonio standing there, holding out Matt's ring. Flashing him a thankful smile, she turned back around, breathing deeply as they continued the ceremony.
"Do you, Gabriela Dawson, take Matthew Casey to be your lawfully wedded husband? From this day forward, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"
"I do." She responded through her tears, slowly sliding the ring onto his finger, Matt's smile widening as he gripped her hands in his.
"By the power vested in me by the State of Illinois, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He spoke, fresh tears filling their eyes. "You may now kiss the bride."
Without another word, Matt pulled her into him, the two connecting in a gentle, emotion-filled kiss as their friends cheered around them, celebrating the newlywed couple as they pulled apart, their foreheads resting against one another.
"I love you." She breathed out, Matt wiping away the stray tears left on her cheeks.
"I love you, too. Forever." He responded, bringing her in for another kiss.
Gabby sat in the middle seat of his truck, leaned into Matt's side as he carefully drove through downtown Chicago, her head resting on his shoulder while one of her hands was placed on his chest, the other fiddling with the seatbelt around her expanding waist.
"Today was perfect." She murmured, her thumb toying with one of the buttons on his shirt, Matt smiling as he placed a kiss against her head, his eyes never leaving the road.
After the ceremony had ended, the party had begun as they celebrated for hours in the garage. Gabby spent most of her time at her table, trying to stay off her feet as much as possible, content to watch on as her friends had a good time. Throughout the entire day, she never understood how Matt had managed to get all of this together. She wasn't sure how long he'd been planning this, or how he managed to get first shift out of the firehouse all day, but clearly he'd had help. She wasn't sure who all had been in on the ceremony, but she had a feeling she was one of the few who didn't know about it.
The couple had thoroughly enjoyed their evening with all their friends, Gabby taking in the special moment as much as she could. Every moment they shared she tried to imprint it in her mind; her and Matt's first dance, when they cut the cake, and when people started making speeches about them, some of which were more colorful than others.
It was a day full of nothing but love, and Gabby wasn't sure if she'd ever been happier. But she had a feeling the night was going to get a lot better, Matt having informed her before they left that he had gotten them a hotel room for the evening, wanting their makeshift honeymoon to be special.
They couldn't really go anywhere, with work and her being later in her pregnancy, but Matt wanted to do what he could to make this entire day perfect. And a night at a hotel was the best way to do so.
"I'm so glad you liked it." He responded as he pulled up to the front of the hotel, putting his truck in park. Gabby looked up at the building, her eyes widening slightly as she undid her seatbelt.
"Matt, I think this place is too fancy for us." She joked, Matt shaking his head as he got out of the car, coming around to her side after handing his keys to the valet and pocketing the ticket.
"Nope. It's perfect for our wedding night." He replied, helping her out of the truck before shutting the door, grabbing a duffle bag from the truck bed.
"You really thought of everything, didn't you?" She questioned with a grin, Matt smiling as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Well, I figured having clothes would be nice." He answered, Gabby chuckling as they made their way inside.
Within minutes they got to their room, Matt letting her open the door as he stood behind her holding their things, Gabby's eyes widening as she walked into the spacious room.
"Matt… this is too much." She breathed out, Matt following her in, letting the door fall closed behind him.
"No, it's not." He responded, Gabby walking further into the room. There was a huge king bed in the middle of the room, a tray with a variety of fruit and sparkling cider placed in the center of it, Gabby looking from the bed out into the city, their room giving them a beautiful view of Chicago as she walked over to the window.
"This is amazing." She spoke softly as he moved the food on the bed over to the coffee table in front of the couch before walking towards her. Gabby saw him come up behind her through the window, Casey wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his hands on her stomach. "All of it. Everything today was just… absolutely incredible." He smiled softly at her words, placing a delicate kiss on her neck, Gabby tilting her head to give him more access.
"I love you." He murmured against her skin, Gabby grinning as she leaned her weight back into him, Matt standing firmly in his spot to support them both, his hands moving softly over her belly.
"I love you, too… husband." She added, feeling his grin widen against her neck, Matt placing a gentle kiss there before pulling back, resting his chin on her shoulder. "But really, how long had you been planning all this?"
"Honestly, not very long. I just had a lot of help." He replied, Gabby resting her hand over her chest, grasping her wedding ring. "I know we said we were just going to go to the courthouse, and originally I agreed, but then I thought about it and I really wanted us to have a ceremony… I got the idea and couldn't let it go. I'm just glad you liked it."
"I loved it." She corrected softly, reaching down to pick up one of his hands, bringing it up to her lips to place a soft kiss against his skin, her actions earning a smile from him. "Seriously, I have the most amazing husband in the world."
Matt couldn't get enough of hearing her refer to him that way. Even though they never stopped feeling as if they were married, it felt different now. They were actually husband and wife again, and it made him happier than he thought possible.
"Well, my wife deserves the best." He replied, Gabby smiling as she rested his hand over her chest, the two enjoying one another's warm embrace. "I wanted to give you a wedding. A real wedding." He told her, Gabby frowning softly.
"Matt, any wedding would've been amazing. The only part I cared about was getting married to you again."
"I know. But I just wanted today to be perfect."
"It was. It was beyond perfect." She whispered, turning around in his embrace, Matt's hands moving to her hips as she faced him. Her hands moved to his chest, Matt leaning towards her to capture her lips in a soft kiss, his hands beginning to roam across her hips and along her back as she deepened their movements.
Gabby's fingers began undoing the buttons on his shirt, Matt grinning as her quick hands suddenly had the clothing halfway open before she dropped to his belt, beginning to work on that. Once she rid him of the item, she unbuttoned his pants, pulling his shirt from them and finishing her work on the buttons, the material soon hanging off his body.
Her hands roamed his bare chest underneath the clothing, Gabby sliding her palms up over his shoulders, pushing the shirt off as she went, the two only separating for quick moments when they needed to breathe.
They both kicked off their shoes, Gabby pushing his pants down his hips, Matt helping her the rest of the way, throwing them onto the couch. Once down to his boxers, he moved his attention to her, gently turning her around, placing deliberate kisses on her exposed shoulder as he slowly unzipped her dress, pushing the material off her body and letting it fall straight to the floor.
Helping her turn back to face him, his breath caught in his throat as his eyes ran over her body, Gabby's bottom lip falling between her teeth as she stood there in her underwear, Matt taking her in.
"God, you're beautiful." He breathed out, using his thumb to pull her lip from her teeth, grabbing her hands and leading her to the bed, helping her sit down on the edge. Once she was seated, he moved back towards the window, pulling the curtains closed, effectively cutting them off from the outside world.
Matt walked back to her, Gabby taking the moment to look at his nearly bare form as he stopped in front of her, pushing her legs apart slightly, giving him room to crouch in between them, his forearms resting on her thighs.
She brought her hand up to his head, brushing her fingers through his hair as he smiled, Matt ducking his head to place chaste kisses all over her thighs, Gabby thoroughly enjoying the feeling of him. Lifting his head up, Matt met her gaze as he reached behind her back, snapping open her bra with one hand, expertly freeing her from the material and tossing it to the side.
"I love you." He murmured, his eyes focusing on the wedding band around her neck, Matt leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on her upper chest beside the ring, Gabby scratching the back of his neck.
"I love you, too." She replied, Matt moving his hands along her sides, his eyes moving lower as he took in the sight of her bare chest, his smile growing.
Wordlessly, he stood up straight and took her hand, Matt wanting to help her get comfortable on the bed before he climbed in behind her, the two more than ready for their night together.
Matt stepped out of the bathroom, a soft smile coming to his face as he saw Gabby fast asleep in the middle of the bed, lying on her side as she was tucked under the sheets. Moving as quietly as possible, Matt climbed into bed, settling down by her stomach, gently rubbing his hand over her bump.
"Hey baby girl." He whispered, pressing a kiss to her stomach over the sheet. "I'm not sure if you know this, but your Momma married me today, kid." He could help but smile as he said the words out loud, glancing up to see Gabby still resting. "And what made it all the better was you being there with us." He continued, resting his head in his free hand, feeling their little girl move under his touch. "Today was one of the absolute best days of my life. Along with when I married her for the first time, which is a story for another time… I'm sure you'll hear all kinds of stories about your mom and me as you grow up, and I won't lie to you, we were stupid at times. But we never stopped loving each other. And we'll never stop loving you, little girl." He murmured, rubbing his thumb as he felt her kick.
"I'm sorry for waking you up, but I wanted you to know how much I love you. How much the both of us love you. Your Momma is the most important person in my life, but here pretty soon I'm going to have the two most important people. You and you mom mean everything to me, and I'm gonna spend the rest of my life making sure you both know that." He spoke softly, pressing another kiss against Gabby's stomach. "Sleep well, baby girl. I love you, always." He finished, giving her one last kiss before adjusting himself up beside Gabby. Slipping under the covers, he faced Gabby, leaning a few inches forward to place a soft kiss on her forehead.
Gabby subconsciously leaned into him, her hand blindly reaching out towards his chest, her upper half curling into him while she lay at an angle, allowing her to be close to Matt while giving her belly room to breathe.
"Goodnight." She mumbled sleepily, Matt smiling as he placed another kiss to the top of her head, placing his hand over hers.
"Night baby." He responded, Gabby barely hearing his words before she fell back asleep, her exhaustion taking over, Matt soon following her lead as he slipped into a peaceful state of unconsciousness.
Well, there it is. I hope you all enjoyed the wedding! I know it was a long time coming, and hopefully it didn't disappoint. I am so excited to hear what you thought of this, thank you for reading!
Baby Casey is coming soon, I hope you're excited!