Hello hello hello, here's the next chapter for you guys. I hope you all enjoy it!

Also, for those of you who read my other story Whatever Comes Next, just know there won't be a new chapter today. I had about 3⁄4's of it written and then I scrapped the whole thing and decided to go in another direction, so I had to start over. Wish I would've realized I changed my mind before I got most of it done, but what can you do. Just know that the next update will most likely be on Monday!

Chapter Sixty Five

Gabby climbed down out of Matt's truck, making sure it was locked before she began walking towards the sidewalk, Dawson flipping Matt's keys around her finger as she moved down the familiar path towards their apartment. When she finally got to the back door, she slid the key into the lock, pushing open the door before stepping inside their warm apartment, Gabby immediately hearing the sound of hockey playing on the TV in the living room. Smiling softly, she locked the door back in place, slipping her shoes off and dropping her purse by the back door before walking further inside, Matt soon coming into view when she stepped into the living room.

It took Matt a few seconds to notice her, her husband slouched down on the couch, his eyes barely open as he watched whatever hockey game he'd recorded, his hand resting on his bare stomach as he sat in his pajama pants.

"I see you haven't moved much since I left." Gabby mused, Matt's eyes snapping open at the sound of her voice, a soft smile forming on his face before he even turned to look at her.

"Why would I? I'm so comfortable." He responded jokingly, his eyes finding Gabby's as she took a step further into the living room.

"Where's the baby?" She asked, her gaze bouncing around the room, not seeing Sofia anywhere in sight.

"In our room, asleep. She's been out for about half an hour, so we have some time before she wakes up." Casey answered, Gabby nodding as she walked over towards the couch, moving some of Sofia's things out of the way before sitting down on the edge of the coffee table, placing herself directly across from Matt. "How'd your appointment go?" He asked, nudging his knee against hers, that being all the contact he could manage in his current position on the couch.

"It went well." Gabby responded, Matt's smile widening as he slowly pushed himself up into a seated position, leaning forward to place his hands on her knees.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it did." She answered, feeling him squeeze her leg softly. "My incision and everything has all healed up, she said everything looks good. She gave me a clean bill of health."

"That's great, baby." He murmured with that gentle Matt Casey grin, the one Gabby fell in love with. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you." He apologized, Gabby shaking her head as she placed her hand on top of his.

"Don't be sorry, you needed to be here with Sofia."

Last night when they were getting Sofia ready for bed, the baby had spit up all over her father while the two of them were in the bath together, the little girl immediately beginning to scream, obviously not feeling well. Gabby had quickly taken Sofia in her arms, doing what she could to soothe her while Matt cleaned himself up, knowing their bath was now cut short.

At first they just assumed she'd eaten too much, but when Sofia didn't settle after half an hour, they went searching for other issues, to which Gabby soon realized Sofia seemed very congested. They weren't sure if she had a cold, or if it was just normal congestion, but the problem was solved after doing some research online, both Matt and Gabby ending up in the shower with her, Gabby holding Sofia against her chest while steam surrounded them. The steam had helped considerably with their baby's discomfort, the family staying in there for awhile before it was time to get out and get Sofia to bed.

When they woke up this morning, Sofia still seemed to be a little congested, as she had been through most of the night, and Gabby nor Matt felt comfortable taking her out while she didn't feel well. It had been a long night for both the baby and the parents, Sofia seemingly wanting to be on her Momma every hour, which led to not a lot of sleep for any of the Casey's.

With Sofia still not feeling well, Gabby thought about rescheduling her appointment with Dr. Tanner, but considering she had already done that once, her six-week check up having turned into a seven-week check up, Matt forced her to go, knowing they needed to make sure she was alright. So, despite Gabby's concerns, she had left the baby and Matt at home while she went to her appointment, Dawson counting down the minutes until she would be back home.

"Everyone there missed you guys, though. Well, I think it was Sofia they missed, but they were nice and mentioned you, too." She teased lightly, Matt pinching her thigh as he chuckled.

"I know people only want me for the baby, it's fine." He laughed, Gabby's eyebrows raising.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't just want you for the baby." She responded softly, Matt grinning widely as he ran his tongue over his lip.

"Is that so?" He asked, Gabby nodding as she bit down on her bottom lip, Matt slowly sliding his hand further up her thigh. Gabby tilted her head to the side, grabbing his wrist before moving his hand back down to a much more appropriate part of her body, Matt pouting slightly.

"Easy there, Captain. At least buy me dinner first." She joked, Matt huffing out a breath as he leaned forward, placing his hands on her hips, pulling her up off the coffee table and into his lap. A surprised squeak escaped her lips at the unexpected movement, Gabby's legs straddling his waist as she instinctively placed her arms around his neck. "You could warn a girl." She murmured, their faces inches apart as her shins rested on the couch, Matt's hands moving along her waist.

"Where's the fun in that?" He questioned, sliding his hands down lower, cupping her in his palms as she relaxed into his embrace. "So, anything else I need to know about your appointment?" He asked, feeling Gabby play with the hair at the base of his neck as she thought over his question.

"Um, nothing I can think of. She still told me to take it easy for awhile, and to listen to my body when it tells me something so I don't overdo it."

"I can help with that." He cut in quickly, wearing a smug grin as Gabby cocked her head to the side.

"What? Paying attention to my body?" She questioned back, Matt chuckling as he leaned forward, placing a surprisingly chaste kiss to her lips, Gabby smiling softly against him as she tightened her grip around his neck.

Their movements were tame, Matt slowly dragging his hands over her, Gabby teasing the skin on the back of his neck as they kissed. When air became a priority, Gabby pulled back, resting her forehead against his as they both caught their breath.

"How'd Sofia do?" She asked after a few quiet moments, feeling him smile before she pulled back, Gabby running her hand across his forehead.

"She's good, she missed her Momma but she did okay." He murmured, sliding his hands down towards her thighs as Gabby flashed him a warm grin. "She definitely does not like the bottle as much as you… but I got her to eat." He told her, Gabby chuckling softly as she stroked her fingers over the side of his face. "She first tried to breastfeed on me, which I had no idea she could even move that quickly," Gabby stifled a laugh, shaking her head in amusement as Matt recanted his day, "But eventually I got her to take the bottle. I had to trick her a little bit, but she took it."

"Sounds like you both had an interesting morning." She mused, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Yeah, you could say that… Oh, before I forget, I had to get more breast milk out of the freezer, she drank what we had out." He told her, Gabby nodding. "I know you need to keep track of how much you have, so I wanted you to know."

"Thank you." She responded, smiling when she felt his hands moving over her back softly. "I thought what I'd gotten out would be enough, but she always has been a heavy drinker." Gabby joked, earning a laugh from her husband as he tilted his head to the side.

"Yeah, she gets that from her Momma." He joked back, Gabby's eyes narrowing as she playfully smacked him on the chest, Matt chuckling before pulling her in for a quick kiss, Gabby not fighting his advances. "But yeah, I gave her what we had out before I took her in the shower with me," He continued once they'd separated, "You know how she was still a little congested this morning, so I called Dr. Mitchell, just to be sure. He said it sounds like she could have a cold, but as long as it doesn't get any worse there's no need to bring her in. He told us to just keep doing what we're doing." Casey explained, Gabby listening intently. "But yeah, so I took another steam shower with her, that seemed to help. If the amount of snot that came out of her was any indication, I imagine she's feeling much better." Matt spoke lightly, Gabby scrunching up her nose as she rubbed her thumb over his neck. "And then after that, I tried to put her down, but she was still hungry so I fed her so more, burped her, and then she fell asleep."

Gabby grinned softly, Matt raising his eyebrows in question as he saw the unreadable expression covering her face.

"...What?" He questioned, Gabby's smile widening as she placed her hands on the back of his neck, pushing herself down into his lap, Matt drawing in a slow breath.

"Nothing, you're just such a great dad, that's all." She murmured, Matt's smile growing as he slid his hands to her waist, Gabby leaning forward to meet his lips, kissing him softly. "...It's hot." She whispered against him, Matt grinning before he deepened the kiss, moving his hands deliberately, sliding them under her shirt to rest on her back, Gabby shivering involuntarily at the contact of his warm hands against her bare skin.

They continued on for a few moments, their movements getting less and less controlled as he held her down on his lap, Gabby's hand trailing from his neck down to his chest.

"So…" Matt panted when they pulled back, Gabby pressing a light kiss to his jaw, feeling a wide smirk cover his face, "clean bill of health, huh?"

"Yup." She spoke, Matt stifling a groan as he felt her breath against his ear, Matt sliding his hands from her back around to the front of her pants, his fingers teasing the waistband of her leggings.

"That's good to know." He whispered, capturing her lips again as he began gently running his finger over the skin above her pants.

Matt didn't feel the slight way her body tensed when he touched her stomach, but he definitely registered Gabby pulling back when he pulled at the waistband of her leggings, Gabby pushing against his chest lightly.

"Wait, Matt-" She spoke, Casey pulling back immediately with furrowed eyebrows, his hands moving back to rest on her waist.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his confusion and slight worry growing when he saw her bite down on her bottom lip, Matt bringing his thumb up to gently pull it from between her teeth. "What is it?"

"Nothing, it's just- I'm not sure if our first time in months should happen out here on the couch." She responded, her eyes darting around nervously as his head tilted to the side, the confusion playing across his features only increasing.

"No, I know. I'm a classy guy, I'd at least take you to the bedroom." He joked, trying to ease some of the tension from her body, but she still looked unsure. He wasn't sure what the issue was, but he could tell something was bothering her. "...What's going on, babe?" He asked softly, running his hands along her back, the question making her lift her eyes up to meet his.

"It's nothing, really, I just-" She cut herself off, refocusing her attention back down on his chest as her fingers teased the collar of his shirt, Gabby welcoming the distraction.

"Gabby…" He prompted, tapping his fingers against her hip, giving her body a slight squeeze, the woman in his lap releasing a soft sigh before responding.

"I'd rather wait for us to have sex, if that's okay with you."

"You don't need to ask for my permission." He responded immediately, his voice laced in confusion mixed with a touch of worry. "If you don't want to, or don't feel ready to, we won't." He continued, Gabby meeting his gaze.

"No, I know that. That's not what I meant, I know I don't need your permission, I just meant that I'd probably be fine if you really wanted to, but for now I'd like to hold off." She tried to explain, but she wasn't sure she was getting across the way she wanted. "Although I know you've been left hanging high and dry here for awhile…" She added lightly, Matt chuckling as he shook his head, wrapping his arms around her back, effectively pulling her closer. "All I'm saying is that if you really want to, we can, but if you don't mind, I'd rather wait." She finished, Matt nodding understandingly.

"Well, I mean, I always want to, just so we're clear on that," He started, Gabby ducking her head as heat filled her cheeks, "but we can take this as slow as you need to, I'm not going anywhere." He reminded her softly, bringing his hand up to her face, his action causing her to look back up at him as he stroked his thumb over her cheek. "I'll wait as long as you need me to."

"Thank you." She murmured, leaning forward, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, the two of them moving together slowly, relishing in the feeling of being this close again.

They broke apart when they heard some noise through the baby monitor, both Gabby and Matt looking towards the object that was sitting on the end table, Gabby picking it up to get a closer look. The parents remained silent while Sofia moved around, the little girl whining softly for a few moments before she settled again, neither Gabby nor Matt making a move until they were sure she fell back asleep.

Once they knew they were in the clear, Gabby put the baby monitor back down, returning her hands to the back of Matt's neck as his went back to her hips, their eyes locking.

"Can I ask you something?" He questioned, Gabby nodding without hesitation, moving her thumb along his hairline.

"Of course."

"Is there a specific reason you're wanting to wait?" He asked, watching her head tilt to the side slightly. "If it's just that you don't feel ready, or you don't want to, I understand, that's completely fine, but I wasn't sure if there was another reason." Matt elaborated, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Gabby drew in a deep breath, running her tongue across her bottom lip as she thought over his question. "Honestly, I'm not really sure." She finally answered, Matt waiting for her to continue. "It has nothing to do with you, because believe me I want to, but I just don't feel up for it…" She trailed off, Matt nodding as he slid his hands around to her thighs. "And with either Sofia or a pump being latched onto me 24/7, I don't really feel in the mood for much right now."

Matt smiled sympathetically, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her lips, Gabby relaxing into his hold. "Okay." He murmured against her lips, kissing her again before they pulled back.

"Why do you ask?" She questioned, Matt raising his eyebrows.

"I was just checking." He responded with a shrug, Gabby shooting him a rather unimpressed look, the action bringing a smile to his face. "What? I just wanna know what's going on with you… I wasn't sure if it had anything to do with…" He trailed off, knowing he had to be careful of how he phrased his next thought.

"With what?" She asked curiously, sliding her hands down to rest on his shoulders, Matt releasing a soft sigh before responding.

"I just know that since Sofia, or I guess even before she was born, sometimes you haven't had the highest opinion of yourself… with how you look." He spoke carefully, Gabby's face softening as she stroked her thumb over his collarbone. "So I wasn't sure if that was part of it, because if it is, it doesn't need to be. You're absolutely gorgeous, that hasn't changed." He was quick to assure her, watching as a slight smile pulled on her lips.

"I love you." She murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the side of his mouth. "That's not apart of it, or at least not really… I mean, obviously, I still look different.. I'm not sure if I'll ever look the way I did before, but when I look at Sofia, none of that really matters. And I know you don't care," She spoke, Matt quickly nodding in agreement, "and as long as I feel okay, I have no reason to care, either." She continued with a shrug, Casey smiling softly as he moved his hand down to her thigh, gripping it firmly, seeing a soft smirk fall onto Gabby's lips. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you've seen plenty of me these last seven weeks, too much for that to be an issue now." She joked, Matt chuckling as he gave her another nod. Her words held a lot of truth, Matt having seen her and her body go through changes he never even imagined since Sofia was born. But none of that mattered to him; if anything, it just made him even more impressed by how incredible his wife was.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" He responded softly, stroking his thumb along the inside of her thigh softly. "But I just wanted to be sure." He knew Gabby had always been sure of herself, with most everything, but after everything her body went through, he knew that could take its toll on even the most self-assured of people.

"And I love you for that," She repeated, placing her hand against his cheek, her eyes searching his. "But I'm good."

"Good." He replied, giving her another quick kiss before he trailed his lips back towards her ear, pressing her body into his. "Because you are still just as gorgeous as you were the first day I met you, if not more so… My girl is fucking hot." He whispered in her ear, Gabby feeling heat rise within her body, her breath catching in her throat when she felt his lips tickling her skin. "I don't want you to ever doubt that."

His words caused her heart to swell, Gabby grabbing his cheeks and guiding him back towards her lips, the two connecting in a much more heated kiss. Pushing her hips down into his, Gabby smirked when she felt him pressing against the inside of her thigh, his thin pajama pants doing little to hide his want for her. "Yeah, it's hard to doubt it when I can feel it." She spoke teasingly, Matt pulling back as he flashed her an unapologetic grin, sliding his hands along her waist.

"Well, that's the effect you have on me." He murmured, giving her hips a slight squeeze as he leaned back towards her.

"Mhmm." She hummed in response, biting back a laugh before he kissed her again, the two focusing on one another as they kept their bodies as close as they could.

It was all innocent enough until Gabby began sliding her hand down to his chest, Matt not paying much attention to it until she continued lower and lower, his body tightening when he felt her teasing the edge of his pants. It became harder for him to focus on kissing her as she moved lower, his breath catching in his throat when she gripped him through his clothes.

"Gabby…" He groaned, his head slacking to the side as she tightened her grip.

"Yes?" She asked softly, pressing kisses to his neck.

"This isn't fair." He muttered, clenching his eyes tightly as she began rubbing him over his pants, her movements painfully slow.

"I thought you'd enjoy this." She murmured in his ear, nipping at his jaw before pressing a kiss to the skin she'd just marked. "...Just because we can't do everything, doesn't mean there aren't other ways I can show you my appreciation." Her voice was tantalizingly soft, Matt tensing as he did his best to control himself, her slow movements combined with the sheer length of time it'd been since they were this close nearly causing it all to end way earlier than he liked.

Their movements were immediately halted when they heard Sofia begin to stir through the baby monitor again, Matt releasing a heavy sigh as Gabby began laughing, slowly releasing him from her grip. They waited a few seconds, but when Sofia's fussing turned into cries, they knew their little girl was awake.

She couldn't help but laugh when she saw the look of complete disappointment covering her husband's face, Gabby patting his cheek before she carefully got up off of him, Matt's hands dropping from her waist as she moved.

"I'm gonna get her, let you stay here and… calm down." She spoke, biting back another laugh as Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, this is just so funny." He responded lamely, adjusting himself in his seat, trying to ease some of his obvious discomfort, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as she began walking towards the bedroom.

"I'll finish that for you later." She called over her shoulder, glancing back to him as she opened the bedroom door.

"God, you better." He groaned, unable to stop the grin that fell to his face when he heard her laugh, the sound like music to his ears as she disappeared into the room.

While Gabby stopped to turn on the lamp, Sofia's cries got louder as she waited for someone to come get her, the new mom beginning to soothe her as soon as she could. "It's okay baby, Momma's here." She murmured, placing her hand on Sofia's chest to alert her to her presence, knowing that was quicker than being able to pick her up. The second she felt a hand on her, Sofia looked up, soon finding her mom smiling down at her, the little girl waving her arms around furiously. "Hi sweet girl."

Sofia began swatting at her mother's arm, flashing her wide grin while her cries turned into loud noises of excitement, the little girl shoving her fists into her mouth the second her hands were free, Gabby carefully picking her up.

"Let's get you changed then we can go see your Daddy, alright? Yeah, you love your Daddy, don't you?" She murmured, placing Sofia down on her changing mat, the girl wiggling around as Gabby kept a hand on her.

Within a few minutes, Gabby go Sofia changed, opting to leave the little girl in just her diaper instead of trying to get her clothes back on, knowing how much her daughter loved not being constrained.

With little Sofia carefully in her grasp, Gabby headed out of the bedroom, glancing up as she walked towards the couch, seeing Matt with his phone up to his ear, the device turned away from his mouth, telling her he wasn't on a phone call.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she sat down next to him, Matt lifting his arm up to rest on the back of the couch, encouraging her to lean into his side.

"Got a voicemail." He responded, Gabby nodding as she situated Sofia in her arms.

"Is it that unknown number again?" She questioned, Casey immediately shaking his head.

"It was Boden." Matt replied, placing his phone down on the couch before moving his arm down to rest across her shoulders, leaning down to press a kiss against her head. "He must've called me earlier, but I missed it. He's just checking in." He continued, glancing down towards Sofia, placing his free hand on her stomach as the young girl's bright blue eyes focused on her father. "Hey baby girl, did you have a good nap?"

His voice automatically changed pitch when he spoke with Sofia, as it so often did in moments between the father and daughter, the little girl always captivated by her dad.

"She seemed to, she doesn't seem as congested anymore, either." Gabby responded, running her hand over Sofia's head.

"Good, that's good." He replied, smiling when Sofia grabbed ahold of his finger, the little girl waving his hand around as much as she could.

The family of three fell into a comfortable quiet, Matt focusing on Sofia until the little girl began showing her hunger signs. She started pushing her face against Gabby's chest, letting go of her father's hand and grabbing at any part of Gabby she could.

"Can you go and get me one of your t-shirts?" Gabby asked, sparing a quick glance to her husband, Matt nodding as he pushed himself up from the couch, moving towards the bedroom. "I know you're hungry, baby." Gabby murmured when Sofia began fussing, Casey reappearing within seconds, one of his old CFD t-shirts in hand.

Without a word, Gabby had Matt take Sofia for a second, quickly stripping out of her own shirt and bra while Matt bounced their girl in his arms.

"Oh, well what did I do to deserve this nice show?" He asked teasingly, Gabby rolling her eyes as she threw his shirt on over her head.

"It's not for you, dummy." She muttered, Casey raising his eyebrows in amusement before handing Sofia back to her mom. Lifting her shirt up, Gabby got Sofia positioned while Matt sat back down, Gabby leaning into his side, making both herself and their daughter comfortable while she began feeding. "I figured if last night was any indication, she's gonna be on me most of the day." Gabby began to explain, Matt rubbing over her shoulder while keeping his eyes on Sofia. "And your clothes are much comfier than mine. It's my best option, aside from just walking around topless."

"I wouldn't object." He murmured, Gabby glancing towards him with a slight grin, bringing her free hand up to tap his cheek.

"Yeah, I know you wouldn't." She agreed, cuddling into him carefully, letting herself relax while their daughter ate.

They had fallen back into that all too familiar quiet, the lack of sound comforting as Gabby kept a firm grip on their girl, Sofia clutching her mom's chest with her fist while her eyes darted around, Matt's gaze focused in on her.

"...So," Gabby spoke up, her voice gaining Matt's attention as he glanced down towards her, Gabby lifting her head from his shoulder. "What exactly did Boden want?"

"He didn't say much in the voicemail, he was just wanting to know how we were doing…" Matt trailed off, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she cocked her head to the side, knowing there was more to it than that. Blowing out a sigh, Matt brought his hand up towards Sofia, letting her hold onto his finger instead of onto Gabby with her tiny little fist. "I guess he's getting some pressure from headquarters, about me getting back to work."

Her eyebrows furrowed, Gabby adjusting her positioning to get a better look at him. "What do you mean, what are they saying?"

"I don't know much, Boden didn't give many details. But I guess they need to know sooner rather than later when I'll be back… He said they'd been on him for a few weeks, but he kept reminding them of the situation and got them to back off, but I guess it's not really working anymore."

"Well, then you'll go back to work." She replied simply, seeing a look of apprehension flicker in his eyes. "Matt…"

"What? Don't you think it's too soon?"

"Baby, she's seven weeks old." Gabby responded softly, Matt pursing his lips together. "If anything, you've probably overstayed your welcome."

"Thanks a lot." Matt muttered, feigning offense as Gabby rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean. All I'm saying is usually dad's don't take off this long when they have newborns."

"Yeah, but they should… I mean, imagine everything I would've missed had I gone back to work weeks ago? Now I'm just gonna miss a bunch of new stuff." He breathed out defeatedly, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip. "And I know I don't have a choice, we knew this would be happening, and I want to go back to work, I do- I just hate the thought of being gone from you guys for that long…"

"I know you do." She responded softly, flashing him a sympathetic smile. "And believe me, I don't love it either. You're the only thing that's kept me sane most days, but you've gotta go to work. Sofia and I will be fine, and you know my dad will be here, and Antonio whenever he can, and Jemma too… We've got a village, babe, Sof and I will be alright." She assured him, Matt responding with a slight nod. "And you know I'll be constantly sending you pictures and videos."

"You better." He replied, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "And throw in some of you while you're at it." He murmured, Gabby chuckling softly as she felt heat rise to her cheeks, Dawson lightly shoving his side.

"Maybe… if you're lucky." Gabby spoke softly, letting herself fall back into his side. "But really, we're okay. I'm all healed up. I know I still need to be careful, but I'm fine to look after Sof. And you know Jemma or Antonio would stay the night with me in a heartbeat if I needed them to."

"Yeah, they would." He agreed, gently rubbing her shoulder.

"I think it's time for you to go back, baby. Even though I'm gonna miss you here, you need to get back to the house, to your firefighters. I think it's time." She told him, feeling his chest rise and fall slowly as he took a deep breath, clearly thinking over everything.

"...Fine." He reluctantly spoke, Gabby fighting off a small smile. "I'll call Boden. But I'm not going back until after her two month checkup next week." He compromised, Gabby releasing a soft chuckle. "I wanna be there for that, especially since she's been a little sick."

"That's fine, babe." She murmured, feeling him press another kiss to the top of her head. "I am glad that I'm gonna have you all to myself for a little bit longer." She whispered, nuzzling her head against his shoulder, feeling his grip around her shoulders tighten. "Just let Boden know, so headquarters can back off."

"I will, I'll call him back here soon. But right now, I just wanna enjoy this." He responded, pressing another kiss to the top of her head as they sat there on the couch, Casey wanting to soak in every single moment with his family.

Matt maneuvered quietly around the room, having already taken his boots, shift bag, and jacket out into the living room to deal with those items out there, Casey not wanting to risk waking the baby. It was early, Matt checking the time again, seeing he had about another ten minutes before he needed to leave.

Today was Matt's first day back on shift at 51, and to say he was feeling a lot of mixed emotions was an understatement. He was excited to get back, he absolutely was, but he was having a hard time leaving his daughter and his wife. He knew it was time to go back, Gabby was right it was past time, but actually getting himself to leave was the hard part.

He knew Gabby would be fine, and he knew Sofia would be fine, but he also knew Gabby was a little anxious about him returning to work. When he first picked up on her hesitation, he figured she was worried about being here with Sofia alone, but he soon realized it wasn't so much that as it was her worried about the job itself.

Gabby always worried about him at work, it came with the territory. But she always worried more whenever she wasn't on shift with him. When she was there, and knew what was going on with him, she never worried unless she needed to; but now, with her at home, and eventually going back to work at another company, it was harder on her. Especially with little Sofia to consider.

If something happened to him, he wouldn't just be leaving Gabby behind anymore. Before, it was just her. Not that Gabby wasn't enough for him to want to make it home every single shift, but things were different with a child. Now they had another life entirely to consider. A life that depended on him for everything. And the last thing he ever wanted to do was leave her behind; leave them behind.

And he knew that was on Gabby's mind, too.

But, aside from quitting, there wasn't anything he could do to change the situation, and Gabby would never ask him to do that. All he could do was promise to be careful, which he had done, multiple times over the last few days. And promise he'd do whatever he could to come back home to his girls.

And that was a promise he had every intention of keeping.

These eight weeks with Sofia and Gabby had been some of the best, most rewarding weeks of his life, and he would do everything in his power to make sure he got to experience many more weeks like this. He was truly the happiest he'd ever been, and he wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.

And that's why he was feeling a bit anxious, too.

It had never really been an issue for him before. He knew the job, he and Gabby both knew the risks, he knew there was a chance he'd go to shift and never come back home; it was something both he, and Gabby, had accepted a long time ago. But now, everything was different. Sofia made things different, for the both of them. And he couldn't help but feel some anxiety returning to work.

But he knew once he got there, and got back into the swing of things that he'd be okay. He knew the first time leaving them would be the hardest, and once he got past that, things would get easier. But shift today would be a challenge, it was going to be hard on all of them. They just had to get past it.

Turning around to face the room, a soft smile fell onto his lips as he saw Gabby sound asleep in the middle of the bed, her head resting on his pillow. When he dragged himself out of bed an hour ago, Gabby had woken up when he did, and so had Sofia. He knew it was unavoidable, but considering Sofia had eaten less than an hour before, he knew he could get her back to sleep while letting Gabby get more rest. Before Gabby could even move, he'd placed a kiss to her head and told her to go back to sleep, Matt getting out of bed and soothing Sofia until she also fell back into her slumber. Thankfully, since then, neither one of his girls had woken up, Matt managing to get ready for shift without disturbing either of them, which was a minor miracle in and of itself.

Making sure his white shirt was completely tucked in, Matt buttoned up his pants, his gaze bouncing back and forth between Gabby and Sofia as he buckled his belt. Knowing he had limited time left, he slowly walked towards Sofia's bassinet, Matt taking a few moments to watch his little girl sleep, focusing on the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"I love you, baby girl." He murmured, lightly placing his hand on her chest. "Be good for your Momma today, alright? She's gonna need your help. I know today will be hard, it's the first day you'll spend without me, but I'll be back. Tomorrow morning, I promise I'll do everything I can to be right back here, okay? I love you so much, Sof."

Knowing it was too risky to give her a kiss, Matt spared one last glance at her before turning towards to bed, seeing Gabby still dead asleep. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her, and he knew he could easily leave right now and let her sleep for as long as possible, but he also knew Gabby would kill him if he did that. Last night she had made him promise to wake her before he left, even though that was the last thing he wanted to do right now.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Matt reached out towards Gabby, gently stroking his hand over the side of her head. At first she didn't stir, but soon enough she began waking up, Matt smiling when he saw her face scrunch up in confusion, her eyes slowly opening.

"Matt?" She questioned softly, her voice thick with sleep.

"Hey baby." He murmured, stroking his thumb over the side of her face. "I'm about to leave." She nodded against his hand, digging herself deeper into the bed, rolling over onto her side. "I just wanted to let you know. You'll keep me updated today, yeah?"

"Mhmm." She murmured, pulling the covers up under her chin, her tired actions earning a chuckle from Matt.

"I love you, you and Sof have a good day today, alright?"

"Love you too." She responded, her eyes falling closed.

Leaning down, Matt easily found her lips in the dark, kissing her softly. He felt her smile against him, Gabby blindly reaching out for him and running her hand over his side.

"Keep your badge off the wall." She whispered against him, Matt nodding before he kissed her again, the moment far too fleeting before he had to pull back.

"I love you." He repeated, Gabby nodding as she lazily ran her hand across his side before he stood up, his hand lingering in hers before they had to separate.

"We love you too, stay safe out there baby."

Matt shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked down the hallway, his thumb twisting the wedding ring on his finger as he headed towards the conference room. His mind was elsewhere as he moved through the firehouse, a yawn escaping his lips when he opened the door, Casey desperate to get through this morning meeting so he could get some coffee and something to eat.

"There is he!"

Casey almost jumped at the greeting, not expecting to see so many faces in the room already, and he really hadn't expected everyone to be clapping, either.

"Welcome back, Casey!" They cheered, Herrmann coming to him first and giving him a hug, the man soon followed by most of the house.

"Hey guys, it's good to be back." He told them as he made his way through the group of firefighters, shaking Boden's hand before he walked to the back of the room, taking up his usual spot by Severide.

"How's the baby doing?" Herrmann asked first, sitting down on the edge of the table as he faced the back of the room, Matt seeing all eyes on him.

"She's doing good, really good." He spoke softly, everyone seeing the wide grin that spread across his face. "She was a little sick last week, but she's doing alright now."

"What was wrong with her?"

"She had a cold." Casey responded, seeing both Boden and Herrmann grimace, the men knowing how terrible a sick baby could be. "But she's feeling better, has been for a few days. And we just had her two month check up, she's doing well. Everything's good."

"And Gabby?" Brett asked, Matt nodding.

"She's doing well, too. Things are good."

"That's great, Casey. We're glad to hear it." Boden spoke, others in the room nodding in agreement. "And we're very glad to have you back."

"Yeah, we're definitely glad Garcia's gone." Otis chimed in, Boden shooting him a narrow glare before returning his attention to Casey.

"It's just nice to have you back."

"It's good to be back." He responded.

"Ah, you don't have to lie to us, Captain." Herrmann joked, shaking his head lightly. "We know you'd much rather still be at home."

Casey responded with a slight shrug, knowing he couldn't exactly argue with the firefighter's words. "Well, I can't say you're wrong, Herrmann. But it was time to get back, past time really."

"You were where you needed to be, everyone here knows that." Boden responded, Matt giving him a nod. "But it's just nice to have our Captain back with us."

Matt opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the sound of the bells ringing throughout the house, calling all companies to an apartment fire.

"Well, no time like the present… Let's get you back out there, Captain." Boden spoke, Matt nodding as everyone filed out of the conference room, heading towards their rigs.

"And this one was when we had taken her to the park," Matt spoke as he swiped to the next picture, showing a photo of Sofia in her carrier that strapped to his chest, the little girl sound asleep. "She slept through that one, too. But she woke up towards the end, she didn't seem too impressed with everything though."

"God, you've suckered Herrmann into this too?" Severide asked when he passed the table, Matt rolling his eyes as he looked up from his phone, finding most of the eyes in the common room on him, his firefighters watching him with amused looks on their faces. He hadn't even realized they were paying attention to him, Matt too caught up in showing Herrmann pictures of Sofia to notice. "Has he gotten to the first bath pictures yet? I've seen those like twenty times." Severide joked, Matt flipping him off from his seat at the table, Herrmann chuckling lightly.

"He's a proud dad, Severide. Leave him alone." The older firefighter spoke lightly, Kelly tilting his head to the side.

"Hey, I'm just glad he has other people to show these pictures to now." Severide responded, putting his hands up in defense as he leaned against the counter. "I mean, I love the kid, but if I have to see the same picture of her laying on her stomach for the hundredth time…"

"How is she doing with that, by the way?" Herrmann asked, Matt flashing a wide grin as he began searching through his photos, Severide muttering a comment under his breath that they couldn't make out.

"She's doing great, she can lift her head up and everything." Casey responding, finding the correct picture and showing it to Herrmann. "See? I mean, it's only for like a second or two, but this was the other day. She's getting so strong."

"She looks like she's getting bigger, too." Herrmann commented, Matt's eyes widening slightly as his smile grew.

"She is! Oh man, she's growing every day, it's insane." He spoke excitedly, ignoring the snickers he heard from around the room. "She's still small, but compared to what she was when she was born, she's grown so much."

"She's beautiful, Casey." Herrmann replied, patting him on the shoulder. "You and Dawson, I'm so happy for you guys. No one deserves all this more than you two."

"Thanks Herrmann." He replied softly, taken aback by the sincerity of the man's words.

The two were interrupted by Casey's phone dinging, Matt pulling the device back towards him so he could see who was texting him. A soft smile fell to his face when he saw Gabby's name pop up, but it quickly morphed into a look of confusion when he saw the unintelligible string of letters that had been sent to him. It almost looked like Gabby had texted him on accident, like maybe she pocket-texted him or something.

"More pictures of Sofia?" Herrmann asked, Matt shaking his head as he read over the message once more.

"No, uh- it's Gabby, but I think she texted me on accident." He responded, Herrmann nodding before he went back to his newspaper.

Casey sat there, debating whether or not to text her back and see what was going on. He knew it was nothing, but he also knew it would bother him until he called and checked up on them. Glancing at the time, he knew right about now was when Sofia was in play-mode, which meant he shouldn't be risking waking up Gabby or the baby, Matt hitting her contact quickly and putting the phone up to his ear.

His frown deepened when it immediately went to voicemail, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he brought his phone back down, going back to their messages.

"Everything okay, Casey?" Severide asked, having been watching his friend the entire time, Kelly's words gaining the attention of the room, but Matt had yet to look up from his phone, the Captain too busy typing out something. "Casey?"

"Huh?" He questioned, looking towards Kelly.

"I asked if everything was okay… You look spooked."

"Oh, uh, yeah I think so. I just got a weird message from Gabby, and then she didn't answer my call, it went straight to voicemail."

"Weird how?" Kelly asked, pushing himself from the counter and walking over towards the table, Matt tilting his phone so Severide could see, Kelly's eyebrows furrowing as he read over the strange text.

"She probably just texted you accident." Severide responded with a shrug. "And she's taking care of a baby right now, I'm sure she'll call you back when she can."

"Yeah, you're right."

"I know." Kelly replied, squeezing Matt's shoulder. "I know you've got all this nervous new dad energy, but there's no need to assume the worst. You know Dawson, she's always trying to do fifty things at once, I'm sure it's nothing." He finished, Casey giving him a nod before Kelly walked away, the Captain sending the text he'd typed out moments prior.

'Hey baby, just checking in. I wasn't sure if you meant to send that text or not, but just call me when you get a chance. I miss you and Sof so much. I hope you're doing okay, talk to you soon. Love you.'

Matt didn't want to worry, the rational part of him told him there was nothing to worry about, and that odds were Gabby just wasn't near her phone, but when nearly half an hour had passed since he texted her and he never got a response, he couldn't help but worry.

Casey blew out a defeated breath as he hung up the phone, Matt having just finished calling their home phone for the fourth time, Gabby not having answered any of them.

"I don't know, I think I need to go to the apartment, see what's going on." Matt spoke as he paced back and forth, ignoring the many concerned eyes on him. Their Captain's demeanor had completely shifted over the last half hour, Matt now on the verge of full blown panic, all of 51 gathered in the common room.

His phone ringing in his hand instantly silenced the room, Casey glancing at it quickly before his face immediately fell. He recognized the number, but it wasn't who he was needing to speak to, Matt seeing that same unknown number calling him again, the Captain instantly ignoring it.

"Why don't you take 81 over there," Boden suggested after it was clear the phone call wasn't from Dawson, Matt looking up to him. "I'm sure Dawson and Sofia are fine, but I know you won't feel better till you see that for yourself. So go, just keep your radio on."

"Thanks Chief." He breathed out, looking around to his firefighters. "81, let's go." He spoke quickly before jogging out towards the garage, pushing his way through the double doors and heading for the rig.

"Casey." Kidd spoke, the Captain glancing towards her as he opened his door.

"What?"

Without a word, Stella nodded behind him, Matt turning around to see Gabby walking up the driveway, Sofia's carseat in hand, the woman waving softly at him, clearly unaware of his current distressed state.

"Oh, thank God." He breathed out, shutting the door quickly before he jogged towards her.

"Hey baby- What's wrong?" Her tone shifted when he got closer, immediately noticing how worried he was, Matt not stopping until he got to her, placing his hand on her arm, his eyes flickering back and forth between his wife and his baby.

"Are you guys okay?" He asked quickly, Gabby's concern and confusion only growing.

"We're fine, why?"

"After your text message, and then you never answered any of my calls." He spoke, finally letting himself relax now that he knew the two most important people in his life were alright.

"What message-Oh…" Gabby spoke softly, shaking her head. "I didn't realize anything actually sent to you."

"Yeah, it was like a weird message, it looked like you sent it on accident." He replied, pulling out his phone to show her, Gabby looking over it quickly before returning her attention to him.

"I'm sorry, I was trying to send you a picture of Sofia, but she was in my arms and squirming around.. I dropped my phone, it shattered when it hit the ground, but I guess I sent something on accident." She responded, Matt nodding understandingly, wrapping his arm around her waist as they stood at the entrance of the garage, Casey taking Sofia's car seat in his other hand to give Gabby a break. "Speaking of… I'm going to need a new phone." She added sheepishly, Matt smirking softly as he leaned forward, giving her a quick kiss.

"That's fine, babe. We'll go and get you one tomorrow." He replied, Gabby nodding as she leaned into him, resting her hand on his shoulder. "You can take mine today, just make sure you get it before you leave."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." He responded without hesitation. "I don't like the idea of you not having one, not when you're not home and you've got Sofia. And I've got phones here, I'm good."

"Okay, thank you." She responded, Matt giving her another nod. "I am sorry, though, I didn't mean to worry you." She murmured, rubbing her hand against the top of his chest. "I didn't realize I had texted you anything, or I would've called before I left the apartment."

"No, no it's okay." He assured her, pressing another kiss to her head before looking down to Sofia. "I guess I kind of freaked out over nothing…" He continued, ducking his head in embarrassment. "I think being away from you guys has been harder than I thought it would be, even though I knew it would be nearly impossible regardless… But then I couldn't get ahold of you, and I automatically assumed the worst."

"I know this is hard." She responded, bringing her hand up towards his jaw, tracing her finger along his skin. "But it'll get easier. Trust me, this morning without you was rough, but it's just an adjustment."

"Everything okay?" He was quick to ask her, Gabby giving him a slight nod.

"We're fine, Sofia just missed her Daddy… and so did I." She spoke softly, Matt giving her a sympathetic smile. "I think she could tell you weren't there, and she wasn't a fan. So I decided to come and visit you, let Sofia have some time with her dad, but then of course she fell asleep in the car." Gabby chuckled, Matt nodding with a knowing grin as he looked back down towards his sleeping daughter.

"Well, she's always loved car rides… But I'm glad you came, and I know everyone will be glad to see you, too." He spoke, beginning to lead her into the garage with his arm around her waist, the two walking in step together as they moved around the rig, heading for the double doors.

"Yeah, I'm excited to see everyone." She replied, Matt giving her a nod, pressing one last kiss to her head before they went inside, knowing there'd be a lot of people excited to see both her and the baby.

So, there it is. I hope you guys liked this one. Looks like Matt definitely had more anxiety about going to work than he led on. We'll see how that continues to play out, if it has any lasting effects with him or with Gabby. And he still seems to be getting those weird calls, too. I guess we'll see what happens there.

I'm gonna talk about the episode here in a minute, but first I just wanna say thank you for the continued support on this story, I appreciate everyone who's still sticking with me and coming back each and every chapter. Your support means everything. Thank you for reading!

++ Below this are spoilers for last night's episode ++

That fall finale…. Wow. Boy is there a lot to unpack there. I have a lot of feelings, but holy shit Dawsey…. Like we knew they were still in love with each other, that's never gonna go away but… damn. I have so many mixed emotions, mostly because I'm just so sad knowing Monica's gone again. But I do like that they left the door open for Dawsey, that they left things open ended, and Gabby telling Matt to come and visit her? God, it's just all too much. Like part of me really can't believe Gabby came all the way back to Chicago just for Matt, but on the other hand I can completely believe it. She loves him so much and always will, and of course, the first opportunity she had to come back, she'd jump at the chance. Honestly, something I loved about the episode is you could see Matt slowly putting his guard down. Like obviously he was hesitant, I understand that, because he knows she's not staying, but during their dancing scene (also I can't believe we FINALLY got a Dawsey dancing scene, god I've been begging for years for that) you could see him just give in to everything he was feeling for her, that he's always felt for her, and just allow himself to live in the moment, because they both knew it'd be gone soon. They really just wanted to spend that time together, and Matt making sure to assure her that what they were doing wasn't a mistake, Jesus Christ I can't handle it. It was just so refreshing to see Dawsey again, and to see Matt and Gabby just being Matt and Gabby. And Jesse and Monica, phew, good to see all that chemistry and connection is still there, not that I'd ever doubt that. They really just have a way together on screen that is incredible to watch. I think that's one of the things I miss the most, just seeing Jesse and Monica play off one another, they have some serious chemistry that'll never go away. I am sad because of having to say goodbye to Gabby again, that'll never not hurt, but I just loved getting to see Dawsey together again. It was such a nice thing to witness. And I feel pretty good about the way they left things, under the circumstances. Just knowing how much they still love one another, it was nice to see again. Honestly I could go on about this for hours, and I'm feeling a lot of things, but really the main takeaway is that I'm just so glad we got actual confirmation that they'll always love one another. That no matter how much time passes, no matter how long they go without seeing one another, those feelings will never go away. That's my Dawsey.