Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys, ready for more adventures with the Casey family?
Also, before we get started, I just want to let you know that there won't be another update this week. With the holidays and everything, I'm going out of town, and won't have time to get a chapter ready for Thursday. I know my updates for both stories have been a little delayed lately, and I'm sorry about that. But I'm hoping after this week I'll get back to my Monday and Thursday update schedule. But for this week, just expect the next update to be next Monday. Thank you for your patience.
Happy reading!
Chapter Sixty Six
Gabby glanced into the rearview mirror as soon as she had the car parked, her eyes immediately finding her nine week old daughter through the baby mirror attached to the headrest in the backseat, Dawson smiling softly when she saw her little girl's bright blue eyes open wide, Sofia's fist shoved into her mouth as she took in her surroundings.
"There's my sweet girl." Dawson murmured, her voice causing Sofia's eyes to widen slightly, the baby immediately searching for her mom. "It's okay, I'm coming to get you." She continued, pulling the keys from the ignition and unbuckling her seatbelt before she got out of the car. Walking around to the back passenger side of the car, Gabby opened the door, Sofia's eyes moving towards the noise, her gummy little smile forming over her face when she saw her mom. "Yeah, Momma's here." She spoke, Sofia waving her arms around excitedly as Gabby unlatched her carseat, pulling the girl and her seat from the car, using her other hand to sling the diaper bag over her shoulder. "You ready to see your Daddy? This should be a nice surprise for him, it's definitely better than just sending him pictures." Gabby said, making sure to lock her car before she turned towards the firehouse, beginning her trek inside.
While Gabby walked up the driveway, loud, unintelligible noises were escaping Sofia's lips, the young girl getting distracted by her own hands as she waved them around in front of her. Although it was a bit of a surprise to see Sofia awake in the middle of the afternoon, especially after the car ride, Gabby was glad for it, knowing Matt would enjoy getting to spend some time with his little girl.
Getting closer to the garage, Gabby soon saw that both 61 and squad 3 were out, but truck was parked in its usual place inside, all the firefighters' gear hung up on the side as usual. "Well baby, it looks like Daddy's here." She said, glancing down towards Sofia, seeing her still content in her car seat, Gabby heading straight for the double doors.
Stepping inside, Gabby immediately caught sight of a few familiar faces, seeing Herrmann and Mouch sitting in their usual spot on the couch, while Kidd and Otis were sitting at the table, playing cards.
"Hey, look who's here." Herrmann spoke excitedly, pushing himself up from his seat as Gabby stepped further into the firehouse, stopping at the entrance of the common room. "This is two visits in one week, what's the occasion?" He asked, giving Gabby a quick hug before turning his attention to Sofia, his smile widening as he looked at the baby.
"Well, I just wanted to stop by, let Matt see Sofia for a little bit." She replied, the older man nodding understandingly. After Casey's freakout the shift before last, everyone had been paying close attention to their Captain, knowing being away from his family had been harder on him than they could've ever imagined. He definitely was showing a few signs of some separation anxiety, which is not something any of them, especially Casey, had expected. But he was working through it, and Gabby did what she could to help.
She was worried about him when he was at shift, she always would be, but, for some reason, she was feeling pretty okay about everything, considering. The days and nights without Matt were hard, there was no denying it, but she was handling everything well, Gabby taking it all in stride and doing whatever she needed to for her daughter. For as worried as she'd been about being on her own prior to Matt going back to work, she'd fallen into the role seamlessly. And she liked to think her level-headedness was helping her husband, too. That seeing her doing okay, that both his girls were okay, helped ease his worries.
"Ah yeah, the Captain's in his office." Herrmann replied, patting his hand lightly on Sofia's stomach. "I know he'll be so excited to see you guys. But don't let him keep Sofia to long, I want some time with the kid." The older firefighter joked, Gabby chuckling softly as she stepped back into the hallway.
"I won't, Herrmann." She replied with a smile before she began walking down the hallway, Sofia's soft incoherent noises hitting Gabby's ears, telling Dawson her little girl was still wide awake and ready to see her father.
Pulling the door open, Gabby walked into the bunk room, seeing it completely vacant, aside from a certain Captain who was sitting at the desk in his office, diligently working on some paperwork with his door slightly ajar.
Walking straight towards his office, Gabby carefully pulled the door open, the noise gaining his attention as Matt looked up, an immediate smile displaying over his face when he saw his family.
"Hey baby." He spoke lightly, pushing himself up from his chair and walking towards his wife, giving her a quick kiss while simultaneously grabbing Sofia's car seat so Gabby wouldn't have to keep holding it. "What are you guys doing here?" He questioned once he pulled away, Gabby flashing him a gentle grin as they walked towards his bunk, Dawson sitting down while Matt placed the car seat beside her, beginning to unbuckle Sofia out of it.
"Sofia was missing her dad." Gabby replied with a shrug, her heart swelling when she saw Matt's smile widen, Casey rubbing his hand across his little girl's chest as he carefully got her unrestrained.
"Yeah? Well I missed you too, baby girl." He murmured, carefully lifting her out of the seat, Sofia's eyes widening in excitement when her dad picked her up. Supporting her head, Matt held her in his hands, the little girl waving her arms around, clearly happy to see him. "Your Momma wasn't kidding, you did miss your Daddy, didn't you?" He cooed softly, watching as Sofia shoved one of her fists towards her mouth. "What do you think, Sof, do you think Momma missed me, too?" He asked, acting like he was waiting for her to respond, his eyebrows raising as soft noises left Sofia's lips. "Oh, you don't say? She missed me more than you did? Well, I can't say I'm surprised."
Gabby cocked her head to the side as Matt spoke, her reaction earning a soft chuckle from her husband as he began slowly walking back and forth in the small room with Sofia, the baby enjoying the movement.
"Is our daughter right, did you miss me, too?" Casey asked with a soft grin, Gabby running her tongue over her bottom lip as she responded with a slight shrug.
"Maybe… you'll never know." She replied, but the smile that fell to her face gave her away, Matt's own grin widening before he continued moving back and forth, Gabby resting back on her palms on the bunk. "How's shift going?"
"Good, we've had a few calls. Nothing too bad." He told her, his gaze focused on Sofia, while Gabby kept her eyes on both of them. "What about you, how's your day been?"
"It's been good. Sofia got to spend some time with Jemma this morning so I could take an actual bath and not have a baby hanging off of me." She responded with a laugh, Matt echoing her reaction as he moved his daughter in towards his chest, Sofia nuzzling herself into her father's warmth. "But she's slept most of the day, nothing too exciting."
"I don't know, I'd say sleeping a lot is pretty exciting." Casey replied, placing his hand on Sofia's stomach. "And you're doing okay?" He asked, moving to sit down next to his wife, Gabby sitting up straight, placing her hand on his thigh.
"I'm good, Sofia's been good today. And Jemma was at the apartment until about an hour ago, so I was able to get some things done around the house. Make it look like less of a war zone." She joked, Matt smiling softly as he cradled Sofia in his arms. "Although I make no promises it'll still be clean when you get home in the morning." She added, Matt chuckling softly as he shook his head.
"Well, Sofia has been known to make a mess." He responded, tapping his finger against the little girl's chest. "But I'm glad you stopped by, I was about to send up a smoke signal, it'd been a few hours since I'd gotten any updates."
"Yes, I know you like your hourly pictures of Sofia." Gabby teased, Matt glancing towards her, his eyes flickering towards her lips before finding her gaze again.
"That's true, but I'd like my hourly pictures of you, too." He murmured, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip as her head tilted to the side.
"Yeah, because that's just what we need, you scrolling through your photos, showing everyone pictures of Sofia then suddenly you get to a picture of my-"
"Alright, alright I see your point." He cut her off with a chuckle, Gabby laughing as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "But still, you know I'd be careful with anything you sent me… I always have been in the past." He added, raising his eyebrow as Gabby ducked her head.
"You do have a good track record, I'll give you that." She agreed, rubbing her hand against his shoulder. "Who knows, maybe you'll get a nice little surprise on that phone of yours tonight after the baby goes to sleep."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah." She responded softly, Matt's grin widening before he leaned over, placing a soft kiss to her lips.
"I'm very much looking forward to it." He murmured, giving her another kiss, only pulling away when Sofia began hitting his chest, the action causing both her parents to laugh. "You really don't like not having all the attention, do you?" He asked, leaning down to press a kiss to his daughter's head. "Don't worry, you're still my best girl." He murmured softly, giving Sofia another kiss before he pulled back, expecting to see Gabby wearing an unamused look, but it was the opposite. She just looked… happy. "What?" He asked, Gabby giving him a shrug as she ran her hand along his shoulder.
"Nothing… I just love how much you love her." She responded, her eyes flashing down towards her daughter before finding Matt's gaze again, seeing a shy smile creeping up on her face. "Sofia and I, we got so lucky with you."
"I'm the lucky one here." He responded almost instantly, bringing his free hand up to cradle the side of her face, his thumb tracing along her cheekbone. "There is no better person on this planet to be the mother of my child… hopefully someday children," He added, watching as a soft smile appeared over her face. "I mean, Sofia would definitely be a great big sister."
"Yes, she would, but let's just cool it, she just got here." Gabby chuckled, Matt nodding with a goofy grin.
"I know, I know… and I know we'd need to have some conversations, figure out what our best options are, but I just get so excited thinking about it. Especially having Sofia right now, I'd take a million little girls just like you."
"You're getting ahead of yourself again, babe." Gabby laughed, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "Maybe let's just start with one more, and go from there… But not right now." She added when she saw his smile grow, Matt nodding understandingly.
"No, you're right… And plus I want to be able to soak all this in, give Sofia all the love and attention we can… but it's nice to think about." He added, Gabby grinning as she rested her chin against his shoulder.
"Yeah, it is… Someday. Someday we'll have that."
"Yeah, we will." He agreed without hesitation, pressing a kiss to her forehead before returning his attention to Sofia, the little girl intrigued by Matt's jacket.
"Make yourself presentable, lovebirds!"
Gabby and Matt both looked towards the loud voice that filled the bunk room, glancing out through Casey's office window in time to see Severide enter the room, the man wearing a smug grin.
"I guess squad is back." Gabby spoke with a chuckle, lifting her head up off of Matt's shoulder as Kelly walked closer, coming to a stop in Casey's doorway. "Hello Severide."
"Hi Dawson, Herrmann said you and the little nugget were here, but no one else wanted to come and get you, weren't sure what they'd be walking in on."
"What do you think we'd be doing, exactly?" Gabby asked, cocking her head to the side. Severide's eyes flashed to Casey, Matt shaking his head as he laughed, glancing back down towards his daughter.
"Don't look at me." The Captain responded, Kelly huffing out a breath as his gaze found Gabby.
"Let's not pretend that you and Casey didn't used to get all down and dirty in his office, you two didn't exactly hide it well."
"Charming, Kel." Gabby responded with a slight scoff, Severide stepping further into the office, coming to a stop in front of Casey.
"Can I see my goddaughter now?" He asked, Sofia's eyes moving towards the sound of his voice, her bright eyes opening wider when she saw Severide. "See? She loves me." Kelly spoke with a grin, Matt seamlessly handing off Sofia to her godfather, Severide holding her to his chest. "Yeah, Uncle Kelly is your favorite, isn't he, Sof?"
Gabby couldn't help but laugh at the change in Kelly's demeanor around little Sofia; it wasn't as drastic of a shift as Matt, but he definitely softened around the baby, and it sure was a sight to see.
"At least share her with Herrmann, Sev." Casey ordered, Kelly rolling his eyes before he turned around, heading out of Matt's office with Sofia in his arms, beginning to walk out of the bunk room.
"He just took my baby." Matt spoke, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she leaned back slightly, Matt glancing towards her, cutting her off before she could correct him. "Our baby. He took our baby."
"Mhmm." She hummed, shaking her head in amusement before standing up. "Let's go get our baby, make sure Severide hasn't stolen her."
Casey released a soft chuckle, nodding in agreement as he grabbed Gabby's outstretched hand, standing up as she laced their fingers together.
"Yeah, honestly I wouldn't put it past him." Casey breathed out, letting Gabby take the lead as they walked out of his office, the couple heading out towards the rest of their friends.
"You ready to go sweet girl?" Gabby asked as she buckled Sofia into her carseat, the sleepy girl fighting to stay awake as she listened to her mom's voice. "Yeah, we're gonna get you home, it's been a long day." She murmured, leaning down to press a soft kiss to Sofia's head before she pulled the cover forward, preparing to shield the young girl from the early evening sun.
It was a little after six at the firehouse, Gabby preparing to take Sofia back home. She never meant to stay here this long, not liking to deviate Sofia from her routine too much, but Gabby had been having so much fun visiting with her friends, and Sofia had been an angel that she decided to stay. And it had helped that, aside from ambo, no one else had gotten called out again. Not until about five minutes ago.
Truck, squad, and ambo had all been called out to a car accident a few minutes ago, cutting their evening short as the bells rang out into the house, the loud sound startling the baby. But luckily it hadn't taken too long to get her calmed down, Gabby settling her within minutes before strapping her into her car seat, both mom and baby ready to get home.
"Hey Dawson."
Gabby looked up, seeing Chief standing at the entrance of the common room, the man wearing a soft smile on his face.
"Hey Chief."
"I didn't realize you were still here." He responded, Gabby giving him a slight nod. Boden had been around and visited with them for awhile, but he'd disappeared about an hour ago, and hadn't reappeared until now.
"Yeah, I hadn't planned on staying this long, but it was nice to spend time with everyone. Being cooped up at home for so long has me going a little stir crazy." Gabby joked, strapping the diaper bag over her shoulder.
"Want me to help you out?" He offered, taking a step forward.
"Oh, uh- sure. Thanks, Chief." She responded, flashing him a thankful smile as he grabbed Sofia's car seat, the little girl nearly asleep already as the two began to exit the firehouse.
"So, speaking of all that, being stuck at home and everything, do you know how much longer it'll be until you return to work?" He questioned suddenly, walking through the double doors, holding it open until Gabby had walked through as well.
"Uh no, I'm not sure. I've been cleared, technically, but my doctor still wants me to take it easy." She explained, Boden nodding understandingly as Gabby released a heavy sigh. "And honestly, I'm not entirely sure what my plan is with all that."
Her words caused his ears to perk up, Boden's eyebrows furrowing as they walked through the garage. "What do you mean?"
"...I've been having a hard time dealing with the SAS lately, about when I need to get back to work. And after everything I went through with them cutting my hours because I was pregnant… I don't really feel inclined to hurry back there right now." She breathed out, Boden pursing his lips together. "I know I've been off work more than I thought, but it wasn't exactly my fault. I mean, the accident and bed rest and everything… I wasn't expecting any of that. I guess my Chief is getting some heat about filling my spot if I don't get back soon, it's all just kind of become a mess."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Dawson." Boden replied sadly, shaking his head.
"It is what it is. I really love where I work, and the people there are great, but the higher ups… there's definitely a lot of hidden agendas there. And it's my fault, I'd heard all about this before I joined, but it felt like the best choice at the time… But now, I don't know. I'm just not sure if that's where I want to be."
"What does Casey think?"
"Matt is being Matt, he said whatever I want to do, he'll support me." Gabby replied with a soft smile, Boden nodding knowingly. "He hates what they're doing, but he knows how much I enjoy working there, so he just wants me to do whatever is best for me, and for our family… I'm just not sure what that is at the moment." She finished with a soft sigh, shaking her head lightly. "But it's okay, Matt and I will figure it out."
"I know you will… But, like I told you when you first came back, you always have a place here, Dawson." Boden spoke, Gabby glancing towards him, unable to read the expression on his face.
"I appreciate that Chief, I do, but I don't have a job here, and I don't want to take one from anyone else… I know the working on ambo with three paramedics was temporary." She responded, Boden shrugging his shoulders.
"It might not be." He replied, Gabby furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, waiting for him to elaborate. "I'm not talking about you taking anyone's job, but I am talking about you staying on ambo, having a three person rig permanently."
"Would headquarters even allow that?" Gabby asked, Boden nodding immediately.
"I've been talking to them, seeing if it's something that's a possibility… It is." Boden told her, Gabby drawing in a slow breath, their steps slowing as they got closer to her car. "It's just something for you to think about, Dawson."
"But why were you even talking to them about it? How did you-... Matt." She spoke knowingly, Boden giving her a soft nod.
"He may have mentioned it." Boden admitted, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek as she nodded, Boden's out of the blue questioning about her work plans suddenly making sense.
"Of course he did." Gabby replied softly, Boden flashing her a small smile.
"He just wanted me to ask, see if it was an option before going to you." Boden explained, Gabby nodding in understanding. "And, I have to admit, it would be nice to have you back here full-time, Dawson… You and Casey are family, you know anyone here would do anything for you guys, and we'd love to have you back." He told her as she unlocked the car, Boden handing over Sofia's car seat so Gabby could get her secured into the car. "Having both you and Casey here again, this is your home… It feels right, if this is something you want. Especially considering we might've not had either of you."
Boden's words caught her attention, Gabby turning back around once Sofia was secure in the back, confusion written across her face. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I know Casey had been thinking about quitting when Sofia was born." Gabby's eyes widened in surprise at Chief's words, the old man slowing his speech when he saw her reaction. "...Or him maybe taking a job at headquarters."
"What?" She asked again, Boden's head tilting to the side as realization flooded through him, the Chief drawing in a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, I thought you would've known…" Boden breathed out, Gabby shaking her head as she put the diaper bag on the floor in the backseat.
"I didn't." She spoke, Boden clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, unsure of what to say. Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby held her keys in her hand, checking on Sofia one last time before shutting the door, beginning to walk around to the driver's side door. "I'll, uh, think about your offer, thanks for doing that for me, Chief." She told him, pulling open her door.
"Of course.. I'm glad you stopped by, Dawson." He responded, Gabby giving him a nod before she got into the car, thousands of different thoughts running through her head as she prepared for the drive home.
Gabby sat on the floor in front of Sofia's mat while the little girl spent some time on her stomach, Sofia captivated by the toy her mom was holding in front of her, the baby constantly trying to shove it into her mouth. With only the soft lull of the TV on in the background, Gabby heard the exact moment Matt got home, hearing his keys slide into the lock on the back door, the sound of his boots against the ground soon following as he came inside.
Glancing to the clock by the TV, Gabby saw it was a little after two in the afternoon, Matt having just returned from a small construction job he'd taken today. He was reluctant to get back into that, only having taken a few small jobs here and there in the last few weeks, but Gabby had convinced him to go, so aside from seeing him from a few minutes this morning after he got home from shift, she hadn't really had a chance to talk to him since yesterday.
"Matt?" Gabby called when he had yet to appear, the man having stopped in the kitchen for a few moments.
"Hey baby." He called back, Gabby hearing his voice come closer, her husband soon coming into view around the corner. "How are my girls?" He asked, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips before he moved to sit on the coffee table, his body behind hers as she stayed on the floor.
"We're good, she's been having fun slobbering all over Momma, haven't you baby?" Gabby asked lightly, the little girl smacking her hands against the mat before she reached for the toy again, Gabby hearing Matt chuckle softly behind her.
Without prompting, Matt brought his hands up to her back, carefully beginning to massage her shoulders, digging into her muscles the exact way he knew she liked it. Gabby released a low groan, her back relaxing as he continued his movements, her head lulling to the side.
"Your muscles are really tight, babe." He murmured, digging in deeper as he spoke, his movements eliciting a moan from Gabby, Matt stopping quickly solely to move her hair out of the way before continuing.
"Yeah, it's all the breastfeeding." She responded, Matt nodding knowingly as he continued his massage, Gabby falling back slightly into his legs. "But it feels great, thank you." She breathed out, Matt smiling softly despite her not being able to see it.
"You're welcome." He replied, beginning to rub over her back, keeping an eye on Sofia while he tended to his wife.
He smirked when she shied away slightly from his touch as his hands moved to her sides, her skin sensitive as he continued rubbing over her.
"How was your job?" She asked, a soft grin falling onto her face when she felt him press a kiss against the back of her neck.
"It was good, I finished everything up… I was glad to get back home though, I missed you guys." He answered her, slowly moving his hands up and down her back before leaving them to rest on her shoulders, Gabby letting her body completely relax back into his, resting in between his legs as her head leaned against his stomach.
"We missed you, too." She murmured, Matt running his hands up and down the front of her arms as she leaned against him, both of them watching their little girl as she lay on the ground, Gabby taking a deep breath before speaking up again. "So… I believe we have some things to talk about." She prompted, Matt's head tilting to the side slightly.
"Oh yeah?" He asked, feeling her nod against his stomach. "What about?"
"I heard you spoke to Boden." She responded, a sheepish look immediately covering his face, Matt looking down as Gabby looked up, Dawson laughing softly when she saw his guilty look. "Yeah, I found out about that."
"I know I probably should've told you." He replied, moving his hand to slide across her upper chest, keeping her close to him. "And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go behind your back, but I just wanted to know if it was an option. I know you loved getting to be at 51 again while you were pregnant, and with how much trouble the SAS is giving you, I just wanted to know what our options were, if we had any. But I should've asked you, I-"
"Thank you." Gabby cut him off, Matt stopping immediately as a soft smile covered his face.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" He asked teasingly, Gabby rolling her eyes as she rubbed her hand over his leg.
"I'm not saying it again." She joked, earning a chuckle from her husband as he continued lightly rubbing across her upper chest, the action comforting as they sat together. "But no, thank you for going to talk to him. I appreciate you doing that, because honestly I'm not sure if going back to the SAS is something I want to do."
"Yeah, I could kind of tell." Matt murmured, leaning forward to press a kiss to the top of her head, Gabby bringing her hand up to rest over his. "But I know how much you love working with Jemma, so I didn't want it to seem like I was forcing you into anything. But I also didn't want to suggest it if it wasn't something that was a possibility."
"I get it… And yeah, I would miss working with Jemma, but she's not going anywhere. I mean, she's Sofia's godmother, she's pretty much stuck with us." Gabby laughed, Matt nodding in agreement.
"So do you think it's something you want to do?" He asked softly, Gabby drawing in a slow breath.
"I don't know, I'd probably need some more time to think about it. It's a big decision, but it'd be nice to keep working together...And it would be easier to get Sofia on a new schedule, since 51's work days are much more predictable than the SAS." She spoke, Matt nodding in agreement. "What about you, what do you think?"
"You already know that answer." He replied, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Working with you is one of my favorite things, I'd love to get it to it again, forever. But this isn't a choice I can make for you, whatever you decide to do, I'll support you. But I'd love for you to come back." He told her, Gabby nodding slowly, her eyes watching Sofia.
"Yeah… it'd be nice to not be apart for so long, although it'll be hard to leave Sofia with a stranger for that long."
"I know, but we can find someone we trust. And do a lot of supervised visits. Obviously, Sofia is our first priority here, but I think it would be good for her if her parents are on the same schedule. Us both being away from her for twenty-four hours would be an adjustment, but I think that's better than us having alternating days. I mean, cause there could end up being weeks she'd only get one day with the both of us… It would be hard at first, but I think us being on the same schedule would benefit her in the long run."
"You're probably right."
"I am right." He responded with a grin, Gabby rolling her eyes. "But really, just take some more time to think about it, there's no rush. Whatever you decide, I'll support you." Matt reminded her, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, giving him a nod in agreement. "...What else was there?"
"Hmm?"
"You said we had things to talk about, what else?" He prodded, Gabby releasing a heavy sigh, Matt's eyebrows furrowing. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, it's just- Boden also told me something else while I was there…"
"What is it?"
"...Were you really going to quit?" She asked suddenly, confusion filling his body as her words hit his ears.
"What?"
"Boden said something about how you might quit, after Sofia was born… Or take a job at headquarters. He thought I knew about it, but I didn't know what he was talking about… What was he talking about?" She asked, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip as he drew in a deep breath, a thick silence filling the air around them before he finally spoke up.
"I told Kelly, back when you were still pregnant, that there was a chance I might be leaving 51 after Sofia was born, and I guess he told Boden." His words hung in the air for a moment, Matt able to tell just by her body language that she needed a minute to process the information.
"But why?" Gabby asked, Matt hearing the clear confusion in her voice. "You love being a firefighter."
"I do, but I love my family more." He responded, Gabby's confusion only growing, Matt sensing it even though he couldn't see her. Blowing out a heavy sigh, Casey tightened his grip around his wife, holding her closer to him before continuing. "...I made that decision because if something happened to you, I wasn't going to risk my life every day on shift and possibly leave Sofia without both her parents." He elaborated softly, his blunt words taking her by surprise.
She didn't say anything for a few moments, Matt giving her time to process what he'd told her, while continuously rubbing his thumb against her chest, feeling her breathe slowly.
"I… I guess I never thought about that." She eventually responded, gnawing on her bottom lip. "I don't know why I didn't, but I just- I didn't think about it."
"I'm glad you didn't." Matt murmured, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "And I hadn't thought about it at first either, not until my accident on the job… then it all kind of just hit me. So I made the decision that if something happened, I'd quit. Sofia deserved that much."
Gabby's face softened as she listened to him talk, slowly grasping his reasoning as she digested his words.
She guessed she shouldn't be surprised; it was a very noble thing to do, it was a very Matt thing to do. But she never thought of it like that. For whatever reason, when she'd gone through and tried to process what all would happen if she died, she never thought about what would happen if something happened to Matt, at least not because of that. It seems obvious now, given the inherent danger of the job, but it never occurred to her. Not enough for her to think he'd ever quit being a firefighter.
But the more she thought about it, the more she realized he wouldn't have even thought twice about it. Once he made up his mind, there'd be no changing it. His family came first, and they always had. It just so happened that it just used to be her he would take into consideration, for the longest time she had been his only family. Yeah, he had the firehouse, but other than that, it was just her. He didn't talk to his mom, or his sister, or any of his extended family. It was just her, and the family he found through her. But now that has changed. It wasn't just her anymore, it was her and Sofia. And Matt would do anything he could for them.
She shouldn't be surprised that he would give up the one thing he could always count on for the sake of his family, but it was something that she definitely hadn't been expecting.
"Gabby?"
Matt's voice snapped her from her thoughts, Gabby blinking furiously as her mind came back into focus.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm good… Just thinking."
"About?" He questioned, Gabby leaning back further into him.
"You... And how selfless you are." She responded, her words bringing a soft smile to his face. "...And how I'm just glad it didn't come to that."
"Me too." He was quick to agree, tightening his grip on her. "Believe me, I'm thankful for that every day." His voice was soft, Gabby feeling him press continuous kisses to the top of her head, knowing his tight grip on her body was as much for him as it was for her. "But I'm sorry for not telling you, I know I should've I just- we had enough going on before Sofia was born, and then once you were okay, it didn't matter because it wasn't something I was gonna be doing, so I just kind of forgot about it."
"No, I get it." She replied quietly, stroking her thumb over the back of his hand. "I was a little surprised to hear it from Boden, but I get it." She assured him, Matt nodding as they fell into a comfortable quiet, both of them watching their little girl who was currently oblivious to the heavy conversation her parents were having, Sofia captivated by the toy in front of her.
Matt could tell Gabby was getting lost in her own head again, and while he didn't know exactly what was going through her mind, he had a pretty good idea. He always tried to avoid the topic of what could've happened to her, it wasn't something either of them enjoy talking about, let alone thinking of, so it was something they both usually tried to steer clear of, but it was unavoidable with what she'd asked him. Unless he lied to her, which he refused to do, there was no way to not bring it up.
But still, he hated making her think about it. He hated thinking about it. Because it didn't happen, and there was no need to dwell on the what ifs. But after months and months of accepting the fact that she could die, it was easier said than done to just forget about it. Even though it had been over two months since everything, it was still something that was hard to think about, it would always be hard to think about.
But all he knew to do was try and help her not focus on it.
"I love you so much, you know that, right?" Matt murmured after a few quiet moments, Gabby giving his hand a gentle squeeze, letting her head relax back into his stomach.
"Always… I love you, too."
It was dead quiet in the Casey home, all three members of the small family sound asleep even though it was barely 9PM. Both parents were exhausted by the time night came, as was Sofia, and after the baby's nighttime routine had been completed around seven, it didn't take long for the parents to fall asleep, either. Gabby was out by eight, wanting to get as much sleep while she could, and Matt stayed up much later than she did, Casey exhausted after his long shift and his construction job.
But their peaceful sleep was soon interrupted by the sound of Matt's phone ringing on the nightstand, Gabby immediately waking up at the noise. Matt woke up seconds later, instinctively reaching it to try and silence it, but it was too late as Sofia soon woke up screaming, the baby not liking having her sleep being disturbed, her loud wails filling the room.
"Matt…" Gabby groaned, Casey yanking his phone off the charger frustratedly, not bothering to glance at the Caller ID before he answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Matt, the baby." Gabby spoke before the person on the other line could respond, Matt opening his eyes and sitting up, Sofia's cries getting louder as she had yet to be picked up.
"I got it." He spoke to Gabby, swinging his legs off the bed. "I'm sorry, hold on a sec." He told the person on the phone before dropping it on the bed, Sofia's cries only getting louder by the second.
"Matt!"
"I'm getting her, just give me a second." He bit back, shaking his head as he moved towards Sofia's bassinet. "Hey hey hey, it's okay baby." He murmured, quickly and carefully picking her up from her bed, rocking her in his arms. "It's okay, let's go see Momma."
Walking around to Gabby's side of the bed, he waited for his wife to get into a sitting position before he handed her to Gabby, Dawson cuddling the young girl to her chest.
"It's okay, baby, I know, I'm sorry." She murmured, kissing Sofia's head as the girl pressed her mouth against Gabby's chest, the tired mom releasing a heavy sigh. "Yeah, yeah you want to eat, I know." She breathed out, Matt moving back around the bed as Gabby got situated, beginning to nurse Sofia. Both Matt and Gabby knew it was more out of comfort than it was hunger, knowing that being startled awake was the cause of her wanting to feed. But the reason didn't matter, regardless it still meant Gabby had to feed her, which meant she wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon. "Matt, who's on the phone?" Gabby asked after a few seconds, Matt's tired eyes opening.
"Oh, uh, I forgot about that." He breathed out, reaching down to pick up the device, his eyebrows furrowing when he saw it was that unknown number, but this was the first time he'd picked up. "Hello? Who is this?" He asked, seeing Gabby look up at him.
"Matthew?"
Matt's eyes widened when he heard the familiar voice, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing from his reaction.
"What? Who is it?" She questioned, Matt shaking his head.
"Mom?" He replied back into the phone, a similar look of shock soon finding Gabby's face.
"Hi, honey." She responded softly, Matt placing himself down on the edge of the bed, facing Gabby before he spoke up again.
"Uh, hi mom… Has this been you calling me the entire time?"
"Yeah, it has."
"Sorry for not answering, I didn't recognize the number… And things have been kind of crazy around here."
"Yeah, I can hear that… Forgive me if I'm wrong, but was that a baby crying?" She asked, Matt hearing the hurt in her voice, wincing slightly before he answered.
"Uh, yeah… yeah, it was." He responded, his mom having gone silent. "I'm sorry you didn't know, I'm sorry for not calling, but everything's been crazy, and it's been awhile she we saw each other… I never meant to go this long without telling you."
"... How old is-"
"Sofia." Matt supplemented, hearing his mom take a deep breath.
"You have a daughter?" She asked, his smile widening.
"Yeah, I do.. Sofia… She's nine weeks old."
"Wow… That's- congratulations, honey. I'm so happy for you."
"Thanks mom."
"...And her mother?" Nancy asked, Matt grimacing slightly as he glanced towards his wife.
"Gabby." He responded simply, his mother going silent for a moment.
"She's back in town?" Nancy questioned, Gabby able to hear her words clearly.
"Yeah, she is… She has been for awhile."
"Wow… I sure have missed a lot."
"Yeah, you have… I am sorry for not calling you sooner… I should have, but everything's been kind of nonstop lately."
"It's okay, Matthew." She responded, even though he could hear the hurt in her voice. "I'm just glad to hear you're doing well. I wouldn't have called this late, had I known about Sofia, but I'm glad you answered… I've been trying to get in contact with you because I'm gonna be in Chicago here soon, and I'd like to see you."
"Yeah, of course. That'd be nice, you could meet Sofia." He spoke with a soft smile, catching Gabby's watchful gaze.
"I'd love that."
"When are you gonna be in town?" He questioned, reaching out and placing his hand on Gabby's shin, giving it a slight squeeze.
"Well, I'm actually already here." She spoke, Matt's eyes widening, Gabby's face instantly mimicking his, clearly having heard what his mother said.
"Oh, wow- Well, uh, let me talk to Gabby and let us figure out our schedule, then I can call you back?"
"That's fine, honey. I don't want to keep you any longer, I'm in town for a bit so just whenever you're free… Congratulations to you and Gabby, I can't wait to meet my granddaughter."
"Thanks Mom, I'm excited for you to meet her, too."
With a few more pleasantries, Matt hung up the phone, finding Gabby watching him with raised eyebrows while Sofia was still clutched onto her.
"So… that person calling was your mom?" She questioned, Matt nodding as he stood up, returning his phone to the charger, making sure to turn down the volume before placing it on the nightstand.
"Yeah, I guess so… I'm not sure why she never just left me a message, or what number she was even calling from, but she's in town and wants to see us."
"See you… and Sofia." She clarified, Matt shaking his head.
"And you. My mom loves you, Gabby. She always has." He spoke, climbing back down into bed, sitting next to her.
"When was the last time you spoke to her?" Gabby changed the subject, looking down towards Sofia, seeing her fighting her exhaustion while she continued to nurse.
"Uh… it's been awhile. I haven't spoken to her since before you got back." He responded, Gabby's eyes widening in surprise. "And actually, it was a while before that… I talked her maybe a month after you left, she knew about the divorce and everything, but after a few calls within a month of that, I never really heard from her again." He explained, Gabby giving him a slow nod.
"Well, at least you two will be able to catch up… a lot's happened since you last spoke."
"Yeah, it has. A lot of very good things." He replied, Gabby unable to fight the smile forming on her face.
"Definitely." She agreed, stroking her thumb over Sofia's cheek, the girl gripping onto her mother's shirt tightly. "So… she doesn't hate me?"
"Of course not, baby." He was quick to assure her, although she noticed his demeanor falter slightly. "I mean… when her and I last talked, I still wasn't in a great place with everything that happened, but if there's a problem, I'll talk to her. But I'm not even anticipating there being one, you've always been her favorite." He spoke lightly as he poked her side, the action getting a smile out of her.
"Okay, okay, quit it." She replied with a laugh, Matt leaning over to press a kiss to her shoulder. "I'll take your word for it."
"Good." He spoke, pressing another kiss against her before leaning up, his eyes focused on his daughter. "I am glad to hear from her, but I really wish she had better timing."
"Yeah, me too… Although that's never been your mother's strong suit." Gabby teased, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
"Fair enough." He responded with a chuckle, seeing Gabby beginning to shift around. "Is she done?" He asked, pushing himself up on his shin, his other leg hanging off the side of the bed.
"Yeah, she fell asleep…" Gabby responded, Matt nodding before carefully taking Sofia from Gabby's grasp, the young girl moving around before settling into her father's arms, Matt thankful she didn't wake up.
"I got you, baby girl, Daddy's here." He murmured, gently laying her down into her bed, the little girl not waking in the slightest as she got transferred to her bassinet, Matt holding his breath until she was down completely.
After waiting a few moments to ensure she was really asleep, Matt moved back towards the bed, chuckling softly when he saw his wife already laying back down, nearly passed out already as she was curled into the middle of the bed.
Without a word, he climbed back in, Gabby reaching out for him the second she sensed his presence, pulling him towards her until her head could reach his chest, Matt following her lead as she made herself comfortable.
"Goodnight… again." He murmured against the top of her head, Gabby smiling as she pressed a kiss to his bare chest.
"Night baby." She responded before sleep overtook her, focusing on the feeling of her husband's chest rising and falling beneath her, and his hand brushing through her hair until she fell into her peaceful slumber.
And there's another one. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Looks like there's a decision that needs to be made when it comes to Gabby and her job, and we finally found out who'd been trying to get in touch with Matt. I know some of you had guessed it was Nancy, and you were correct. But it's definitely been awhile since they last talked, so there's some serious catching up to do there…
I'm super excited to hear your alls thoughts on this one, I hope you guys are liking watching this little family. It's definitely been fun for me to write. Thank you all so much for reading, your continued support means everything and it's the reason we've been able to make it sixty six chapters into this thing, so thank you.
Also, just a reminder, there will be no new chapter until next Monday. Just in case you all forgot, I wanted to remind you. Sorry again, but at least you all have some warning this time haha.
Until the next.