Hello everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all! I just want to take a minute real quick to thank you for all the kind words you left me on the last chapter, seriously all of you have been so sweet to me, and you all had such nice things to say and it just made me so happy. I'm truly thankful for all the love and support I've received from all of you since I started this story. I'm so, so grateful.
As I mentioned in the last update, I was thinking about cutting back to one update a week for this story, and I've come to the decision to do that. The double updates were just getting way too stressful, and the last thing I want is for writing to become something I dread. So I'm hoping cutting back will help with that. I did lay out the plan in my last update for Whatever Comes Next, but I know not everyone reads that, so I'll tell you all here as well.
What I decided to do is update this story every Monday, and I'll update Whatever Comes Next every Thursday. When I asked you guys if you wanted both updates on the same day, or on different days, pretty much everyone said different days, so that's what I'm gonna go with. I think this will help me a lot, and it will help me get better quality chapters out to you guys. And, with If We Never Say Goodbye, that story will just be updated as I can get it done. Which, speaking of that story, I know I've kept you guys waiting with the next update and I definitely haven't meant to. I'm working hard on getting that next chapter out to you all, and I'm hoping to get it posted sometime this week. I'm sorry I haven't gotten it finished sooner, but I promise I'm working on it.
I do want to thank all of you for being so understanding with the change, I appreciate it so much. Really, it means a lot to me. And I do think it will be better in the long run, because it'll give me more time to really focus on the chapters, and make them better for you all.
You guys are amazing. And I hope you enjoy this next chapter, it's quite a long one for you all. I can't wait to hear what you think.
Chapter Seventy Seven
"This man threatened Casey during that call, as well as threatening the lives of Gabby and Sofia, and they believe he might've been the one that slashed Matt's tires last shift." Boden spoke to the full conference room, the air thick as everyone stood there silently, taking in the information their Chief was giving them.
As Matt sat at one of the back tables beside Gabby, his wife's hand clasped tightly in his, he could tell everyone was shocked at what they were hearing. That as Boden broke down everything that had happened thus far, they were having a hard time digesting the news, Casey on the receiving end of a few pitiful stares every now and then. But he wasn't so much focused on that, the Captain much more focused on the state of the woman sitting beside him, Matt understanding that while physically Gabby was beside him, her mind was a million miles away.
The last couple of days had been challenging, to say the least. And the family of three was just trying to get through it as best as they could, but it had been difficult. Gabby hadn't been handling the news very well, that this man might be coming back to try and hurt Matt, to hurt them, and it had led to a fair share of tension between them. He understood it, and he knew he deserved it, but Gabby had been very hot and cold with him over the last forty eight hours.
There'd be some moments where she needed him close, where she'd panic and worry, and she needed eyes on the two most important people in her life at all times, but in other moments, Casey could tell she definitely needed space. That there was some lingering anger towards him for him keeping this from her, and in those times the only thing she needed from him was a moment to herself. Which he always tried to give her, but it proved to be challenging when Gabby didn't want to leave the apartment.
Once they'd gotten home from the district the day before last, Gabby hadn't wanted to leave their home, and regardless of her feelings towards her husband in the moment, she didn't want him to leave either. During the day yesterday, there had been a particularly hard moment for the couple when Gabby's anger had consumed her, and the only thing she wanted was to be away from her husband. But the second he tried to leave the apartment to give her some space, she panicked and told him not to go, her anger instantly disappearing the second she saw him heading for the door. He was surprised at first, not expecting that abrupt shift in her demeanor towards him, but it didn't take him long to realize why she didn't want him to go.
She was scared. She was scared for him to leave the apartment when this man might be after them. She was scared for him to go out on his own, and she was scared to be here by herself.
And it broke his heart.
She had never come out and said that was the reason, but he knew that's what it was. He knew what it looked like when his wife was scared, and that's exactly what this was. And although it was something he hated seeing, Matt knew she had every right to be.
This situation, if it was this man coming after them, was a terrifying thing, and Matt would never fault her for how much this entire thing had upset her. He completely understood it, because it upset him just as much, the only difference being he'd had time to deal with this man's threat against his life, whereas his wife just learned about it a couple of days ago. He'd had time to process everything, but Gabby hadn't. Everything had gotten thrown at her all at once, and it had left her on edge.
This entire situation had messed with Gabby's head, that much Casey was sure of, and it only seemed to be getting worse as more time passed. She was not handling any of this well, and he couldn't blame her, but it was unsettling for him to see what this entire thing was doing to her. She would go long periods of time seemingly spaced out, her mind obviously elsewhere, Gabby usually needing prompting before she came back into the present. She would get quiet, and get caught up in her own head more often than not. And she'd have moments of anger, usually directed at him. But the thing that concerned him the most, something he noticed quite a bit yesterday and this morning, was that she'd been very anxious.
It would come in flashes, Matt knowing she was fighting an internal battle with herself to not let her anxiety grab ahold of her, but in those moments where she lost that fight, she reminded him of how she'd been when she first got back from Puerto Rico; the uneasiness, the worry, the fear… it was exactly how she'd been when she first came home, and seeing her like that never got easier. It never would get easier. Especially knowing he was part of the cause of it.
But he was just doing what he could to help her through it, to comfort her however she'd let him, Matt thankful that in those harder moments, she hadn't pushed him away. Even though he tried to respect her wishes of needing space, in those moments where he could see her struggling, he refused to let her deal with that on her own. And luckily, she hadn't rejected his help, even if she would put up a bit of a fight at first.
And in those moments where she wanted him, those times where she needed his comfort and his presence, they had spent most of that time curled up together on the couch, either with Sofia cradled in their arms, or the young girl in her swing they had for her in the living room, the soft, rhythmic motion usually lulling her to sleep instantly. But, regardless of where she was, she was never far from them, both parents feeling better with their daughter in their sight. It was how they spent large chunks of the afternoon yesterday, with Matt giving Gabby a little extra space when needed, the man making himself busy with laundry, or picking up around their home; anything to give Gabby time to work through whatever had made her need a break from him.
It was something that wasn't easy, Matt knowing that sometimes the best thing he could do for her was to leave her alone, but he felt like things were getting a little better. As she had done the first night after finding out about this man's threat, she'd had him hold her the second they got into bed last night, except Gabby had been facing him this time, clinging to him as they laid together, letting the thumping of his heart beneath her ear soothe her to sleep. And she had come to him again this morning while they got ready, with her worries about leaving Sofia at the apartment while they were at work, Matt having to talk her down off the ledge a few times. While he hated seeing her so distraught, he was at least thankful that she wasn't pushing him away so much, that she was coming to him when she needed help.
And he did whatever he could to be able to help her, though this morning had definitely been more of a challenge that he anticipated.
He knew it wouldn't be easy to leave their girl at home, not with everything going on. Even though they had filled Becca in on the situation, and they knew there would be a unit on their apartment to protect Sofia, they were still worried, especially Gabby.
She felt a lot of guilt, and even more worry, about leaving their daughter, even though they were leaving her in the more than capable hands of Becca. But it had nothing to do with her nanny, it was solely that Gabby felt like the safest place for their baby was for her to be with her parents, and Matt couldn't say his disagreed. But he knew it wasn't possible, not when they needed to work, so they had to be okay with leaving Sofia with Becca, Casey having to remind Gabby frequently that there would be cops here the entire time, and that their daughter wouldn't be leaving the apartment, Casey having told Becca not to go anywhere with Sofia unless it was an emergency. He had to constantly remind her that everything would be okay, but she wasn't really believing him. And he was having a hard time believing himself, too.
But he had to continue being the voice of reason. He had to stay calm, or he knew Gabby would sense his worry and that would only make things worse. Despite his own nerves, he had to stay level-headed, Matt knowing that was the only way he'd managed to actually get Gabby out of the apartment this morning. It hadn't been easy, but they were able to get to work on time, even though his wife had been uncharacteristically quiet since they left their apartment.
It was clear she didn't want to talk. Since they left Sofia, she had fallen into one of those moods where she didn't want to talk to him, or anyone, just like she had a few times over the last forty eight hours, which is why Matt had taken to giving her comfort nonverbally. When she got like this he would touch her, hold her, place reassuring kisses on her head, or, as he was doing right now, hold her hand. Any nonverbal thing he could do to try and keep her calm, he'd done it over the last two days, knowing how much that helped her even though she hadn't voiced it.
He was just doing whatever he could to try and help her, that was all he knew to do. But none of this had been easy, and he feared them being here at work, away from their daughter, would only make things worse.
"Now, I'm not sure how many of you noticed when you got here this morning," Boden continued, Matt's attention snapping back into focus, the Captain glancing towards his wife, seeing her still very much in her own head. "But we will be having a police detail here at the house while Casey and Dawson are on shift." He spoke, his eyes flashing to Matt, the firefighter nodding. "Everything will still be business as usual, you all can continue to do what you always do, but just be cautious. This man, if he's the one doing this, is wanted for murder and arson. So just be vigilant."
"Understood, Chief." Severide replied, his words prompting a few more nods from around the room, most everyone else too stunned to speak.
"Good… And, until the police figure out what's going on, I want everyone in the house by nine. That means garage doors down, and doors locked." He told them, a few of the firefighters glancing towards one another. "I don't anticipate anything happening. If this is the same man who Matt dealt with during that call, his issue is with Casey, not the firehouse itself, but we all need to be careful. We don't know what lengths he'll go to, so to be safe, unless you're out on a call, I want everyone inside by nine." He finished, earning a few more nods, Matt taking a deep breath, shaking his head slightly.
He hated that this was happening, the one call seven weeks ago was still causing issues not only for his family, but for the house. He absolutely hated that everyone was being affected by this, but, selfishly, he was glad for precautions happening around here until this man was found. Even though he didn't think this guy would actually try anything here, for the safety of Gabby, he felt better knowing they'd be securely locked in this firehouse.
"I'm sure you all have some questions, but right now all we can do is just be there for Casey and Dawson." Boden finished, Matt giving Gabby's hand a tight squeeze as he looked to her, the action pulling Dawson from her own thoughts as she immediately looked towards him. Matt saw the instant confusion that covered her face, like she was worried she'd missed something, but her face softened when he shot her a small smile, Gabby reciprocating the gesture before she looked ahead, finding Boden's gaze on her. "We're here for you guys, with whatever you need." The Chief spoke, Gabby nodding before she looked down to the table, feeling a bit uncomfortable as practically everyone in the room was looking at them. Slowly, she dropped Matt's hand, moving her hands down into her lap, Casey immediately moving the hand she'd dropped to her back, rubbing up and down slowly.
"Alright, well that's all for this morning. Let's have a good shift today, make sure you're careful out there. Let's just do our jobs, and get home safely." The Chief said, earning a few nods before the room began to clear. But the Casey's stayed seated, Matt not wanting to make a move until Gabby had, his wife clearly consumed by her own thoughts again, the only thing keeping her grounded being his hand moving softly along her back.
"You guys holding up okay?" Boden asked, Matt looking forward to see him and Herrmann standing in front of their table, the Captain noticing everyone else, aside from Severide, had already cleared out of the room.
Drawing in a deep breath, Casey spared one last glance to Gabby before looking back to his concerned coworkers, continuously moving his hand is soothing motions along his wife's back. "We're okay… We're handling it. This entire thing's left us a little on edge, though."
"That's understandable." Herrmann spoke, shaking his head. "I can't imagine what this must be like for you guys."
"But you know you've got everyone here." Boden added almost immediately, reiterating the same point he'd made during their morning meeting. "For whatever you guys need."
"We know." Matt responded, Gabby giving a nod in agreement as she lifted her head, Boden and Herrmann catching a glimpse of just how exhausted the paramedic looked, Gabby flashing them a weak smile.
"Thanks you guys. Really. It means a lot." She spoke, her voice raspy from lack of use, her words earning a few nods.
Before anyone else could say anything, the bells rang out, calling squad, truck, and engine to a house fire, everyone heading for the exit of the conference room as Matt slowly pushing himself up from his seat, his hand sliding up to her shoulder.
"You okay?" He asked now that they were alone, Gabby giving him a slight nod, forcing a smile.
"I'm good." She replied, earning a nod from her husband before he leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her head.
"I love you." He murmured against her hair, kissing her again before he pulled back, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"Love you, too." Gabby responded, Casey shooting her a warm smile before he walked towards the door, knowing he had no more time to spare.
"Hey Matt?" She called, stopping him halfway through the doorway, her firefighter glancing back towards her, his eyebrows raised expectantly. "...Be safe out there." She told him, his face softening before giving her a firm nod.
"Always… I love you, baby." He repeated, Gabby smiling softly before she gave him a nod, Matt hurrying out the doorway towards the garage, leaving her in the conference room alone.
And being by herself, it didn't take long for those dark thoughts to creep back into her mind; the thoughts telling her that something bad was coming, that this man was the person behind this, and he wasn't just gonna stop at some slashed tires. The thought that he'd killed before, and he'd have no problem killing again.
These thoughts that had kept her up at night, the thoughts that had made it impossible to fall asleep unless Matt was with her. The thoughts that had made her feel like a nervous wreck over the past forty eight hours.
It was all just becoming too much for her to handle. But she knew she had to, because she didn't have any other choice.
Matt sat in his office, tapping his pen against the stack of paperwork that he was desperately trying to get through, the firefighter having had his office door closed for the better part of the last hour, trying to shut himself off from the outside world so he could finish this, Casey hoping the closed door would keep his coworkers away. Since their meeting this morning, everyone had been doing what they could to try and be helpful, to try and assure Casey they all had his and Gabby's back, and that everything would be okay. And while he truly appreciated it, he was getting a little tired of the constant pitiful looks being thrown his way. He understood it was coming from a good place, which is why he hadn't said anything, but it was getting a little exhausting and he didn't like it. He never had, no matter what was going on. He knew everyone was just trying to help, but it was becoming a little tiresome, Matt finding it much easier to just lock himself up in his office when he could, especially considering they hadn't really had any calls to keep him distracted.
Aside from the one call this morning, it had been a light day for Truck 81, Casey having been stuck at the house for the better part of the morning, now bleeding into the afternoon. Which, admittedly, had given him more time and try and get through some of this paperwork that he was very much behind on. But the lack of calls had given everyone ample opportunity to try and talk to him about what was going on, and it just wasn't a conversation he was interested in having, at least not right now.
But thankfully, for as quiet as things had been for his truck, the same could not be said for Ambulance 61. The three paramedics had essentially been gone from the house since Casey got back from his only call, and while he didn't exactly love being away from Gabby for that long when he knew she was struggling, he knew the quick pace would probably be good for her. It would help keep her mind off things, keep her occupied, instead of giving her time to think over everything going on. It would give her a distraction he knew she needed, and, even better, it had kept her away from all the sympathetic looks everyone had been giving him all morning, Matt knowing that was the last thing she needed right now. Because for as much as he hated that, he knew his wife disliked it even more.
Blowing out a sigh, Casey shook his head, trying to force himself to work on the task at hand, knowing he was way more behind on his paperwork than he would've liked. It wasn't normal for him, to be this delayed on getting everything turned in, the Captain usually very good about turning in his paperwork promptly. But things had been hectic lately, and it hadn't really been on his radar as of late. And, especially now, it wasn't something he was really worried about, though he knew if not for the current circumstances, Boden would've chewed him out already for not having gotten these finished and turned in.
But regardless of him not seeing it as a priority, he knew it needed to get done, or Boden would start to get heat for his lack of punctuality. He just had to make himself focus on it, the Captain hoping this would've been able to help keep his mind off things.
But it hadn't really. At least not yet.
And, truthfully, he knew nothing could. Until they found this guy, and he at least had the peace of mind that the man was locked up, Matt knew he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about everything going on. But he knew he couldn't let it consume him, especially when he had Gabby and Sofia to worry about.
He had to look out for his family, they were the only thing that mattered here... He couldn't afford to become paralyzed by all this, not again.
The sound of his door opening pulled him from his thoughts, Matt turning around to see who had come in without knocking, a soft smile forming over his face when he saw the only person he actually wanted to see right now, Gabby standing in his now open doorway.
"Hi." He greeted, tossing his pen down on the unfinished paperwork, Gabby's eyes bouncing from him to the unusually large stack of papers on his desk.
"Hey… are you busy?" She asked, Matt shaking his head as he waved her inside.
"Nope." He replied, popping the word as it left his mouth, Gabby stepping further into his office and coming to stand in front of him, Matt trying to get a read on her attitude towards him. But with her coming to him and seeking him out, he figured her to be pretty receptive to him at the moment, Matt reaching out his hand, prompting her to grab ahold of it. "In fact, I'd welcome the distraction." He added with a small grin, Gabby raising her eyebrows as he pulled her towards him, Matt spreading his legs enough for her to stand in between them before he gently pulled her down into his lap. Instinctually, Gabby wrapped her arm around his neck, her other coming to rest on his chest as she sat with him, Matt keeping a firm arm around her waist while his hand rested on her thigh.
"I probably shouldn't stay long if I'm such a distraction." She responded, Matt grinning softly at the light tone to her voice, glad to see her in a little better spirits, at least for the moment.
"You're not going anywhere." He replied, tightening his hold around her waist, stroking his thumb over her thigh. "It's been awhile since I've seen you… How's your day going? I know you've been busy." Matt said, Gabby releasing a heavy breath.
"It's okay… I've definitely been running around a lot, but it's been nice, kind of… It's kept me from having too much time to think." She spoke softly, Matt giving her an understanding nod, the firefighter glad that his earlier assumptions had been correct and the busy pace of the day had helped her. But looking at her now, he could see how tired she was, mentally and physically, and he hoped she'd have some time to rest before her next call. And it would be nice to spend a little bit of time with her as well, especially when she seemed to want to be with him.
"Yeah, today's been kind of hard so far... especially being away from Sofia. But I'm glad you've had the distraction." Gabby looked down when he mentioned their daughter, Matt seeing her take a deep breath, feeling that her body was much more tense than it had been seconds prior. "You okay?" He asked softly, Gabby clenching her eyes shut tightly before giving him a nod, her head still facing down towards his chest as her hand came up to press against her eyes, a frown immediately covering his face. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's nothing- I'm just not feeling great." She told him, his look of worry deepening as he began rubbing his hand over her side, Gabby leaning more into his body. "I've had a pretty bad headache most of the day."
Sighing softly, Matt gave her a nod even though she couldn't see him, Gabby still pressing against her head until he reached up, gently pulling her hand away. The action caused her to look up, Gabby giving him a questioning look, unsure of why he stopped her from trying to relieve the pressure in her head.
"Where does it hurt?" He asked, Gabby shrugging softly.
"Kind of everywhere." She replied, Matt nodding before removing his hand from her waist and bringing it up to the back of her neck, beginning to dig into her tight muscles. He could immediately feel how much tension she was holding onto, her neck rigid as he continued to massage her with just the right amount of pressure, Gabby's head falling forward slightly, giving him more room to work.
They sat like this for a few minutes, Matt continuing the rub the area despite the tingling he felt in his arm, the odd angle a little uncomfortable for him. But he didn't care, Matt able to feel the muscles in her neck loosening, the firefighter willing to do this for however long he needed to as long as it was helping her.
"How's your wrist feeling?" He asked softly, taking a quick second to stretch out his hand before going back to work, starting to press his fingers against the base of her head, a soft moan escaping her lips when he hit a sore spot, Matt continuing to work that area.
"It's alright… It's not really sore today." She replied softly, Matt giving her a nod. Her wrist had been hurting her off and on since she slipped on the ice last shift, Casey having the feeling she might've damaged it more so than she led on, Matt figuring she probably at least sprained it. But it hadn't really been something she was too concerned about, not with everything else going on. Though that hadn't stopped Matt from occasionally asking her about it.
They fell back into a comfortable quiet, Matt continuing to massage her head to the best of his ability from the angle they were at, occasional groans of appreciation leaving her lips whenever he worked on a particularly sore or tender area, Gabby's body much more tightly wound than he even realized. Although he couldn't say it was a shock, Matt seeing first hand how stressed she'd been the last few days.
"Feeling better?" He questioned after a couple more moments, Gabby nodding as she lifted her head back up.
"It feels a lot better, thank you." She replied, returning her hand to his chest as he continued rubbing her head.
"Good… Maybe when we get home, I could give you an actual massage." He offered, ceasing his movements, his hand falling back down towards her waist, Gabby raising her eyebrows. "I know it's been awhile, but I think I could manage." He added lightly, Casey referring to the many massages he'd given his wife during her pregnancy.
"That sounds great, actually." She responded, a soft smile forming over his face. "...Though just getting home sounds great, too." She added, her voice much quieter than a moment ago, the grin on his face falling when he heard the sad tone to her words.
"Yeah, I know." He replied, rubbing along her side. "But we'll be home soon."
"It's only three o'clock, and we won't be home until tomorrow morning, that's not soon." She snapped, Matt's eyes widening slightly, Gabby releasing a heavy sigh as she shook her head. This is how she'd been with him for the last two days, seemingly fine one minute and then she'd be upset the next, and though he knew he kind of deserved it, he had a feeling this time wasn't really because of him. "Sorry, I'm sorry, I just- It feels like I can't breathe." She told him, worry instantly clouding his features as he tightened his grip on her. "I can't stop worrying that something might happen to you, or to Sof, and it's like I can't even relax for one second without thinking about him coming after us." She was doing what she could to keep herself steady, a permanent frown nearly etched into his skin as he listened to her speak, her words tearing through him like a knife. "And I know we've got the cops here, and the ones at our apartment, but I just can't stop myself from thinking about something happening to her and we're not there."
"Baby, Sofia's okay." He responded, hating to see her so upset, although he understood the feeling. "Becca's with her, she's alright-"
"But she should be with us." She replied before he could even finish his sentence, Matt taking a deep breath. "There's some crazy murderer out there who threatened us, she needs to be with her parents."
"Okay, okay, just breathe." He told her, knowing she was working herself up, and the last thing either of them needed was for her to upset herself anymore than she already was, Matt keeping his arm securely around her. "You're right, okay? You're right. Sofia should be with us." Matt agreed, Gabby taking slow breaths as she met his gaze. "Let me talk to Boden, then we can go and get her, and we'll keep her here with us for tonight, okay? Everything's fine."
"You think he'll let her stay here with us?" She asked, Matt nodding as he placed his hand on her thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"I do, yeah. He let us before, and I think the situation warrants it. The safest place for her to be is with us." He responded, Gabby giving him an agreeing nod before slowly standing up, Matt keeping his hand on her body until she was out of his reach, the firefighter soon standing up once he had the room. "So I'll go talk to Boden, and you can call Becca… let her know what's going on." He told her, Gabby nodding in response.
"Yeah, yeah, I will." She replied, Matt frowning slightly when he saw her anxious demeanor, the firefighter gently grabbing her arm, giving it a firm squeeze.
"Everything's okay, alright? Sof's fine… And she'll be so happy to see us." He added, feeling her body relax as a soft smile formed over her face, Gabby giving him a nod. "I'll talk to Boden, then we can go."
"I can just go, so we're both not out." She countered, Matt raising his eyebrows. "I mean, if I go with Brett and Foster, we should be able to get everything."
"No, that's okay, I'll go with you." He responded. "I want to bring more stuff for Sof this time… like her pack n play so she actually has a place to sleep." He continued, Gabby giving him a knowing nod.
"That's a good idea." She murmured, Matt smiling softly as he dropped his hand from her arm.
"Yeah, I mean, sleeping out on the couch with Sof last time was great, but I think we'll all be much more comfortable if she has her own place to sleep." He replied, Gabby giving him an agreeing nod, the paramedic knowing his idea was a much better plan, especially because she'd feel a lot safer with them sleeping in this office than she would out in the common room. "So I'll go with you so I can grab that, and we'll need to get Sofia's car seat and everything… As long as you don't mind me coming."
"I don't." She responded softly, giving him a small smile, Matt nodding before he began moving towards the door, pressing a quick kiss on her forehead as he passed her.
"Alright, I'll be right back." Matt told her, Gabby giving him a nod before she pulled her phone out, Casey assuming she was going to call Becca as he moved out into the bunk room, the Captain heading in the familiar direction of Boden's office.
It took him no time at all to get there, Matt walking up to the office, knocking on the doorframe as he stood in the open doorway, Boden looking up from the papers on his desk, the Chief putting his pen down before waving the firefighter in.
"Casey." He greeted, Matt stepping inside the office. "...Is everything alright?" Boden questioned before he could even respond, Casey's face giving him away.
"Yeah, yeah, we're fine, but, uh-" He cut himself off, clearing his throat as he came to a stop behind the chairs across from Boden. "Gabby and I are going to go get Sofia, bring her back here so she can be with us."
"Is she okay?" Boden asked immediately, his spine straightening as a clear look of concern spread across his face.
"She's fine." Casey responded quickly, Boden releasing a relieved breath. "She's perfectly fine, but Gabby…" Matt shook his head, sighing softly. "She just needs to be with Sofia, and honestly I do, too." Boden's face softened, the man leaning back slightly in his chair. "We want to work, we want to be here.. but being away from Sofia for that long with everything going on, it's making all this so much harder."
The Chief nodded slowly, tapping his finger on his desk, his eyes locked on his Captain. "...Is this going to become an every shift occurrence?" Boden asked, Matt running his tongue over his lips.
"I… I don't know." Casey answered honestly, unable to read the look on the Chief's face. "Gabby is so freaked out over all of this. I know this isn't really within regulations, but I don't want to tell her she can't be with our baby."
A sympathetic look covered Boden's face, the man drawing in a deep breath, running his hand over his mouth. "I don't want that either." He replied softly. "I know none of this has been easy on you two, this has been an awful situation for you guys... And Sofia being here for multiple shifts isn't exactly within the guidelines, but I know this isn't a normal set of circumstances… Go get Sofia." Boden spoke, a thankful look covering Casey's face. "We'll have you covered until you and Dawson get back."
"Thank you, Chief. Really." He replied gratefully, Boden giving him a nod as Matt moved towards the door.
"Just let me know when you get back."
"I will." He responded, giving him a nod before he continued out of the office, the Captain moving quickly through the hallways of 51, Casey stopping in the locker room to get his keys before he went back to the bunk room, his steps slowing when he saw Gabby walking out of his office.
"Hey, I just got off the phone with Becca, and I called Antonio too, to let him know Sof was gonna be with us… Did Boden say it was okay?" She asked, Matt nodding with a soft smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leading her from the room.
"He did, yeah." Matt responded, Gabby smiling softly as they walked out into the hallway.
"Good… Antonio said he's still gonna leave the unit at our apartment, just in case." Gabby spoke, Matt giving her shoulder a squeeze. "I guess he just wants to be sure that the guy doesn't try to come and do anything while we're gone, I don't know." She added nervously, Matt taking a deep breath before pressing a kiss to the side of her head, keeping his grip on her tight.
"I'm sure it's just a precaution. But let's focus on the positives here, like us being able to be with Sofia tonight." He told her, feeling his wife's body relax slightly in his grip. "Let's just go get our girl yeah?" He asked, Gabby giving him a nod before they continued out the firehouse, eager to get home and see their baby.
The drive to their apartment went by relatively quickly, Gabby nearly bouncing in her seat in anticipation to get her eyes on Sofia, the paramedic having been much more anxious about being away from her baby than either of them realized. When they got home, he pulled into his parking spot, Gabby practically jumping from the truck as soon as it was in park, Matt making sure to securely lock up the vehicle before he followed after her.
By the time he got to the door, Gabby already had it unlocked, the soft sound of cartoons playing from the living room as the couple entered their home.
"Becca?" Gabby called out, Matt shutting and locking the door behind them.
"Living room." Her voice responded, Gabby continuing towards the sound while Matt stopped to switch out his truck keys for the keys to Gabby's car, knowing they'd need that to take Sofia. Dawson walked around the corner, a soft smile forming over her face when she saw Sofia doing tummy time on her mat, the baby oblivious to her parent's presence. "Hey guys." Becca greeted, Gabby flashing her a grin as she got down on the floor, resting on her heels as she sat down beside her baby.
"Hey Becca… Sorry about the change of plans." Matt spoke, the nanny waving him off as Gabby placed her hand on Sofia's back, the little girl turning her head towards Gabby. Her eyes widened when she noticed her mom, sounds of excitement escaping her lips as she began thrashing her arms against the ground, clearly happy to see her mom.
"There's my baby, hi Sofia." She cooed, carefully lifting her daughter off the ground, Sofia wriggling around excitedly as Gabby held her, the young baby reaching out for her mom, smacking her little fists into Gabby's neck and face. "Yeah, you're happy to see Momma, aren't you?" She continued conversing with her daughter, Matt noticing an immediate shift in his wife. She seemed much calmer than she'd been earlier today, Casey knowing she felt better being with her baby.
"So, is this like last time? You'll just need me for Sofia while you're on calls?" Becca asked as she pushed herself up off the ground, leaving Sofia in the care of her mother as Casey gave her a nod.
"Yeah, pretty much." Matt responded, glancing down to Gabby, smiling softly as he saw Sofia smacking her in the face, the young girl clearly not having calmed down from the enthusiasm she felt seeing her mom, Sofia having no idea he was even here. "I know we keep doing this to you last minute, we weren't expecting this but it just… it was too hard to be away from her, with everything going on." He explained, Becca shooting him a sympathetic smile.
"I get it, it's no problem. Really. Whatever you guys need me to do, for you all or Sofia, I'm happy to help however I can." She replied, Matt gripping her shoulder gratefully as Gabby stood up with Sofia firmly in her grasp.
"Sof look, Daddy's here." Gabby spoke lightly, Sofia's eyes moving to her father as he came into her line of sight, her excitement coming back with a vengeance as she began squirming around again, equally as eager to be with her dad as Gabby handed her to him, the little girl curling into his chest.
"Hi princess." He murmured, pressing a kiss to her head, the baby gripping onto her father's jacket tightly, Matt keeping one arm under her while his ran his hand over her back. "You excited to come to work with us? Everyone's gonna be so happy to see you. And your Momma and I are so glad we get to spend the rest of the day with you, huh? It's gonna be so much fun." He spoke against her head, kissing her forehead again before looking up, seeing Gabby's eyes on him and their baby, his wife looking as content as he'd seen her in days.
"We probably shouldn't be gone much longer," Gabby spoke up, running her fingers through Sofia's curls, the baby completely relaxed in her dad's arms. "Let's go pack up her stuff then we can get back." She continued, Matt giving her a nod before he turned to go to the bedroom, patting Sofia's back.
"Come on baby, you can help me get your things together." Matt spoke to his daughter, Gabby watching with a soft smile as she followed behind him, the parents getting Sofia's things together as quickly as possible so they could get her to the firehouse.
"Peek-a-boo!"
The words he'd said probably thirty times in the last five minutes elicited the same exact reaction from his daughter as they had since the first time he said them, Sofia giggling loudly as her dad moved her hands away from her face, bringing him into her view. They had been playing this game for a little while, Sofia having loved peek-a-boo lately, the girl always so happy to play with her parents. Matt was sitting on the table in the common room, his legs resting together with his feet up on a chair, Sofia's body laying against the tops of his thighs, Casey completely off his in own little world as he played this game with his daughter, ignoring the snickers and amused looks he was getting from most of his coworkers.
With a sly smile, Matt moved Sofia's little hands back over her eyes, her laughing ceasing momentarily until he moved them down once more.
"Peek-a-boo!" He said again, Sofia's infectious giggling filling the common room yet again, some of the men and women around him unable to stop themselves from smiling.
"Man, she really never gets tired of that, does she?" Severide asked as Matt rubbed his hand over Sofia's chest, Casey looking towards his friend that was leaning against the counter, the Captain shaking his head.
"Oh, she definitely does not." Matt replied, Sofia grabbing ahold of his finger. "Although you should see this when Gabby does it, I swear she laughs like ten times louder." He added with a proud grin, his eyes moving back down towards his daughter, Matt trying to distract her as she wanted to shove his hand in her mouth. "But yeah, she can play this game for hours. This, and if we give her a mirror and let her look at herself, those two things will distract her forever."
"Ah, sounds just like Dawson." Herrmann taunted from the couch, Casey shaking his head.
"You're only saying that cause she's not here to hear you." Mouch replied quickly, Herrmann furrowing his eyebrows before waving him off, even though his friend's words were true. Ambo 61 had been called out nearly an hour and a half ago, the three paramedics gone to help the citizens of Chicago while the rest of the house was bunkered down, enjoying the time they all got to spend with the youngest member of firehouse 51.
It had been a surprise when Boden told them all that Dawson and Casey had left to go get their daughter, but once hearing the reasoning, everyone understood it, and they definitely didn't fault them for it. All members of 51 were worried about the two members of their family, so they couldn't even imagine what it was like for them to be the ones it was happening to. They had tried to do what they could to be supportive, and to help however they could, but the only thing that had really seemed to help both Gabby and Matt was having their little girl around. And it was a great treat for everyone else, as well.
"Quiet down, Mouch… All I'm saying is that Sofia here definitely takes after her mother." He continued with a cheeky smile, Casey shaking his head.
"I'll make sure to let Gabby know when she gets back." Matt replied, Herrmann's face falling slightly, his reaction earning a chuckle from the Captain before Matt returned his attention back to his daughter, lightly tapping his fingers against her cheeks, the action eliciting unintelligible noises to escape her lips.
"Casey."
Matt heard Cruz say his name, the father looking up towards the double doors, his face falling immediately when he saw Cruz standing there, a familiar blonde standing beside him, her angry eyes focused on him.
The second they locked gazes, Casey's face hardened, an uncomfortable silence falling over the room, everyone, aside from Becca, knowing exactly who was here. They just didn't know why.
Clenching his neck, Matt looked away from her, glancing back down towards Sofia, the girl still happily babbling away as she waved her arms around. "Becca, can you watch Sof?" Casey asked, turning to the woman sitting at the table beside him, Becca nodding immediately. Sensing the clear tension in the room, she obliged quickly, carefully picking the baby up and placing her in her lap, Sofia fussing until she realized who was holding her, the young girl instantly settling in her nanny's embrace.
Keeping his face blank, Matt slid down off the table, ignoring the stares from his coworkers as he moved towards the double doors, giving Cruz a nod, signaling the man to walk away. "What are you doing here?" He spoke lowly, his voice firm, the woman narrowing her eyes.
"You sent cops to my work?" Naomi asked indignantly, the reporter not bothering to follow his cue by keeping her voice low as well, Casey taking a deep breath before nodding towards the garage.
"Let's go out here." He replied, Naomi shaking her head as she crossed her arms over her chest, watching as Matt walked towards the door.
"Why should we? You sent cops to my work, embarrassed me in front of all my coworkers, why shouldn't I do the same here?" She fired back, Casey's eyes flickering towards the common room, seeing everyone still watching them. "I can't believe you told the cops you think I'd slash your tires, although I have a feeling it was your wife who said it was me-"
"Naomi, outside." He growled, cutting her off mid sentence. "Now."
Huffing out a breath, the woman reluctantly followed him out into the now vacant garage, her narrow eyes shooting daggers into his head as they came to a stop by the truck.
"I can't believe you actually named me as a suspect for whoever slashed your tires, are you out of your damn mind? Everyone I work with saw that little stunt you pulled."
"I didn't pull any stunt-"
"Bull." She interjected, Casey shaking his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose firmly. "They came in, asking me all sorts of questions about you, and me, and us. And Gabby… talking about how they needed to come check all their bases, make sure I didn't vandalize your damn truck."
"Naomi-"
"I'm not sure why you'd point fingers at me, when I imagine the list of people wanting to slash your tires is pretty long, if the time I've spent with you and Gabby says anything." She continued bitterly, Casey having to bite his tongue, taking a slow breath to try and keep his irritation under control. "But sending those detectives to my work? You have a lot of nerve."
"I didn't tell them to go to you work." He cut in, the blonde rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, but you obviously told them you think I might've done this… or Gabby did." She responded sharply, smacking her lips together. "...It was her, wasn't it?"
"What?"
"Gabby. She was the one who said it might've been me, didn't she?." She asked for clarification, Casey's face remaining blank. "I mean, I already know she was. A bit of the jealous type, I guess. But all this over me… what? Running into you two at the store? Is she fucking insane, how does that automatically mean I did anything to your truck?"
"Don't talk about her like that." He snapped, Naomi scoffing as she shook her head, their conversation getting interrupted by the sound of the ambulance backing up, Matt internally cursing as Naomi looked to him.
"Is that her?" She asked, walking in that direction before he could even answer, Matt following after her.
"Naomi, wait-"
"Hey!" The blonde shouted as soon as they got around the rig, Gabby coming into view as she stood at the back of the ambulance, her look of immediate confusion morphing into one of slight anger, mixed with some lingering uncertainty, Matt grimacing when he saw his wife jump at the unexpected noise. Her eyes flashed to her him, seeing an unreadable expression shining back at her, Brett and Foster equally as shocked as they saw Naomi approach Dawson.
"Naomi, don't do this here." Casey tried, but she ignored him, the blonde stopping directly in front of Gabby.
"Did you tell the cops that you think I slashed his tires?" She asked roughly, an unimpressed look shining in Gabby's eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Yes, I did." She replied instantly, her tone only angering Naomi further.
"God, I knew it." She bit out, Matt coming to stand beside his wife, unsure of how far Naomi was going to take this. "You are such a jealous bitch-"
"Excuse me?" Gabby asked, straightening her spine as this woman hurled insults at her, the blonde continuing on as if she hadn't been interrupted.
"All this because Matt and I had a relationship while you were gone-"
"Relationship?" Dawson scoffed, her eyebrows raised in an almost amusement. "Oh honey, nothing about what you two were was anything close to a relationship."
"And how would you know? It's not like you were there." She fired back, Gabby faltering slightly, but she quickly recovered. "You were gone, you left him. You up and abandoned your marriage for whatever reason, yet here you are upset about him moving on? Give me a break." She spat, Dawson raising her eyebrows.
"Well… considering we're married and have a daughter, I think it's safe to say the last thing he did was move on."
"Yeah, I think it's pretty clear why you two got married again." She shot, Gabby's eyes narrowing in anger. "Obviously we know why you're married, and why you're even still here. That kid of yours kept you around." Naomi continued, both Gabby's and Matt's bodies flooding with anger. "He got you pregnant and now you're stuck."
"You have no idea what you're talking about." Gabby interjected, Naomi ignoring her words.
"You're stuck with a guy who you didn't want to be with anymore, and you're especially stuck with that baby you didn't want."
"Do not talk about my daughter." Gabby growled, her entire body tense with rage. "Say whatever you want about me, but you do not say anything about her." Everyone could feel the anger coming off of Dawson, Naomi scoffing as she rolled her eyes, the woman shaking her head.
"Look, I don't even care about this. I don't care about your relationship, or your kid, I don't care. But what I do care about is you all blaming this on me." She replied, Matt's eyes narrowing. "Are you really that hung up on me and Matt sleeping together over a year ago that you send cops to my work? You really need to get over it. You won, you have him, so just let it go. I didn't even know you were still around, let alone you and Matt were together. I figured you'd gotten bored already and skipped town again, but I don't even care. I don't give a damn about your relationship, but don't you dare turn this around on me when Matt's the one who used me."
"You're the only one hung up on anything, here." Gabby responded almost instantly, Matt having opened his mouth to say something but he didn't get the chance. "I understand you feel like he used you, and, believe me, neither of us ever wanted that." She spoke, Naomi narrowing her eyes. "I swear to you, we didn't. Matt never meant to hurt you-"
"Yeah, I'm sure." She scoffed, cutting Gabby off. "If you're about to give me that 'it wasn't you, he was just still in love with someone else' bullshit, you can keep it. You saying sorry means nothing to me when you're trying to make me out to be some jealous ex who would slash his tires." Naomi continued angrily, gesturing towards Casey as she spoke. "So just save your fake apologies, quit trying to look like the better person here, just stop it… And since you all are so damn worried about it, I didn't do anything to your truck, Casey." She spoke roughly, her burning eyes flashing towards Matt before she zeroed back in on Gabby. "I wouldn't stoop to that level, I'm not you." Naomi spat, Dawson's eyebrows raising. "I'm not some pathetic bitch who comes crawling back to the past, like you came crawling back to Matt the second you saw that he was just fine without you." Her voice was rising as she spoke, disgust laced in her words, Gabby swallowing thickly. "Because that's exactly what happened, everyone knows why you came back. You found out that Matt was just fine with you gone, that maybe he was happier without you, and you couldn't handle it. So you wormed your way back into his life… So don't you dare accuse me of being the crazy one here, if anyone is psychotic enough to slash tires, it'd be you-"
"Enough!" Casey shouted, taking a step forward, the force of his words causing Naomi to move a few steps back, Matt standing in between them. He knew Gabby could handle herself, but she shouldn't have to, especially after the difficult few days they'd had, and Matt couldn't stand here and listen to Naomi hurl insults as his wife any longer. But despite her initial shock at his tone, she recovered quickly, the blonde glaring at him as she stood up straighter, seeing the rage shining in his eyes. "I know you're pissed off, but cut the bullshit. And leave Gabby out of this. Quit pretending like you know anything about her, or me, because you don't. You don't know anything about us, and the only thing I really know about you is that you and I ended things over a year ago, and you still haven't seemed to get over it." He spoke roughly, Gabby seeing how tense his entire body was. "So yeah, we told them that you might've done this, and after you showing up here today, it wouldn't surprise me if you had. But I didn't tell them to go to your work, I had no idea they were gonna do that, or what they were going to ask. All we did was go to the police-"
"You went to her brother." Naomi cut in roughly, Casey narrowing his eyes.
"Yeah, who, last I checked, was a detective." He bit back before continuing. "But they asked us for a list of names of people we thought might've done this, and you were on it. We had just seen you for the first time in over a year right after my tires got slashed, so yeah, we thought you might've had something to do with it. I'm sorry they bothered you at work, but we had nothing to do with that. That wasn't our fault. And you have no right to show up here and attack Gabby for something she had no control over." Matt's spoke harshly, his neck clenching tightly. "You wanna be pissed at me? You want to hate me for what happened? Fine. I don't care. But leave Gabby out of it."
Casey's chest was rising and falling quickly, the anger he was feeling causing him to take short breaths, Naomi's sharp gaze moving between the two of them. Anyone who took one look at Matt could tell he was miles past angry, the Captain trying his hardest to keep his composure.
Scoffing lightly, Naomi shook her head, putting her hands up before she took a few steps back. "...You two aren't even worth my time." She spoke, shooting a harsh glare to Gabby before she stomped out of the garage, brushing past a stunned Brett and Foster.
The air around them was thick, Gabby blinking quickly as she looked from Naomi's retreating form back towards her husband, seeing how tense and angry he was even from standing behind him, Matt's harsh glare focused on the blonde who was exiting the firehouse.
Without a word, both Brett and Foster walked towards the firehouse, not having meant to get caught in the middle of a clearly personal conversation, Gabby breathing heavily before reaching out, placing her hand over Matt's back.
When he felt her touch, it was like he snapped out of his anger, Matt's body slowly relaxing as she walked around to stand in front of him, an unreadable expression covering her features. Taking a deep breath, Matt shook his head, bringing his hand up to run over his face.
"I… God, Gabby, I'm so sorry." He breathed out, seeing her eyebrows furrow slightly. "For all of this. For everything that's happened, everything going on right now, for Naomi showing up here… I'm just sorry. All of this is my fault." He told her, Gabby's eyes softening.
He kept his gaze on her as his words hung in the air, Matt watching as she gnawed on her bottom lip for a few seconds before she leaned up, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding herself to him as she nuzzled her head into his neck. He hadn't been expecting her to hug him, but he quickly reciprocated the gesture, Matt wrapping his arms around her back, pulling her even closer to him.
The couple stayed connected for a few minutes, Matt's breathing slowly steadying the longer he held onto her, focusing on the feeling of their bodies pressed together, Gabby running her fingers along the back of his neck. When Gabby felt her husband had completely relaxed, she slowly pulled back, sliding her palm around towards his cheek, stroking the back of her hand over his skin before she dropped her it.
"Let's go see our baby." She murmured, Matt nodding as he reached for her hand, the couple heading back towards the common room.
Matt laid quietly in his bunk, his eyes focused on the back of the head of the woman curled in his bed with him, although he couldn't see much in the pitch black room. The entire Casey family had been locked away in Matt's office for the last few hours, his wife and daughter having been asleep for most of that time.
After the unexpected run-in with Naomi, Gabby and Matt had devoted all their attention to Sofia, neither of them having spoken about it since it happened. And no one in the house did, either, the members of 51 not saying a word about the surprise visit from the reporter, instead just focusing their attention on the youngest member of the Casey family, wanting to get as much time with her as possible. Gabby and Matt were always close by when Sofia was getting passed around, only taking their eyes of her when they had to go work. They had both had a couple of calls, one together and a few apart, but when they were at the house they pretty much stayed in the common room, the family trying to enjoy this time with everyone when they had the chance. Aside from Severide, no one at 51 really got to spend all that much time with Sofia, so the parents were happy to let their second family get some quality time with her. But by the time seven o'clock hit, Gabby was more than ready to get a little break, and the parents knew they needed to get Sofia to bed, too. It took some time for them to pry their daughter from Kidd's arms, but once they had, they made their way to Matt's office, ready to settle in for the night.
When they got into the room, Gabby got herself situated on the bed while Matt shut the door and drew the blinds, effectively closing them off from everyone so Gabby could nurse Sofia comfortably. While she fed their baby, Matt got Sofia's pack n play set up in between the windows and his bed, both Gabby and Matt liking that their girl would be close to them during the night.
While Sofia fed, the girl latched onto her mom for nearly forty five minutes, Matt churned through some of that paperwork he'd been avoiding most of the day, getting what he could done until Sofia had finished, Matt taking their baby so Gabby could fix her clothes. Their baby was practically asleep by the time she got done eating, Matt skillfully changing her diaper without waking her before getting her put in her makeshift bed, the little girl falling asleep easily.
Once Sofia was down, Casey hadn't really intended to go to bed so early, Matt knowing this would be a good time to get through some more paperwork, but with one look at his wife, he knew she was absolutely exhausted. He'd seen it in her demeanor throughout the day, but it had been even more prominent in that moment, so he quickly scrapped the idea of completing his paperwork and offered to lay down with her so she could get some rest, something Gabby had agreed to rather quickly. Matt had gotten himself positioned first, laying down on his side, his arm outstretched across the mattress as Gabby sat down in front of him. With her body facing Sofia, Gabby made herself comfortable, pressing her back into his chest, Matt's arm underneath her neck as she rested against his pillow, Casey having wrapped his arm around her stomach to keep her close. They had laid like that for a few quiet moments, Matt feeling Gabby relax more and more with each passing minute, her body slowly succumbing to her exhaustion. Right as she was about to fall asleep, Gabby had grabbed his hand that was hanging off the bunk, guiding his forearm across her upper chest, effectively wrapping herself up in his arms. When she had done that, he couldn't help but smile, Matt knowing him cradling her like this made her feel safe.
And that's how they'd been lying ever since, Gabby having been resting for the better part of two hours, his wife sleeping soundly in the small bunk, neither of them minding the lack of space. In fact Matt actually preferred it, knowing how much their close proximity helped her.
But for as peacefully as she was sleeping, the same couldn't be said for him.
He wasn't sure why he hadn't been able to sleep, but it was like he couldn't get his mind to shut off, Matt having done nothing but focus on the sound of Gabby's steady breathing since she fell asleep. He thought about trying to get some more paperwork done now that he was sure his wife was deep within her slumbeer, but there were a few reasons he quickly realized that wasn't the best idea. For one, he didn't want to turn the light on and risk waking Sofia, their baby having been sleeping soundly since she finished feeding almost three hours ago now. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her up, not when she was sleeping so well in her unfamiliar surroundings. And the other reason was that he didn't want to wake up Gabby, either.
He knew she hadn't been sleeping all that well recently, his wife having woken up each morning completely exhausted. She was restless, either waking up frequently during the night, or never really falling into a deep sleep. And compared to how he knew she'd slept the last two nights, Matt was aware this was the best she'd slept since before his tires were slashed, and he wouldn't do anything to risk disturbing that, considering how his arm was trapped underneath her and he knew he couldn't get up without waking her. So he had decided to stay put, Casey trying to focus on how peacefully his wife was resting, hoping that would lull him to sleep as well.
But so far, it hadn't.
He couldn't stop thinking about everything going on, about what all had happened today, and he especially couldn't stop thinking about how Gabby was handling all of it.
After the incident with Naomi, Gabby hadn't said anything about it. Though she hadn't really said much of anything at all. It kind of felt like things had at home; she didn't really want to talk to him, but she wanted him around. She seemed fine in the garage, but he wasn't entirely sure where she was at with the whole thing, Matt unable to figure out what was going on in her head. He wanted to talk to her about it, to make sure she was okay, but he hadn't had a moment to speak with her alone since it happened, not until they both came back to his office. But, considering how tired she was, he knew it probably wasn't the best time to ask her, either. So he hadn't brought it up, but he couldn't help but worry.
Naomi had no right to come in here and say the things she did to, and about, Gabby. Not only was she completely wrong, but regardless of everything that happened, Gabby wasn't at fault here. He was.
And this was just another instance as of late where his choices and mistakes had come back on Gabby. And he knew it wasn't fair to her.
Although none of it was necessarily his fault; he didn't ask for this man to threaten him, he didn't ask for Naomi to come and make a scene, but they were still things that happened because of his choices. And now Gabby was having to deal with the consequences.
Logically, he knew they both were, that they were both having to deal with all of this. But he didn't care so much about himself, and he wasn't the one that Naomi had come and attacked. Gabby was, and he felt awful.
He hated that they just kept getting one thing after another thrown at them, that it seemed like things just kept getting worse. Because he knew how much it was affecting Gabby, and seeing what all this was doing to her was breaking his heart. Matt never wanted to be the reason she was struggling, but it felt like as of late, his choices were the only thing causing it.
But regardless of how he felt, he knew she didn't blame him. Even though she was still upset with him for not telling her everything about that call sooner, she didn't blame him for this. And he knew she didn't blame him for the Naomi thing, either. Despite not having really talked about it, he knew she didn't fault him for Naomi showing up at 51. But just because she didn't blame him for any of this, that didn't mean he wasn't blaming himself. That he probably wouldn't stop blaming himself until they found this man, and figured out what was going on.
The feeling of Gabby shifting in his arms pulled him from his thoughts, Matt remaining still as his wife adjusted herself slightly, subconsciously pushing her body further back into his, the two perfectly molded together as she nuzzled her head against his arm in her sleep. Within a few seconds, Matt knew she was back within her deep sleep, his arm rising and falling as she took long, steady breaths.
Knowing they were most likely on borrowed time, with either Sofia waking up at any moment needing to eat, or them being called out, Casey figured he needed to try and get whatever sleep he could, the firefighter pushing all thoughts aside except for that of his family, the man focusing on his amazing wife and his beautiful daughter, Matt eventually giving in to the exhaustion he felt.