Hello everyone, here's the next chapter for you all. I can't believe we're at chapter 80. That's just insane, honestly. I know I say it all the time, but never did I ever imagine when I first started this story (we're approaching a year since I posted the first chapter, which is even more crazy to me) that we'd still be going this long. Your constant support is why I've been able to continue this for this long, so thank you for that.
I really hope you all enjoy this chapter, I'm super excited to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
Chapter Eighty
Gabby adjusted the blanket resting over Sofia's body as she slept in her car seat, the drive having knocked her out almost immediately when they left their apartment twenty minutes prior. She carefully lifted the car seat out of the back, checking again to make sure Sofia's little body was covered as Matt shut the door, Gabby wanting to ensure she was protected from the cold air around them, the mother trying to ignore the overwhelming amount of anxiety settling in her stomach.
"You want me to carry her?" Casey offered as they stood on the sidewalk outside the district, the man locking up the car before turning towards his wife, Gabby flashing him a weak smile as she shook her head.
"I got her." She responded, Matt giving her a nod before placing his hand on her back, the couple beginning the walk towards the front doors.
It was a gloomy day in Chicago, and Matt couldn't help but hope that the weather outside wouldn't be indicative of how this meeting with the Intelligence Unit was going to go as he walked slightly behind his wife, the firefighter pulling open the door for her to walk inside, Matt sparing one glance around the street in front of him before following her inside. He repeated the same process once they got to the second set of stairs, Matt once again holding the door open for her as the family walked into the lobby, the precinct buzzing as people moved swiftly through the building, Matt and Gabby both immediately looking towards the front desk, finding exactly who they were looking for.
"Hey Sargent." Casey greeted as they stepped closer, the older woman smiling the second she saw the small family.
Platt had always had a soft spot for the married couple. They weren't even sure why, considering she didn't seem to have a soft spot for anyone, but for some reason she did with them. And that feeling had only grown since Sofia was born, the woman absolutely in love with their little girl.
"Well, if it isn't my favorite family." She replied lightly, her hand already moving down below the desk. "I'm assuming you all are here to see Antonio?"
"Yeah, we are." Matt confirmed, Platt shooting them both a soft grin, Gabby's eyes darting around the room as they stood there, the paramedic feeling exposed in the open space. She'd tried not to focus on it, but being around all these people she didn't know was causing her nerves to skyrocket, Gabby knowing she'd feel a little better once they weren't so out in the open.
"Well, I won't keep you any longer, especially with that little sleeping baby. You can go on up." She replied, Matt flashing an appreciative smile.
"Thank you, Sargent." He responded, Platt giving them both a nod before they moved towards the stairs.
Before they started climbing, Matt reached for Sofia's car seat before he could even offer to carry her again, Gabby raising her eyebrows as he held the handle firmly in his grasp.
"I can carry her, Matt." She responded softly, Matt nodding in agreement as they started climbing the stairs.
"I know you can. But it's a lot of steps, and I know how heavy she can get. Now move, your brother's waiting for us." He chastised gently, Gabby shaking her head with a slight smile tugging on her lips before she continued up the steps, Matt walking a few steps behind her with their sleeping baby.
They managed to get up the steps without waking Sofia, a few of the detectives turning to look towards the landing when they heard the boots against the ground, both Gabby and Matt catching a few smiles from Antonio's coworkers.
"Hey guys." Upton greeted as she pushed herself up from her chair, Gabby flashing her a small smile before she glanced around the room, searching for her older brother, but she didn't see him anywhere. "How are you doing?" She asked as she got closer, her genuine words being accompanied by a few nods from the other members of the Intelligence Unit, all of them knowing just how difficult these last couple of weeks had been on the family.
"We're alright." Casey responded, placing his hand on Gabby's lower back, his other keeping a firm grip on Sofia's car seat, Matt occasionally glancing towards his daughter to make sure her rest hadn't been disturbed.
"Good, that's good." She replied with a soft smile before glancing down to the baby. "Man, she's getting so big." Upton added, Gabby's smile widening as she looked to her sleeping girl, the paramedic feeling her nerves lessen slightly with each minute she was here.
"Yeah, she's definitely growing a lot." Dawson responded, Hailey nodding as she reached out to place a hand on Gabby's arm, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"You brother is with Voight right now, but they said to just have you guys wait in the break room. They should be done here soon." Upton relayed the information her boss had told her about twenty minutes ago, earning nods from the husband and wife.
"Sounds good, thanks Upton." Casey replied, Hailey giving him one last smile before they began the walk towards the break room, Matt and Gabby both giving quick greetings to the detectives they passed along the way, neither of them missing the sincere looks of concern they were getting from each of them.
It was something they'd been on the receiving end of a lot lately, mostly from their family at the firehouse, but they weren't too surprised to see it from the member's of the Intelligence Unit, either. They, more so than everyone at 51, knew all the details of what exactly was going on in the case. They knew exactly how the investigation was going, which up to this point hadn't been great, so neither of them were exactly shocked to see those same pitiful looks everyone kept giving them.
And while they definitely didn't like it, neither Gabby nor Matt ever wanting anyone to feel sorry for them, they were a little comforted by it. Knowing there were so many people who cared, and who were doing everything they could to help, it was a nice feeling, especially with as hard as things had been for the family as of late.
Gabby stepped into the break room first, Matt following behind her, closing the door once they were both inside, the father carefully placing Sofia's car seat down on the couch underneath the window. He winced slightly when Sofia began to move around, neither Gabby nor Matt making a noise as she made herself comfortable. The little baby stretched out her arms, a heavy yawn escaping her tiny lips before she fell back asleep,
When they were sure she wasn't waking up, both parents moved towards the round table, sitting down while they waited for Antonio.
They still weren't entirely sure what they were doing here, her older brother having been quite cryptic on the phone, Antonio simply asking them to come to the district as soon as they could. Neither of them knew what to expect, they just hoped it was good news. Something to make them feel even just a little bit better, to give them some assurance that this nightmare would be over soon.
Because that's exactly what it was. It was a nightmare. One Gabby felt like she couldn't wake up from.
In the few days that had passed since the incident at the firehouse, Gabby hadn't been doing well. She was trying, Matt knew she was, but that night had rattled her more than they initially realized, and things had been very hard. She was jumpy, she couldn't sleep, every unexpected noise she heard had her on edge; it was like she was living in a nightmare, one she couldn't get out of, one that had definitely taken its toll on her.
And it was breaking Matt's heart.
It was nearly impossible for Matt to see her like this, to see her hurting, and to not be able to do anything to stop it. How she was now reminding him a lot of how she'd been when she first got back from Puerto Rico, and that alone was enough to crush him. Having experienced that with her, having had to help her through one of the lowest points in her life, Matt never wanted to see her like that again. He knew how hard that entire ordeal had been on her, he knew first hand how long it took her to recover from what she went through, and since it happened, he'd hoped and prayed there would never be another reason for her to feel like that again.
But his hopes hadn't been enough, because the woman sitting next to him right now, she was that same woman who'd come home from Puerto Rico over a year ago. And it absolutely killed him.
It killed him to know that his wife was struggling so badly, that she spent most days scared of something happening to them, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He hated seeing how much this was affecting her, and it only made him more and more angry at this man who was tormenting them. This entire thing infuriated him to the point where if he was ever alone with this guy, he couldn't promise he wouldn't kill him.
Because this man was messing with his family, he was hurting his family, and that wasn't something Matt could ever be okay with. The person who had been his entire world for so long was barely holding herself together, all because of one crazy man. Gabby was fighting to not completely fall apart, and Matt knew she wouldn't be able to get past this until this man was either behind bars, or he was dead.
Quite frankly, Casey didn't care which one it was. He didn't care if this man spent the rest of his life in prison, or if he got murdered tomorrow. He couldn't find it in himself to care about what happens to the guy, as long as he was caught. And honestly, Matt almost wished it was the second one.
He knew he should be the bigger person, that he should never wish anyone dead, no matter the circumstances, and that Gabby probably wouldn't be too happy with him if she knew some of the thoughts going through his head right now, but he couldn't help it. This psychotic murderer was hurting his wife, to the point where she didn't even feel safe leaving their home. And even at home, she couldn't really relax there, either. This man had taken her sense of safety, he was messing with her simply because he could, and Casey couldn't help but feel complete contempt for this guy.
Matt had tried to rise above, he had tried to not let this consume him, but it was a battle he was losing. Because any time he thought of this man, the only thing he could think of was putting his head through a wall. How, given the opportunity, Matt would knock him to the ground and make sure he never got up again. It wasn't anything he was proud of, in fact after everything that happened with his mother when he was younger, it wasn't even something he'd probably ever admit out loud, but all he knew was that if for whatever reason, Casey got to this man before Antonio could, the firefighter couldn't promise he wouldn't kill him.
Releasing a soft breath, Matt pushed those thoughts that had been swarming his mind recently away, focusing his attention on his wife as Gabby sat beside him in the break room. Her eyes were forward, like she was focused on something across the room, but he could tell just from one look she wasn't really paying attention to anything, that she was lost in her own head.
It was something that had happened a lot recently. In fact most days it would happen quite often, Gabby getting really quiet, like mentally she was thousands of miles away.
Slowly, he placed his hands on the table, the movement gaining her attention as he reached to grab her clasped hands resting in front of her, Gabby soon meeting his eyes, flashing him a weak smile.
"You good?" He asked the question he'd probably asked her a hundred times since this mess started, Gabby responding with a slight nod.
"I'm fine… Just thinking."
"About what?" He pressed, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.
This conversation was starting similar to the ones they had whenever she seemed to be having a harder time, Matt always doing what he could to make sure she felt okay opening up to him. They hadn't really had many problems with it as of late, but he really didn't want it to become one now. They had worked through so many of the things that plagued them when they were first married, and Casey didn't want this situation causing them to backslide into those old habits.
Gabby's first instinct when things get hard is to shut down. She's always been that way, Matt knew that from the second they became friends. She just didn't open up easily, and there was nothing wrong with that. Even though she'd gotten a lot better about it since they first got together, he knew that was just a part of her. And he would never try and change who she was, but there was a delicate balance of letting her work through things herself, and knowing when she couldn't. And they had gotten very good at maintaining that balance. Especially since all of this started, most things were too hard for her to figure out on her own, they had both come to realize that, Matt always stepping in to try and help her when she needed it. Which, admittedly, had been a lot lately.
But they had improved so much in leaning on one another, and not trying to go through everything alone, that Matt didn't want either of them retreating into that old defense mechanism. So anytime the opportunity arose, he always made sure to give her the chance to speak about whatever was on her mind, Matt aware that sometimes she needed a little prompting to really open up. But she always did.
Whether he had to go to her, and she came to him on her own, they'd relied on one another a lot since this entire thing started, and Matt knew that was the main reason they were getting through this. Even though Gabby was clearly struggling, he knew it would've been a lot worse had they both shut down and tried to get through this alone.
"What Antonio called us here for, mostly." She responded softly, Matt nodding in agreement as he gave her hands a calming squeeze. "I just hope whatever it is, it's good news."
"Me too." He replied, leaning forward to press a kiss to the side of her head before he pulled back, sliding his chair closer to her. "Maybe they finally got something off the video."
"Yeah, maybe." She spoke softly, wearing a small smile as the couple heard the door open, both Gabby and Matt glancing back to see Antonio and Voight walking in. The detectives were both quiet, the two of them immediately seeing the sleeping baby, Hank closing the door behind him as they walked to the table.
"Hey sis. Matt." Antonio greeted as he came to stand across from them, a manilla folder in his hands as Voight came to a stop beside him, the older cop leaning back against the wall.
"Hey Tonio." She replied, seeing her brother take a deep breath before he spoke up again.
"I know you guys wanna know why I brought you here, so I won't drag this out… I have some mugshots I need Casey to look at." Antonio spoke, Gabby's shoulders deflating as the older Dawson shifted on the balls of his feet.
She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but this seemed to be nothing more than the same thing they'd done multiple times over the last couple of weeks, Antonio bringing Casey in to look at a bunch of mugshots of random men. And it never led anywhere.
It was clear they hadn't made progress, that this was just another shot in the dark, and Gabby knew her husband felt the same way when she saw him give a similar reaction.
"Okay." Casey responded after a beat of silence, clearing the frustration from his voice, Matt feeling just as defeated as his wife. But he knew Antonio was trying, they all were. And he couldn't ask for much more than that.
Opening up the folder, Antonio placed a bunch of different mugshots down in front of him, Matt's eyes roaming the images of these men, the firefighter focusing to see if he saw anyone vaguely familiar.
He released a heavy sigh, Casey about to inform the detective that, yet again, he didn't recognize anyone, but he stopped himself when his eyes found the last image, Matt's body tightening as he zeroed in on the picture.
Everyone in the room saw the immediate shift in his demeanor, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she glanced back and forth between Matt and the mugshot his hand was tracing over, her husband having yet to say a word.
The second he saw that face, every horrible memory of that day came rushing back, Matt flooded with the images of that woman being murdered in cold blood, and Micah getting shot right in front of him… flashes of that man holding the gun to his head and pulling the trigger. It all came swarming back, Matt swallowing the thick lump in his throat as he was unable to tear his eyes from the photo.
"Casey?" Antonio prompted, crossing his arms over his chest as Voight pushed himself from the wall, coming to stand beside his detective.
"You recognize anyone, Casey?" Hank asked when Antonio had yet to get any type of response, but still Matt said nothing, the Captain not even registering their questions.
"Matt."
Gabby's soft voice finally pulled him from his thoughts, Matt forcing his gaze away from the photo, his eyes finding his wife's, seeing a concerned look in her eyes.
"Do you see him?" She rephrased Voight's question, Matt giving her a slight nod before turning to Antonio, grabbing ahold of the mugshot and holding it out to him.
"That's him."
You could hear a pin drop the second those two words left Matt's lips, Gabby seeing an unreadable expression on her husband's face as he stared at her brother, Antonio's eyes flickered towards the mugshot before looking back to Matt.
"That's him?" He asked for confirmation, Matt giving him a stern nod. "That's the man from the crack house fire?"
"Yes." Casey responded impatiently, unsure of why Antonio was questioning him. "The man who held a gun to my head and tried to kill me, that's him."
Nodding swiftly, Antonio grabbed the mugshot from the firefighter before quickly handing it to Voight, the Sargent walking out of the break room without another word.
"How did you find him?" Matt asked before Antonio could say anything else, the detective pulling out the chair in front of him, placing himself down into it before responding.
"We got him on the camera outside the firehouse, when he came there a few nights ago." Antonio explained, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she leaned forward slightly, Matt reaching over to place his hand on her back.
"I thought you weren't able to get a clear enough picture from that?" Gabby asked, her thoughts all over the place as she tried to grasp what all this meant. When her brother had finally gotten a look at the footage from that night a few days ago, Antonio quickly confirmed that Gabby had in fact seen someone outside, the video clearly showing a man walking up towards the firehouse before abruptly running away. But the image had been grainy, at best, and the last her and Matt knew, while Antonio was going to keep their guys on it, they hadn't had enough to get an ID.
"Our guys were able to clean it up enough for us to run it through our system." The older Dawson explained, reaching out to grab the other mugshots he'd set out, beginning to put them back in his folder. "We got an ID last night-"
"Why didn't you tell us?" Gabby asked as soon as the words left his lips, Antonio giving her a pointed look.
"Because it was after midnight." He countered, Gabby taking a deep breath as she gave him a nod, relaxing into Matt's hand that was still on her back. "And because we needed Matt to positively ID him before we went any further. We needed to know if the man outside the firehouse, the guy who presumably slashed your tires and who we think messed with the power at your apartment, we needed to know if that was the same guy who threatened Matt." He elaborated, trying to give his family as much information as he could. "But I didn't want either of you knowing we'd gotten an ID before Casey saw the photos. If you all knew we'd gotten something, it might've influenced him to just pick someone out-"
"I wouldn't have done that." Casey interjected, Antonio nodding.
"I know you wouldn't have, but we have to make sure a jury knows that, too." He replied firmly, Matt sucking in a deep breath. "This'll definitely be going to court, not just for the murder and arson, but for stalking, too. We're gonna drill the bastard for whatever we can, and there's no way he won't go away for a long time, but we have to do it by the book." He informed them, the detective knowing both his sister and Casey were more than aware of this, but with the nightmare their lives had been as of late, he knew neither of them were really thinking clearly.
Matt gave him a slight nod, glancing towards Gabby, seeing her eyes focused down on the table in front of them. The firefighter rubbed over her back, pursing his lips together as he glanced back to is brother.
"...So you guys have got him?" Casey asked after a few seconds, Antonio drawing in a slow breath.
"We know who is he." Antonio clarified, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek. "I know it's not as good as having him in custody, but we've got an ID. There's already a warrant out for his arrest for stalking you guys, we issued it the second we ID'd him on the video, and now that we have your positive ID, we'll issue the warrant out for murder and arson." The detective explained, seeing hesitant looks on both of their faces. "We've got our best cops on this, you guys… We're gonna find him. I promise."
Gabby gave him a slow nod, the paramedic wanting to believe what her brother was telling her. But after how hard this all had been on them, she felt reluctant to trust what he was saying. She wouldn't feel safe until this man was caught. She had the utmost faith in her brother, and that would never change, but she knew she wouldn't be able to breathe again until this man was behind bars.
Glancing towards her husband, Gabby saw the same wariness in his features as he looked at her brother, Matt clearly trying to digest all of this. They sat in a thick silence for a few moments, Antonio knowing they both needed to process this. He could tell the second he asked Matt to look at more mugshots that they both thought this would be another dead end, so when it hadn't been, he could tell that shocked them a little. So he simply sat here and waited for them to say something, Antonio knowing the team was handling everything right now.
Matt mindlessly rubbed his hand over Gabby's back as his blank gaze moved back down to the table, the firefighter feeling her lean into his touch as a hundred different thoughts and feelings ran through his head, Casey unsure of which to follow.
He felt relieved, that much he did know, but it was a hesitant relief. He was glad they knew who the man was, that would only help in tracking him down and putting him behind bars, but they still didn't have him in custody. And with how this guy was clearly escalating, that wasn't exactly a comforting thought. Not when there was a possibility he could show up at any time. And, God forbid, Matt wasn't around when that happened.
Having the confirmation that the man who threatened him was the same person doing all this now was almost like a double edged sword. On one hand, he was glad to know what, and who they were dealing with. It was good they had an ID, and that they knew exactly who they were looking for. But on the other hand, knowing that the man Gabby saw the other night outside the firehouse was in fact the same man that tried to kill him did not sit well with him. This man was a murderer, a murderer who's weapon of choice was a gun, and he'd been only yards away from his wife. Had Gabby not seen him when she did, there was no telling what the outcome would've been. Matt just knew it probably would've been a lot worse.
But he had to focus on the positives; Antonio knew who this guy was. Now all that was left was finding him.
"...What's his name?" Matt asked quietly, lifting his eyes to look at his brother, the firefighter seeing Antonio's cautious gaze flash to Gabby before looking back at him.
"Casey..."
"What's his name?" Matt repeated, Gabby placing her hand on her husband's thigh, giving her brother a nod.
"Tell him, Antonio." She added, the older Dawson releasing a heavy breath as he clasped his hands together on the table.
"His name is Austin Patton."
Casey wasn't sure what he'd feel when he knew this man's name, but truthfully he didn't feel much. He thought maybe he'd feel some relief, or assurance in knowing his name. But he didn't; the only thing he did feel was anger. The same anger he'd been feeling for quite some time now.
"His middle name is Nicholas… that's where the 'Nicky' nickname came from." Antonio continued when Matt had yet to say anything. "...This guy's got a pretty long rap sheet."
"What else has he done?" Gabby asked quietly, squeezing Matt's leg tightly, the action as comforting to her as it was to him.
"...There's been some arson in the past. Assault with a deadly weapon, assault and battery… He's done a lot."
"How is he not behind bars?" She pressed, Antonio sighing softly.
"Well, he has been. In and out since he was eighteen. But he last got out about seven months ago, managed to stay out of trouble- Well, he managed to not get caught. I'm not convinced him murdering that woman at the fire was the first time he'd hurt someone else. It was probably just the first time there'd been witnesses, or witnesses that weren't too scared to talk." He responded, his words earning slow nods from the couple across from him. "But we've got every possible person on this that we can, we're gonna find him." He added, sensing the nerves his words had created.
Before anyone could say anything else, they heard the familiar sound of whining that told the parents their baby was waking up, neither of them able to react before Sofia emitted a loud cry. Gabby was out of her seat in a second, the mother walking towards her baby while Matt and Antonio stayed at the table, the sound of Sofia's cries filtering out into the bullpen.
"It's okay, baby." Gabby murmured, moving the blanket covering her daughter down, placing her hand over Sofia's small chest. "It's okay."
"Is she alright?" Antonio asked as Gabby began unbuckling the baby from her seat, the detective a little thrown by how loudly Sofia was crying, Matt unable to tear his eyes off his family.
"She is… She's been doing this a lot lately, but once one of us gets her, she usually calms down- Well, when Gabby gets her, she immediately calms down." Matt spoke softly, a small smile forming over Antonio's face as he watched Gabby comfort Sofia, the paramedic sitting down on the couch while cradling the little girl to her chest. "Is she hungry?" Matt raised his voice slightly so his wife could hear him, Gabby shaking her head as she stroked Sofia's hair, the baby grabbing onto any part of her mom that she could as she sought her out for comfort.
"No, no, she's not." Gabby responded, Matt giving her a slight nod. He didn't figure the little girl was hungry, considering she'd fed for nearly an hour before they left the apartment, but he knew it couldn't hurt to ask. "She's alright… Yeah, aren't you little girl, you're fine." She murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as Sofia clung to her.
"I see what you mean about Gabby calming her down." Antonio spoke quietly after a few moments, his voice only loud enough for Matt to hear. "I remember all that well, them going through different phases of which parent they're more attached to." He added, Matt grinning softly as he glanced to Antonio, the firefighter feeling more relaxed now that he'd been focused on his family.
"Yeah, she definitely goes through that. Some days all she wants is me, other days it's Gabby. Then there's days it's the both of us." Matt replied, straightening out his back. "But she's been very clingy to Gabby since the thing at the firehouse happened… I think Sof can tell Gabby's upset."
"Babies usually can sense those things, yeah." Antonio breathed out, Matt giving him a nod.
"Ever since then, she's been really attached to Gabby. But Sof is always able to keep her grounded, and I think it helps Sofia, too… Usually when one of us is upset, or stressed, so is she, so I think it's good for both of them to be together as much as they can… For all three of us to be together." Casey responded quietly, earning a sympathetic nod from his brother in-law.
"I know all this has been so hard on you guys, Gabby especially," Antonio started, Matt's eyes moving towards his wife, finding her completely focused on their daughter, Sofia curled into her mom's chest as Gabby gently rocked back and forth on the couch, holding a pacifier to Sofia's mouth as she tried to soothe her back to sleep. "But this should be over soon. I'll do everything I can to make sure it is." He promised, Matt giving him an appreciative nod as Antonio reached out, gripping his forearm comfortingly.
"I know… we both do. Thanks Antonio."
"Anything for family." He replied without missing a beat, his words earning a small smile from Casey before he looked back towards his wife and daughter, his entire world, Matt trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut that finding this man wouldn't be so easy.
Gabby walked into the living room with a prepared bottle in her hand, flashing her friend a smile as she moved towards the couch, the paramedic handing off Sofia's meal to Jemma before she sat down.
"Thanks for feeding her." Gabby spoke, Jemma flashing her a bright smile before refocusing her attention on the baby in her arms, Sofia comfortably nestled against her body as Jemma brought the bottle full of food up to her lips, Sofia taking it eagerly.
"It's no problem." Jemma replied, holding up the bottle so Sofia could eat, the little girl's bright blue eyes focused on the woman holding her, Sofia pausing momentarily as she smiled, clearly excited by the attention she was getting from her Godmother. "She's an easy baby to feed."
"She definitely is." Gabby agreed, her eyes flashing down towards her daughter. Sofia had always eaten well, even with the struggles they had in the beginning with transitioning her to using a bottle half the time. Once she got used to it, she'd done tremendously well with feeding. And they hadn't had any issues since. "She loves to eat, which is good… After she was born, her being so small, I was worried about her getting enough food. But that's definitely not a concern anymore." She added lightly, Jemma nodding in agreement.
While Sofia was still technically small for her age, she'd grown a lot since she was born, which was all the parents could ask for. Along with her being premature, she definitely had Gabby's smaller stature, which Matt had admitted to her that he loved on more than one occasion. Even as she grew, Sofia was still a carbon copy of her mother, aside from her eyes and her slightly lighter skin tone, and Matt absolutely loved it.
"Have you guys started her on solids yet?" Jemma asked, pulling Gabby from her thoughts as she glanced back towards her friend, Dawson relaxing into the couch.
"No, not yet." She answered, her words earning a nod from Jemma. "She's still only on breastmilk right now, and, as far as I know, we're not really in any hurry to change that." Gabby explained. "We'll probably wait until she's a little older before we talk about it. She's doing well, and getting all the nutrients and everything she needs from just me, so I don't think either of us are in any rush… And with everything that's been going on lately-" Gabby cut herself off, a small frown tugging on Jemma's lips as she glanced at her friend. "There's been so much change around her already, with her being at the firehouse so often, and just all the back and forth that's been happening… I don't want to overwhelm her, and add something new into the mix when things are so crazy already." She breathed out, Jemma immediately giving her an understanding nod. "I don't know, maybe that's a stupid reason. I mean it's just food, but I feel like any change, no matter what it is, is a big change for her. And I don't want to stress her out."
"That's not stupid." Norris was quick to assure her, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip. "It makes a lot of sense to me. You all have had a lot going on, and, I mean, Sofia's still pretty young, like you said there's no reason to rush anything. I was just curious." She replied, Gabby giving her a soft nod, Jemma drawing in a slow breath before asking her next question. "...How has that been for you guys, anyway? Having Sofia on shift with you?"
"It's been good… The house, and Becca, have all been great in helping us, and being okay with having her around. I definitely think it's the best option for us… Or, well, it was, until that guy showed up…" She breathed out quietly, a look of sadness covering Norris' face.
Since this whole ordeal started, Jemma had done what she could to be supportive, and help her friends with this however she could. Which, up until recently, mostly meant from a distance. She'd check in with them, make sure they were holding up as well as they could, and she'd run some errands for them when needed, but aside from a few short visits she hadn't seen them all that much. And she was worried.
Though they hadn't seen each other that much, Gabby and Jemma did talk often on the phone, either through calls or Facetime, Jemma making sure to be available for her best friend whenever she could. And from the conversations they'd had, she knew Gabby wasn't doing well. She'd been struggling a lot, understandably so, but it was a hard thing to witness, seeing her close friend, her family, having such a hard time. And then after what happened the other evening at the firehouse, things had only gotten harder for the Casey's, Jemma feeling sick to her stomach the second she heard what had happened.
She knew Gabby wasn't handling things all that well, and it hurt her heart to see her strong friend so lost.
Jemma, more than most, had seen a lot of how Gabby had progressed since getting back from Puerto Rico. Though she didn't know her before, she had seen how the incident that happened over there affected her. There had been a lot of ups and downs with Gabby when they first met, and Jemma had witnessed a lot of when she just couldn't handle things. But she was also there to witness her moving past it. She had seen Gabby during that awful time in her life, and she saw her pull herself out of it. She saw her return to the strong and independent woman she was sure she'd been before leaving.
But now that woman was slowly fading away. The person Gabby had become once she'd moved on from her attack, that person was disappearing a little bit every day, and she was being replaced by the person Gabby had been when she came home. And it was a terrible feeling to see her friend like this, to see her retreat into that scared woman she'd been when they first met.
Jemma understood it, Gabby had every reason to be afraid, and Jemma would never fault her for it, but it was hard to see her so broken down. To see her unable to handle her own emotions. It was jarring to witness Gabby slowly losing more and more of herself the longer this went on, but Jemma knew what she was feeling was absolutely nothing compared to how difficult this was on Gabby.
Gabby, and Matt, were the ones experiencing this, but seeing what it had done to both of them was hard. Because they were both struggling with this, just, from what Jemma could tell, in different ways. While Gabby was more so afraid of this man, and what he could possibly do, Matt seemed more to just be angry. At first he was a little scared, Jemma could tell, but now, it appeared as if that fear had morphed into rage. A rage Jemma was sure he was trying to control. The Matt she'd seen now was a complete shift from the man she'd known for well over a year, and she couldn't help but find it a little unsettling.
But, regardless of them dealing with this in different ways, Jemma knew how impossible this had been on both of them. And all she knew to do was be here for them, and hope and pray this man would be found soon.
"You don't think it's a good idea to take her anymore?" Jemma asked for clarification, Gabby giving her a slight shrug.
"No, I do, I just- I don't know, I was hoping the firehouse would be a safe place. Especially with the extra cops Antonio assigned to watch the house while we're there, but then this guy just… He just walked right up the driveway. So I'm not sure if there's actually any safe place for us at all… The thought of taking Sofia there again right now… I don't know, I don't feel great about it. I don't think I could go there with her without constantly worrying." Gabby admitted. "The best way for me to deal with all this is by focusing on Sof, and taking care of her, and it's hard to do that there because I'm not with her all the time. And now, knowing that guy's already shown up there, I'm not sure I could go out on a call and leave her there... We were supposed to be back on shift yesterday, but we didn't go… I guess Matt's been talking to Boden, and they decided we'd take off, I don't know. But I didn't really fight it…"
"You don't wanna be there right now..." Jemma asked softly, but it wasn't really a question as much it was a statement, Gabby pursing her lips together before she responded.
"I-... It's not that, I just don't want to go anywhere. When we had to go to the police station yesterday, I almost-" She cut herself off, Jemma's heart sinking into her stomach as she listened to her friend. "I just didn't handle it very well. Being out, even at the damn police station, it's all so overwhelming… And until they find this guy, I don't think that feeling's gonna go away."
"They've got warrants out on him, right?" Jemma asked, thinking back to her and Dawson's conversation last night, when they had made their plans for her to come visit today, Gabby giving her a nod.
"They do. And Antonio says they've literally got like, every cop in the city looking for him. But, I don't know... He's evaded the police before. I feel like if he really wanted to do something, he'd be able to… So I just- I don't really feel safe anywhere right now." She spoke quietly, Jemma frowning as she glanced between her friend and the baby in her arms, Sofia still blissfully unaware of what was going on around her, the little girl solely focused on drinking her milk.
"I can't imagine what all this has been like, but you know I'm here for you… And you've got the entire firehouse, and Matt. And little Sof." She added, seeing a small smile form over Gabby's lips when she mentioned her husband and her baby. "Your brother won't stop until he gets this guy."
"I know he won't… And like, logically, I know we're probably not any safer here. That the firehouse is the better place for us to be anyway, but, I don't know… I just feel better being here at home. Where I know Matt and I won't have to leave Sofia for however long when we're out on a call. I'm sure that's not very rational…"
"What's best for you is what's important." Jemma interjected, Gabby catching her gaze. "What's best for you, and for Matt and Sofia, that's all that matters right now. It doesn't have to make sense to anyone else, because it's happening to you." She told her, Dawson's face softening as Jemma continued. "I know this hasn't been easy on you, that it's brought back up a lot of memories… So you handle this however you need to."
"Thanks Jemma." She murmured, the younger paramedic shooting her a warm, comforting smile. "Really, thank you… For everything you've done to help us, to help me, since all this started."
"That's what best friends, and Godmothers, are for." She responded, her words bringing a gentle smile to Gabby's face. "I'm always here for you guys, and hopefully here soon, this will all be over. And everything can start getting back to normal."
"Yeah… hopefully."
As those words left Dawson's mouth, they heard the front door open, Gabby turning around from the couch to catch a glimpse of her husband walking in through the door, Severide following close behind him.
"Hey baby." Matt called, placing his bag down by their coat closet before stepping further inside. "Hi Jemma."
"Hey Matt." Norris responded before looking back down to Sofia.
"Hi… Did you guys have fun?" Gabby asked, Matt nodding as he walked around beside the couch, leaning down to capture her lips in a quick kiss.
"We did… We both still suck at basketball, but we had a good time."
After missing shift yesterday, and everything that happened at the police station, Severide had decided to get Matt out of the apartment for a little bit. There were some logistics involved, them having to plan to get extra cops assigned to Matt while he went out, but they had managed to work it out, Matt and Kelly deciding to go to the gym.
Casey was reluctant to go at first, Matt not wanting to leave his wife or daughter, but when he found out Jemma was going to be here, he felt a little less hesitant. And Kelly had really pushed him to go with him.
With being cooped up more often than not, Severide figured it would be good for Casey to go and work off some of this pent up aggression he'd been holding onto, both of them getting a workout in before playing a friendly game of basketball at the indoor court the gym had. Although it ended up being not so friendly, the firefighters knowing they'd have some bruises popping up by tomorrow.
"What about you all, did you guys have fun?"
"Oh, absolutely. Just lots of cleaning up spit up and poop here." She responded, Matt chuckling before he kissed her again quickly. "You need a shower." She added, her nose scrunching up in disgust when the less than pleasant smell of her husband hit her nostrils.
"Man, that kid is gross." Severide spoke up, coming to sit down in the chair beside the couch, Gabby wearing a less than impressed look as she turned towards Kelly, Matt sitting down on the arm of the couch beside his wife.
"No more gross than you are, Kelly." Gabby responded, the Lieutenant raising his eyebrows.
"At least I can go to the bathroom by myself."
"She's not even five and a half months old." Dawson fired back, Severide holding his hands up in defense.
"Sev, you better be careful or she won't let you stay for dinner." Casey said with a grin, placing his hand on Gabby's back.
"You all know I love Sof." He said quickly, Gabby scoffing lightly as she shook her head, Matt biting back a smile. "I just don't love the lack of control over her bodily functions, but you know I'd die for the little nugget."
"Mhmm, I'm sure… You just want free dinner." Gabby joked back, Severide shaking his head as a chuckle escaped his lips, Matt's gaze moving back and forth between his wife and his best friend, the Captain just happy to see Gabby in better spirits. He knew she did best when she was able to keep her mind off things, and it seemed like having friends over was the perfect distraction to accomplish that.
"Well, I'll never say no to free dinner." Kelly replied before leaning back in the chair, sliding down until his neck was resting against the back of it. "Although Casey never even told me what we're having."
"I don't know yet, Kelly." Gabby responded, leaning into Matt's touch as he continued rubbing her back. "I wasn't expecting guests, but since you're here I'm sure I can find something.. Do you wanna stay, Jemma?" She offered, the woman looking up the baby in her arms.
"I'd love to, if you're sure it's not too much trouble." Jemma replied, not wanting to overcrowd the little family, but Dawson immediately shook her head.
"Of course not, we'd love to have you… And I mean, Kelly's already invited himself to stay anyway, you should, too." Gabby added teasingly, Severide huffing out a breath as Jemma responded with a laugh, the sound eliciting a smile from Sofia as well.
"Well, with an invitation like that, sure. I'll stay." Jemma replied with a grin.
"Good."
Dawson turned away from Jemma when she felt Matt tap her back gently, Gabby immediately finding her husband's gaze as he continued rubbing along her spine once he had her attention. "I'm gonna go shower real quick, then I can help you figure out dinner." He told her softly, Gabby giving him a nod. Her eyes followed his movements as he leaned down to press a quick kiss on her forehead before pushing himself up off the couch, Matt heading straight for the bedroom.
"How'd he do today?" Gabby asked quietly once he'd shut the door, tearing her eyes away from the bedroom door to look towards Severide, Kelly pursing his lips together as he sat up straight in the chair, thinking over his answer carefully.
"He did alright." He responded, Gabby nodding as she bit down on the inside of her lip. "He's definitely antsy, nervous almost, to be away from you guys. Though I get it." Severide continued. "But after we were there awhile, he definitely relaxed a little bit. I do think it was good for him, to get out and to burn off some of that nervous energy, but he worries." Kelly answered honestly, Gabby drawing in a deep breath.
"I know he does… But I appreciate you getting him out for a bit." Gabby replied, Severide giving her an immediate nod as she glanced back towards the bedroom. "...Do you guys mind to watch Sof for a second?"
"Of course not." Jemma replied, Severide agreeing seconds later, Gabby shooting them both an appreciative smile before she pushed herself up from the couch. She made sure to stay out of Sofia's line of sight, knowing if the baby saw her leaving she'd most likely start crying, Gabby quietly making her way towards the bedroom, opening up the door enough to slip through it before she closed it back into place.
She was met with an empty bedroom, Gabby hearing the water running in the bathroom as she began heading that direction, the paramedic seeing the clothes Matt had set out on the bed to change into once he'd cleaned up. As she came around the corner, Gabby immediately caught sight of her husband as she walked through the doorway, Matt standing just outside the open shower door, clad in his boxers as he waited for the water to get to his desired temperature.
Without saying a word, she continued into the room, Matt glancing over just in time for her to wrap her arms around his waist, confusion evident in his features as she hugged herself to him. But he gratefully accepted the hug nonetheless, Matt adjusting to wrap his arm around her, letting her head fall against his chest. Her arm was resting low on his waist, her hand gripping his hip, settled partially over the waistband of his boxers as the sound of the water running filled their ears.
"...You really do smell." She murmured after a few seconds, Matt chuckling softly as he rubbed along her side.
"You're the one hugging me." He responded, Gabby releasing a heavy breath as she stroked her thumb along his side, her fingers moving lightly over his scarred skin.
"I know." She replied, Matt smiling softly before he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "...I'm glad you and Kelly had a good time today."
"Me too." He agreed, extending his free arm out to feel the water, finding it to be exactly how he liked it. But he didn't make any moves to pull away from her just yet, Matt finding the contact comforting. "Did you hear anything from Antonio today?" He asked, his question earning a sigh from her before she shook her head slightly.
"No, nothing yet… Everything's the same as yesterday, as far as I know." She answered, Matt giving her a nod as he continued rubbing along her side. "But, hopefully we'll hear something soon." She added, Matt smiling softly before pressing another kiss against her head.
"Yeah, hopefully." He repeated, feeling Gabby take a deep breath before she slowly pulled away from his embrace, Matt raising his eyebrows as he caught her gaze.
"I'll let you shower now, I just wanted to come see you for a second." She told him, Matt rubbing his hand over her back before she completely pulled away from him.
"It's a shame we have company, or you could be joining me." He replied jokingly, Gabby narrowing her eyes in amusement as she bit back a scoff, the woman shaking her head.
"Mhmm… maybe some other time." She responded, reaching up to place her hand on his chest, Gabby's palm resting over his heart. "We'll be out there waiting for you." She told him, Matt nodding as he felt her tap her fingers against his chest, Gabby rubbing over the area before dropping her hand as quickly as she'd put it there, Casey missing her warmth instantly.
"I won't be too long." He said, Gabby giving him an understanding nod before she moved towards the door, Matt watching her as she left. "I love you." He called after her, stopping her path as she got to the doorway, Gabby turning around with a bright smile resting across her face, that sight alone enough to bring one to his lips, as well.
"I love you, too." She replied, shooting him a quick wink before disappearing around the corner, Matt shaking his head as he went back to getting ready for his shower, the man unable to wipe the goofy grin off his face.
Casey's eyes bounced around the apartment one last time before turning off the lights over the kitchen table, the main area of their home bathed in darkness aside from the dim light above the stove that they kept on at night, Matt stretching out his tired limbs as he continued into the bedroom. The image he saw in front of him when he walked in was enough to stop him in his tracks, Matt smiling softly when he took in the sight of Gabby feeding Sofia, the baby latched onto her mom as Gabby cradled her to her chest. Gabby's eyes were closed as she was relaxed back into the glider, keeping Sofia securely held in her arms, Matt able to see the baby was playing with the top of Gabby's shirt while she ate.
It was something he'd seen hundreds of times at this point, something he saw every single day, multiple times a day, but it was something that still amazed him every time. Getting to witness how incredible of a mother Gabby was, and seeing how she cared for and nourished their child, it was something that continuously made him fall even more in love with his wife. It was the quiet moments like this where he just felt incredibly grateful for his little family, and it was like every day he was finding new ways to love them more and more.
"All the doors and everything are locked." Matt spoke up as he continued into the room, Gabby opening her eyes as she turned her head towards him, his words earning a nod from her. "And the cops are still outside." He added, just as he did every night.
"Good." She murmured before glancing back down towards Sofia, Matt placing himself down on the footrest in front of his girls.
"She doing okay?"
"Mhmm… she's about to fall asleep." Gabby responded, stroking her thumb over Sofia's cheek, the tired baby slowly losing her latch as she fought off her exhaustion. "She'll probably be out here in a few minutes."
"Good. Cause I don't know about you, but I'm ready for bed." He replied, Gabby giving him an immediate nod in agreement.
"So am I. It was a long day." She breathed out, Matt reaching out to place his hands on her thighs, squeezing her legs gently. "But it was nice to have Kelly and Jemma here… I'm glad they stayed." She added, Matt responding with a soft smile.
Both of Sofia's Godparents had been here up until around an hour ago, the four of them enjoying a peaceful evening together as they ate dinner and then hung out for awhile, the company a nice distraction for the Caseys. But when Sofia began to get a little cranky, and it was clear how tired both Gabby and Matt were, Severide and Jemma pretty quickly excused themselves, their friends leaving for the night so they could begin the process of getting ready for bed.
"Yeah, I am too. It was nice to spend some time with them." He replied, watching as Gabby slowly pulled Sofia away from her chest. "Is she done?"
His question was met by a nod, Gabby adjusting her daughter's positioning while she fixed her shirt, Sofia beginning to fuss as she was pulled away from the comforting warmth of her mother.
"It's okay, Sof." Gabby murmured, quickly placing Sofia back against her, the baby cuddling into her chest as she gripped Gabby's shirt tightly in her little fists. "You're alright."
Matt watched on as Gabby soothed their daughter, Sofia's soft whimpers quietening down once she registered the feeling of her mom, Gabby rubbing over her head as she held onto their baby.
"Yeah, you'll feel better when you get some sleep… I think all of us will." She continued quietly, Gabby talking as much to Matt as she was to Sofia, her husband giving her legs another squeeze.
Just as he was about to respond, he was stopped when they heard a loud crash come from outside, Gabby's entire body going rigid as her head snapped towards the noise, Matt's eyebrows furrowing when he followed her gaze. They weren't exactly sure what was going on, but there was something happening outside, and it sounded like it was coming from the courtyard just outside their bedroom.
"...What was that?" Gabby asked, her unsteady voice barely audible as she instinctively held Sofia closer.
"I don't know." He replied quietly, doing what he could to remain steady despite the nerves he had rushing through his system, Matt knowing if he freaked out that would only make things harder on his wife. "I'll be right back."
"Matt, don't." She practically begged as he stood up, fear flooding her body as he moved towards the door.
"It's okay, I'm just gonna see what's going on." He assured her, Gabby's leg beginning to shake as he continued towards the door, Matt stopping to grab the bat they'd kept beside their bed since this all started, the firefighter gripping it tightly in his hands as he stepped out into the living room.
Gabby stayed frozen in her spot in the corner of the bedroom, blood pumping through her ears as she held tightly onto her baby, Sofia nearly asleep in her tense arms. She didn't know what was happening, or where Matt was, but she couldn't see anything from where she was sitting, every little noise keeping her on edge.
"...Matt?" She hesitantly called out, the silence around her unnerving.
She wasn't sure if her voice was loud enough to reach him, but he didn't say anything back, Gabby feeling a crushing weight on her chest when she heard what sounded like more chaos outside their apartment, her breaths becoming choppy as she shrunk in her chair, tears filling her eyes while panic caused her entire body to tremble.
"Matt?" She tried again, desperately trying to keep herself calm.
But her calls to Matt got no response. There was no noise other than what sounded like two people fighting outside, but even then that noise eventually disappeared, leaving Gabby in nothing but silence.
She heard nothing. Nothing but the rapid thumping of her heart racing in her chest.
Nothing until the sound of two gunshots going off broke that silence.