Hello! I'm back with the next update for you all, I really hope you like it. Thanks so much for reading! I can't wait to hear your thoughts!
Stay safe, everyone.
Chapter Ninety One
Dawson looked up towards the unfamiliar firehouse, her eyes watching as different firefighters and paramedics walked in and out of the garage, Gabby taking in her new surroundings quickly as she sat in her car.
Station 126 was nestled in between bigger buildings in the heart of Chicago, the short driveway leading up to four different garage doors, all the rigs sitting in their spots as small groups of firefighters were hanging around them. The two story building was a bit different than what she was used to, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before reaching for her phone, knowing she needed to get inside sooner rather than later if she didn't want to be late.
With her hand on the door handle, Gabby stopped her movements when she saw she had a few messages from her husband, a smile coming to her face before she even unlocked her phone, the woman taking a second to check what he said before she went in.
Swiping across his name, she quickly unlocked her phone, her smile widening when she was met by two messages from Matt, along with a picture. Her eyes were drawn to the photo first, Gabby clicking on the image of her husband and daughter together in the living room, Matt holding Sofia up against his body with their cheeks pressed together, a wide smile over both of their faces. Sofia was clearly a little distracted, one of the baby's hands pressed up against Matt's other cheek as if she'd been smacking him, but the photo made Gabby's heart swell in her chest, her smile growing as she took a moment to look at her family.
This morning when she left, she had to leave their apartment earlier than she normally would if she was just going to 51, the drive to 126 a little further than she was used to. Combining the extra distance, with her never having been here before, she'd ended up leaving their home about half an hour earlier than she would on a normal day as to not risk being late. But that promptness had caused her to miss out on some quality time with her daughter and husband, which was something she was definitely feeling a little sad about.
Releasing a soft sigh, Gabby clicked out of the photo, her eyes scanning over the message he'd sent with the picture first, seeing a quick little 'We're proud of you, Momma', followed by an unintelligible string of letters and numbers, telling Gabby that Matt had let Sofia send her own little message as well.
But the second message he'd sent, Gabby knew immediately this one was just from him, the paramedic biting down on her lip as she fought off her ever-growing smile.
'My girl's gonna kick some serious ass today. 126 is lucky to have you, and I can't wait to hear all about your day tomorrow morning. I'll check in with you later.. Stay safe out there. I love you baby.'
Running her tongue along the inside of her cheek, Gabby sent him a quick message back to let him know she'd gotten there safely, as she'd promised before leaving their home, as well as giving him the similar sentiment to stay safe, Gabby adding her own 'I love you' before hitting send. Knowing she really didn't have much time, she quickly got out of her car, Gabby grabbing her shift bag out of the backseat before locking up her vehicle and jogging across the street towards the firehouse.
The closer she got to the garage, the more she was able to hear the chatter from the different groups of firefighters, Gabby's eyes quickly scanning the two small packs of men before making her choice of which to approach, the paramedic straightening out her back as she walked up to them.
"Hey Radley, we get a new transfer or something?" One of the men spoke up before Gabby could even get to them, the man watching her closely as she walked up.
"What?" Another firefighter asked, the first man nodding towards her, the gesture gaining the attention of the entire circle as they all looked to her, Gabby not letting their gazes slow her progress towards them. Before she could even get a word out, the same firefighter, the one Gabby assumed to be Radley, looked her up and down, eyeing her attire before looking back to his group. "...Maybe Eddie finally kicked it, the man's older than dirt." He replied, earning some laughs from the other men around him.
"Nah, Eddie was here this morning, the old man was complaining about something with his wife… And I saw Jimmy, he was here early." The first man spoke again, his eyes moving up and down her body as well. But unlike Radley, Gabby could tell he wasn't just looking at how she was dressed, the man's gaze causing her eyes to narrow tightly. "What can I do for you sweetheart?"
"You can start by calling me Dawson." She replied instantly, her firm voice causing some of the men to laugh as the firefighter raised his eyebrows.
"Feisty." He muttered under his breath, Gabby stifling an eye roll before turning her attention to one of the other men.
"I'm Gabby Dawson, a paramedic with the CFD. I'm here to assist with your ambo." She told them, adjusting her bag over her shoulder as she saw a few knowing looks cover their faces. "So if one of you could point me in the direction of your Chief, or one of your paramedics."
"Ah yeah, Chief mentioned something about that, sorry honey- I mean Dawson." The first man corrected himself, a smug grin forming over his lips. "I'm Aaron Jones, but everyone calls me AJ. This here is Martin Carlson, Marty for short, and Leon Vasquez, goes by Lee. And that's Lieutenant Radley, runs our truck." He introduced her to the small group, Gabby giving them a polite smile.
"It's nice to meet you all." She replied cordially, seeing by their uniforms that they were all firefighters. "... Are either of your paramedics here?" She questioned, watching as AJ smirked before nodding.
"Hey Jimmy!" He shouted without taking his eyes off of Gabby, Dawson seeing movement out of the corner of her eye as she looked towards the ambo, watching as a man came around from the back. He looked to be maybe a little older than her, the man she assumed to be Jimmy immediately flashing her a warm smile when he saw her. "The girl coming to teach you and Eddie how to do your jobs is here… Don't let the wife see her, though... she might get jealous." He added with a wink, Gabby not bothering to stop her eye roll this time as she walked away from the group, hearing them chuckle as she went.
"Hey, you must be Gabriela Dawson." He spoke as they met up beside the rig, Gabby giving him a slight nod, the woman a little weary of him considering the greeting she'd just gotten from the firefighters. "Sorry about them… I'm James Neilson, the PIC here on ambo 96." He told her as they continued to the back of the rig, Dawson raising her eyebrows in question, the man immediately understanding her confusion. "Everyone here calls me Jimmy… Radley called me that my first day and it stuck, but I prefer James."
"Well, I'll call you James, then." She replied as she dropped her guard slightly, Gabby already feeling a little more relaxed around this man than the other first responders she'd just met. "And I usually just go by Gabby, or Dawson at work."
"It's nice to meet you, Dawson." He responded, shaking her hand just as they came to a stop at the back of the rig.
"You too."
"And, uh-"
"Jimmy!"
They were cut off by the sound of a rather loud voice filling the garage, both paramedics turning to see an older man stomping towards them, his heavy steps getting closer to them as Neilson took a step forward.
"What's up, Edwards?"
"Chief wanted to know if the new medic was here… Guessing by the looks of it, she is." He's gruff voice replied as he came to a stop a few feet from them, the man shooting an unimpressed look Dawson's way. From first glance, he definitely seemed to be one of the older paramedics she'd seen out in the field, Gabby guessing he was maybe older than Mouch, his narrow gaze focused on her for another second before he looked back to James. "He said to bring her by after breakfast, or whenever… Just sometime this morning." He spoke nonchalantly, the man not even bothering to look at Dawson again before he turned and walked away, Gabby raising her eyebrows slightly before looking back towards Neilson, watching as he took a deep breath before shaking his head.
"Sorry about him… My partner, Kenny Edwards-"
"Eddie, I'm assuming." She cut in lightly, James flashing her a soft smile before nodding. "...You all are big on nicknames around here."
"Yeah, our Chief, Chief Sommers, he loves them. I'm not sure why… But everyone has a nickname. I'm sure you'll have one before the day's over." He replied with a light chuckle, Gabby shaking her head slightly before glancing back towards the doors. "But Eddie, he's- he's definitely more of a traditionalist…" He spoke carefully, Gabby cocking her head to the side. "When it comes to the job, and how it's done. He doesn't like-"
"Women." She cut in knowingly, seeing the slight wince that covered Neilson's face. "He doesn't think women should be on the job, I get it… I get that vibe, from more than just him." She replied, glancing back towards the group of firefighters who'd greeted her when she got here.
"Yeah, uh, the entire house is kind of… set in their ways. So when we were told we had a new paramedic coming in to help us, well Eddie wasn't really happy." He told her, Gabby seeing the slight tension written across his face. "Chief and I both told him to make sure he treats you with respect… But he's definitely like some of the other guys here… I am sorry though, and I hope no one said anything to make you uncomfortable."
"It's fine, we're good. I've dealt with worse." She told him, seeing his eyebrows furrow slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Your house like this, too?" He questioned, Gabby immediately shaking her head.
"Oh, no- not at all. Everyone there is great… We've got four women in the house, and everyone's fine with it. It's not really anything that's a problem there. But I've just seen a lot of different houses during my years in the CFD… I know some aren't as progressive as others." She told him, James nodding in response.
"Well, I wish I could tell you this house was one of the better ones, but I don't wanna lie to you… I'm sorry, I feel like headquarters kind of threw you to the wolves here."
"You don't need to apologize, I can handle some insecure men." She replied lightly, her words causing James to chuckle as he gave her a knowing look.
"Well, that's good cause we've got a few of them around here… But I for one am glad to have you, Dawson. I'm hoping you can help Edwards and I out a little bit… Make things run better for the both of us."
"That's what I'm here for." She replied with a nod, Dawson sparing a quick glance down to her watch before looking back up at the paramedic. "So, do we need to go see him?" She questioned, Neilson tilting his head to the side slightly. "The Chief? Or do we need to wait until after morning briefings? I know that shift is about to start." She added, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion when she saw him laugh. "...What?"
"Nothing, it's nothing- just… this house is probably a lot different from what you're used to. Everything here is very… laid back, is a good way to describe it." He told her, Gabby mimicking his stance as she crossed her arms over her chest. "No one really cares about chain of command, or structure really. We don't do the whole morning meetings thing, not unless someone got in trouble, got hurt, or died." He spoke bluntly, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before nodding.
Dawson knew the job she was taking on was going to be one filled with challenges, that by going into new houses and having to adjust the way their paramedics operated, she was bound to be met by some resistance. But even after just a few minutes here, she could already tell Station 126 was going to be more of a challenge than she anticipated. It was one thing having to get two paramedics to conform to a new way of doing their job. But when that mentality was ingrained into the entire house, she knew that would automatically make things more difficult, Gabby taking a second to soak in just how different this place was from 51.
"But to answer your question, Eddie was right, we can really go see the Chief whenever. So I figured I'd give you the tour first, let you get the lay of the land, then we'd go see Sommers." He explained, Gabby pausing for a moment before giving him a nod in agreement, the woman stepping back so he could get the back doors of the rig closed before they headed towards the firehouse.
Dawson sat in the back of the rig, her eyes moving over the layout of 96's supplies before looking back down to the list in her hands. And just like most everything else here at Station 126, the way they had their ambo laid out didn't make a whole lot of sense.
In her short time at this firehouse, she'd already been able to tell why headquarters had assigned her here first, her four and a half hours on the job giving her a pretty clear understanding of some of the issues at this station. From a strictly professional standpoint alone, the way they ran their ambo had a lot of problems. Everything from how they stocked it, to how they worked together out on call, there were obvious issues that needed to be addressed.
In their two calls this morning, both non-emergent, Gabby had the chance to get a good feel of how ambulance 96 ran things. Since the men were able to handle things on their own, it had given Dawson the ability to stand back and observe how they worked together, Gabby needing to see them in action before she could try and help them improve. And even from just two outings, Gabby was already able to see some immediate problems they had, the most pressing of which seeming to be that Edwards didn't respect Neilson as his PIC. Gabby wasn't sure if it was his ego, if he wasn't able to accept having to listen to someone younger than him, or if he just sincerely didn't see the issue with not following James' lead. But whatever the reason, it didn't matter. It was something that had to change, and all she was focused on was how she could make that happen.
But luckily for her, even with the chain of command issue, their problems were nothing that couldn't be fixed, as long as she could get some cooperation from the paramedics. Which, with James, that wasn't anything she was worried about, Dawson having struck up a nice friendship with Neilson in their limited time together. But Edwards, however, she knew would be a different story.
In all her years on the job, or even on this planet, she wasn't sure if she had ever met anyone more set in their ways than him. And it didn't help that he clearly didn't trust, or respect, her. In their short time together at the house, and the calls they'd been on this morning, she could tell Eddie had no belief in her ability as a paramedic. And how he clearly had an issue with her being the person headquarters brought in to help fix things around her. Whether it was some offhand comment about her presence, or him joking to Neilson about how they needed to 'be on their best behavior around the girl', it was obvious this man didn't think very highly of her. Her presence alone, either out on calls or simply in the house, had the older man on edge. And from her quick interactions with the other first responders in this house, it seemed like most everybody else here felt the same way.
She couldn't pinpoint it exactly, and she was sure their dislike of her came from a few different reasons, but it was pretty obvious to her early on this place didn't like outsiders. How no one here, aside from James, and truck's candidate Parker, liked her being here in the capacity she was. Either they were staring her up and down like she was a piece of meat, or they were staring because they didn't seem too impressed with a woman in their firehouse. She could tell some were just annoyed by her presence, while others seemed too excited by the idea of finally having a woman around, and truthfully she couldn't decide which was worse.
But she didn't care. She wasn't brought in to be liked, she didn't come here to make friends and play nice. And she certainly didn't come here just to be ogled at. She was here to help this ambulance run more efficiently, and in turn, be better equipped to help the citizens of Chicago. That's what she was focused on, not how the men here were clearly stuck in the stone age.
Though if there had been one bright spot in all of this, it would have to be James. For as sexist and unprofessional as the rest of the house seemed to be, Neilson was the exact opposite. He'd been welcoming from the moment she got here, and had done his best to help her with whatever she needed. He'd given her the tour, as promised, before their first call of the day, and then taken her to meet the Chief when they'd found the time. Which, to James' credit, the man was exactly as he'd described; very laid back and not at all formal, which was a complete shift from what she was used to with Boden. But James had been very helpful and kind to her so far, he was a complete shift from everyone else. And while she felt grateful for that, she couldn't help but feel a little bad for him being stuck here with these people he clearly didn't get along with.
Buzzing in her pocket pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby biting back a smirk as she had a pretty good idea of who was calling her before she even looked at her phone, her suspicions proven correct when she grabbed the device and saw the familiar photo of Matt and their baby shining back at her, his contact written across the screen. Shaking her head in amusement, Gabby answered the call, putting the phone up to her ear as she released a soft breath.
"You lasted longer than I thought you would."
Her words elicited an immediate chuckle from her husband, the familiar sound causing her smile to widen as she leaned back against the wall, letting herself relax in her seat.
"What? You expected to be hearing from me sooner?" He asked, Gabby practically able to hear the smile on his face.
"I was expecting to hear from you about three hours ago, so yeah, I was... But I'd say you did pretty well." She teased, hearing the sound of his laugh fill her ears once more.
"Well, I tried my hardest… But I won't lie, I thought about calling you like five other times since this morning. And I probably would've caved in sooner had we not gotten called out." He admitted, Gabby biting down on her tongue as she shook her head. "So how's your day going? How's the house?"
Gabby drew in a slow breath as she thought over his question, the woman pursing her lips together, trying to figure out what to tell him.
"Gabby?" He questioned when he noticed her silence, Matt picking up on her hesitation instantly. "Is everything okay?" She could hear the worry in his voice, Gabby swallowing thickly before responding.
"Yeah, yeah I'm good…"
"What is it?" He pressed, moments like these reminding Gabby just how well her husband was able to read her, without even seeing her.
"It's nothing, just… this house has been a good reminder of how a lot of the CFD is still not as progressive as we'd like to think." She told him, resting her head back against the wall of the rig as she crossed her legs, Gabby hearing him intake a slow breath, but he had yet to say anything. "...Matt?"
"What happened?" He asked, Gabby hearing the tension in his voice as she shook her head.
"Nothing happened." She was quick to assure him, hearing him release a short breath on the other end of the line. "They're just being men."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning they're pigs… They don't have a single woman in this house, and I'm not sure they ever have, so me being here is an adjustment for them. One they're not really liking. But I'm fine." She told him, Gabby hearing nothing but his breathing as he remained quiet. "Babe…"
"They didn't do anything?" He questioned, his concern evident.
"No baby, they didn't."
"And you're not just telling me that so I don't come down there?" He asked her as soon as she finished speaking, Gabby cocking her head to the side.
"Matt… I love you, but you're being a bit overprotective." She told him softly, hearing him huff out a breath. "Trust me, if they had done anything, I wouldn't still be here… And I would've handled it myself." She added, Matt chuckling softly before he responded.
"Yeah, I don't doubt that for a second." He replied knowingly. "You've always been able to look out for yourself... But still, that doesn't mean you should have to deal with bullshit from these guys when you're just there to do your job. So if something does happen-"
"Then my husband is gonna come and beat them up, I know." She cut in teasingly, her words causing them both to laugh as Gabby placed her free hand in her lap.
"Well, as long as we're on the same page." He chuckled, Gabby rolling her eyes playfully as he continued. "But I am sorry the house isn't great, baby. I know how much you were looking forward to this." He told her, Dawson shrugging slightly despite the fact he couldn't see her.
"Eh, it's alright, I've dealt with worse. And I'm only gonna be at this house for a few shifts before moving to the next one… Plus it's not all bad. The PIC, James, is great."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, he's really nice." She continued, bouncing her leg up and down softly.
"What about the other paramedic?" Casey questioned, Gabby taking a deep breath before responding.
"Uh, yeah, he's kind of like the other guys in the house. He's older, pretty set in his ways… he doesn't seem to like change. But it's fine, James balances him out pretty well. But overall things are going alright." She replied, the sound of footsteps approaching gaining her attention as she turned to look out the back doors of the rig, seeing Neilson step into view, Gabby giving him a soft smile before gesturing towards her phone. "Hey babe? I gotta go."
"Alright, well-" Matt's words got cut off by the sound of the bells at 51 going off, Gabby faintly hearing them through her phone as they rattled off who all was needed. "Looks like I gotta go, too." He spoke back up again, Gabby hearing him shuffling around.
"Okay… I'll see you in the morning. Stay safe."
"I will. Love you, babe."
"Love you, too." She replied with a soft smile before pulling her phone away from her ear, Gabby ending the call as she looked up at Neilson. "Hey, sorry about that… Husband called." She told him, James waving her off as he stepped closer to the back of the rig, the paramedic perching his foot up on the back step.
"It's fine… What's your husband do?" He questioned, Gabby angling her body towards him, the smile on her face growing as she glanced down to the wedding band placed proudly around her finger.
"He's a firefighter, a Captain, over at 51 where I work." She explained, James nodding with a soft grin.
"I'm sure that's nice, getting to work together." He replied, Gabby nodding in agreement.
"It is. We love it." She told him, stretching her back out slightly. "But aside from firefighting, he also has a construction business that he does on the side."
"Construction?" James questioned almost immediately, Gabby noticing the way his ears perked up slightly.
"Mhmm… He's been doing it for forever. Pretty damn good at it, too." She boasted, watching as the man thought over her words. "Do you need some work done around your house, or something?" She questioned after a few moments of quiet, James slowly giving her a nod.
"Yeah, actually, I do… My wife's been on me about fixing up our back porch. She wanted it done before summer, but clearly that didn't happen." He spoke with a laugh, Gabby mimicking his look. "But I've been looking around for someone to do it, or to help me do it, but everyone I found was just way too expensive… I'm not sure how much he charges, or if I've looked into his business already…"
"Well, it's not really a big operation or anything, it's just him." Gabby replied with a grin. "But it's Casey Construction… Matt Casey, is my husband's name. I can mention it to him, and you all can talk and see what all you're wanting done. I'm sure you could work something out." She told him, watching as his smile widened before he nodded.
"That sounds great, yeah… I know it'll make my wife happy. She's been wanting to be able to let Patrick, our son, play around out there, but it's definitely not kid-friendly at the moment." He explained, Gabby giving him an understanding nod.
"How old's your son?" She questioned, not missing the way James' face lit up when she mentioned the boy.
"Just turned one." He replied proudly, Gabby's grin widening as Neilson fished around in his pocket, the man pulling out his phone and tapping the screen a few times before holding it out to her, showing her a photo of his little boy. From first glance alone, Gabby could definitely tell James and Patrick were related, Dawson not needing to see his mother to know that kid was all his dad.
"Oh, he's adorable." She replied brightly, James nodding in agreement.
"He is… I love that little guy." He breathed out, sparing another glance at the picture before looking back towards Dawson. "What about you? You and Matt have any children?" He questioned, the bright smile that immediately formed across Gabby's face answering his question before her words could. "Alright, lemme see a picture." He spoke lightly, Gabby smirking softly before reaching for her phone, going in search of a photo to show him, the woman picking a more recent one of her daughter and husband as she held it out for him to see.
"That's Sofia… And Matt." She added with a laugh, James smiling at the picture.
"You've got a cute kid, Dawson." He told her, Gabby nodding in agreement as she placed her phone back down in her lap. "How old is she?"
"Ten and a half months." She answered, James nodding as he shifted his positioning at the back of the rig. "She's… well, she's just like me. So she's a handful, but she's incredible."
"Yeah, unfortunately Patrick is a lot like me, too." He replied with a laugh, Gabby shaking her head with a soft smile covering her face. "But I can't imagine my life without him." James breathed out, Dawson giving him a knowing look.
"I understand exactly what you mean." She agreed, a soft smile forming over her face as she took a moment to think about her family, Gabby quickly snapping back into reality, finding James' eyes on her. "...What about your wife?" She questioned, watching as his eyebrows raised slightly. "What does she do?"
"Her name's Megan, she actually works at headquarters." James told her, Dawson's eyebrows furrowing in realization as her head cocked to the side.
"Wait- Megan Neilson? I think I know her." Gabby replied, James giving her a nod. "I met her, during one of my first meetings about this entire training program… She's the one who really got this all started, didn't she?"
"Uh, yeah, she did." He responded. "She actually told me about you before you got here, about what all you've accomplished within the department, and outside of it… She really talked you up." He joked, Gabby laughing softly
"Well, hopefully the real thing isn't too much of a disappointment." She spoke lightly, James shaking his head in amusement. "But is that how you two met? Through the department?" She questioned, Neilson nodding.
"Yeah, kind of… We actually met out on a call. She used to be a paramedic, but she got injured in the line of duty about two years ago." He explained, Gabby frowning softly before giving him an understanding nod. "She wasn't able to be out working anymore, so she got a job at headquarters."
"I'm sorry to hear that… I didn't get to spend too much time with her, but she seems great." Gabby replied, her words earning a soft smile from him. "And at least she's alright… Injuries on the job, unfortunately they're pretty common. But luckily she's okay."
"Yeah, that's kinda how we looked at it, too… The accident, her partner didn't make it." He told her, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she felt that dull pain creep back up in her chest, the same pain she felt every time she thought of Shay. "So, all things considered, she was very lucky. It was an adjustment, and sometimes still is, but she loves what she does." He continued, snapping Dawson from her thoughts of her late best friend as she gave him a knowing nod.
"That's great, I'm glad she's doing well." Gabby responded softly, the woman clearing her throat before shifting the subject. "So uh, since you'll be needing to talk to Matt, maybe we could all get together sometime?" She offered, James raising his eyebrows as a smile formed over his face. "We could let the kids play together, and you and Matt could figure out what all you need his help with with your home."
"That sounds great." He replied almost instantly, his excitement at the idea causing her smile to widen. "I'd love that, and I know Megan would, too."
"Good… We'll set something up sometime soon." She told him, the paramedic unable to respond as the bells rang out above them, signaling the entire house to an apartment fire, the new friends knowing the rest of their conversation would now have to wait.
Blowing out a tired breath, Gabby slid her key into the lock on the front door, the woman lazily turning it until she felt it give, Dawson pushing the door open and stepping into her warm and inviting home. The second she set foot inside their apartment, she could hear the familiar sound of Sofia's cartoons playing on the TV, Gabby vaguely hearing Matt's voice as well, the man singing along to the song being played loudly through the apartment. Placing her bag down on the ground, a content smile formed over her face as her husband came into view, Gabby seeing Matt perched on the couch with Sofia in his lap, the baby clearly loving his singing and being bounced by her father as she was clapping her hands wildly, her laughs combined with Matt's off-key voice filling Gabby's chest with warmth.
It was clear he hadn't heard her come in, Matt continuing to sing like he and Sofia were the only two in the room as she moved further into their home. When she came around the side of the couch, Casey abruptly stopped his singing as he turned to look at her, a sheepish look covering his face as Gabby shook her head in amusement, the baby's laughs morphing into squeals of excitement when she caught sight of her mother.
"...How long have you been home?" He asked with a hint of embarrassment in his voice, Matt turning down the volume on the TV while his wife walked the rest of the way towards them, Gabby's grin widening before she leaned down to press a soft kiss to the top of his head.
"Long enough to know your voice is getting a little better." She teased him, Gabby feeling Sofia grab onto her as she was bent over, the baby desperate to see her mom. "Hi baby, oh I missed you so much." She murmured, pressing a similar kiss to the top of her daughter's curly head before picking her up.
"Did you miss me so much, too?" Matt asked with a smug grin, an unimpressed look covering her face as she raised her eyebrows, the mother adjusting her baby in her arms as Sofia was pulling on the collar on her CFD shirt.
"Eh, I guess." She responded with a shrug, Casey shooting her a playful glare before Gabby sat down beside him on the couch, Matt's hands instinctively coming out to rest on her back to help guide her into her seat. "What time did you get home?" She asked, turning to her husband as she settled Sofia in her lap, the baby cuddling into her mother's chest.
"About half an hour ago… Becca said Sof slept well, she only woke up once. And she was eating when I got here. Said she didn't have any issues with the bottle at all, so hopefully Sof's past that." He relayed the information Becca had given him, Gabby nodding with a soft smile as she rubbed her hand up and down her daughter's back. "And then Sof and I were just waiting for you to get home… How'd the rest of your shift go?" He asked, Gabby seeing a nearly tense look in his eye; like he was expecting to hear something that he wouldn't like. But she merely shook her head, her soft eyes causing him to lose the slight frown on his face.
"It was fine, babe. Some of them started to come around to me being there, but even if they don't- my job isn't to worry about the firefighters. I'm more focused on fixing things within that ambo."
"Yeah, but didn't you say one of the guys on the rig acted the same way?" He pushed, Gabby pursing her lips together before nodding.
"He does, yeah… But he'll just have to get over it. He was doing a little better with the whole thing by the end of shift, but he's got a really superiority issue. I found out that Neilson kind of took, or was given, the title of PIC a few years back. But Edwards had it before him, so ever since then there's been problems with him letting Neilson be in charge." She explained, Matt giving her an understanding nod as he listened to her talk about her day. "He doesn't want to listen, to me or to James, but he's got to. I know he doesn't like me coming in and telling him things he already knows he's supposed to be doing, but I don't care. If he doesn't start following protocol, it's not gonna be my ass on the line when I turn in my report of this house."
Her snarky works brought a wide grin to his face, his eyes shining proudly as she tilted her head to the side.
"...What?" She asked with a laugh, Matt shaking his head slightly as a chuckle escaped his lips.
"I like when you get all assertive… it's hot." He replied shamelessly, Gabby rolling her eyes as the smile on her face grew wider, heat flooding her cheeks while a knowing look flashed across her features.
"Trust me, I know more than anyone how much you like that." She shot back, Matt ducking his head slightly before he cleared his throat, Gabby smirking proudly as she saw how much her few words had affected him.
"So, uh- your shift was alright?" He asked her again, obviously trying to change the subject as a soft laugh escaped her lips. "Nothing I need to know about?"
"No baby." She assured him, lifting her hand up to rub over his chest while her other one kept Sofia firmly secured against her. "Really, it was fine. It started off a little rough, and I don't think I'll be lifelong friends with most of them, but it was fine. I mostly just hung out with Neilson, and put people in their place when needed."
"That's my girl." He murmured, flashing her a proud wink as she settled back into the couch. "So, tell me about this James guy." He prompted, Gabby smiling softly as his arm came up to rest behind her along the back of the couch.
"He's great, a really nice guy. Great paramedic, too… I think you two are gonna get along great." She told him as Matt raised his eyebrows, not missing the phrasing his wife used.
"What do you mean? When am I gonna be seeing him?" He questioned, immediately seeing the shy smile that covered Gabby's face.
"...He needs some help with some renovations around his home." She replied softly, realization settling in across Casey's features.
"Ahh."
"Yeah, so when he found out you work in construction, I mentioned something about you two getting together and seeing if you could help him." She explained, Matt rubbing his hand along her shoulder. "But then that turned into all six of us getting together-"
"Six?" He questioned, his eyebrows knitting together in wonder as Gabby gave him a nod.
"Six. You, me, and Sof. James, his wife Megan, and his son Patrick." She elaborated, Matt nodding in understanding as Gabby continued. "His son is only a little older than Sofia, he just turned one, so we figured some playdates for the two of them might be good… And Megan, she works in the department. I've actually met her before, so James and I thought it would be good to all get together." She said, earning another nod from her husband. "Cause, you know, I never really thought about it, but you and I don't have a lot of friends…"
Matt scrunched his nose up at her words, his eyebrows furrowing as he opened his mouth to respond. "What? We have friends." He defended, Gabby cocking her head to the side. "Everyone at 51, and Jemma, and…" He trailed off, Matt racking his brain as he tried to think of other examples, but he was coming up empty, his hesitation causing a smug look to cover his wife's face.
"Exactly." She responded quickly, Matt shooting her a playful glare. "But even aside from everyone at 51, we don't have any friends that are married, with young kids like Sof. So when I learned more about him, I was thinking it'd be nice to all get together, see how well Patrick and Sof get along, and how well we all get along." She explained her reasoning, Casey nodding knowingly.
"Yeah, I'd never really thought about it that way, but I guess you're right… And it'll be nice for Sofia to have a little friend to play with." He agreed, sparing a quick glance down to his baby before looking back up to Gabby, flashing her a warm smile.
"I was thinking the same thing." She responded softly, Gabby feeling him squeeze her shoulder as she took a deep breath. "So what about you? How was 51?" She asked, adjusting Sofia so the baby was sitting upright in her lap facing her as Gabby held onto the little girl underneath her arms, gently starting to bounce her in her lap as she could feel Sofia getting a bit restless.
"It was good. Nothing too crazy going on… Everyone missed you, though." He told her as they locked gazes. "And it was a little weird… going to shift without you. And not having you with me throughout the day."
"You know, most people don't work with their spouses, and they do that every day." She replied with a teasing grin, Matt huffing out a breath before he adjusted his positioning on the couch to face his body towards her.
"I don't care about most people, all I know is I missed my wife." He told her with a soft grin, Gabby matching his look as he reached out to squeeze her thigh gently. "Those other people, they don't know what they're missing out on… I love getting to work with you."
"I love working with you too." She replied, eyeing him skeptically as he raised his eyebrows. "...You're awful sweet this morning." She added with narrow eyes, Matt giving her a slight shrug as he rested his head in his palm, his arm bent on the back of the couch. "What'd you do?"
"I didn't do anything." He responded with a laugh. "Just letting my wife know she was missed. I don't see a problem with that." He said, a wide grin covering his face as she cocked her head to the side.
"There's not… it's just usually when you're this nice out of nowhere, you've done something." She replied, reaching out towards the coffee table to grab one of Sofia's toys as the baby was squirming around in her lap.
"Nope, I'm innocent." He responded, putting his hands up in defense as if to help his argument, Gabby rolling her eyes at the childish action as a sly smile tugged on his lips. "...But, there are a few things I wanna talk to you about."
"There it is." She muttered, her narrow eyes focusing back on her husband as he immediately shook his head.
"No, it's nothing like that." He assured her with a chuckle, Gabby fighting off a smile as she bit the inside of her lip. "It's nothing bad, in fact one thing you're really gonna like."
"Mhmm… lay it on me, what'd you do?" She continued to tease him, Matt rolling his eyes before responding.
"Nothing babe, but I was just wondering what you were wanting to do about Tina?" He questioned, the smile on her face faltering slightly as she pursed her lips together. "It's been a couple weeks since we saw her, and I know she's expecting to hear from us, I just wasn't sure when you were wanting to go for a visit." He continued, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek. "I know you're pretty busy, with all this training stuff, so I figured we can just work around your schedule, see if we can find a day we could go and stop by."
Gabby gave him a slight nod before looking back down towards her daughter, the baby focused on the plush toy in her hands as Dawson thought over what he was asking her. She knew they needed to go visit Tina, that it was her idea to go and see her. But that was before she'd heard Matt's conversation with Severide about adoption… A conversation they had yet to talk about. And now the whole thing left her a little uneasy.
It wasn't even so much Tina herself. The woman had done a lot for them, she'd helped them as much as she could with the whole Louie situation, and Gabby knew it would be nice to spend some time catching up with her. Seeing Tina wasn't the issue, but it was more the idea of what Tina represented. And how Gabby still wasn't sure how she felt about Matt's eagerness to adopt. She hadn't had time to sit down and think about it, and they surely hadn't found the time to discuss it.
"Gabby?"
The sound of her name pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby's vision coming into focus as she looked towards Matt, seeing his eyes on her.
"You alright?"
"Sorry, yeah- I'm good.. I was just thinking." She replied, Matt giving her a slow nod, opening his mouth to respond but she cut him off before he could get a word out. "And that's fine, we can look over our schedules and figure out something." She told him, Matt watching her closely for a second.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, absolutely." She responded with a soft smile, Casey nodding slowly as his eyes bounced back and forth between his wife and daughter. "What was the second thing?" She continued, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip as he quickly tried to decide whether he should press her to find out what had caused her obvious shift in demeanor, or if he should just drop it for now. Deciding on the latter, he shot her a soft smile, Matt reaching out to place his hand on her arm, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she saw the grin on his face widen. "...What is it?"
"I got some good news yesterday." He told her, seeing her interest pique as she turned towards him slightly.
"What?" She asked, Matt grinning from ear to ear as he gave her arm a squeeze.
"Two weeks." He told her simply, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he gave her nothing else to go on.
"What?" She questioned, seeing the proud look in his eye. "Two weeks for what?"
"We close in two weeks."
Her eyes widened the second those words left his lips, a huge smile covering her face as she locked gazes with her husband, Matt's excitement growing when he saw how happy she was.
"Really?" She asked, Matt nodding quickly.
"Mhmm. Fourteen days from now, we'll have the keys to our new home." He told her as Gabby's smile widened, which he didn't think possible, before she leaned forward and placed a heavy, heated kiss to his lips, the mother being mindful of the baby in her grip as Matt pulled her closer.
"Oh my God." She spoke against him, Matt pressing another kiss to her lips before they pulled back, excitement radiating off both of them. "That makes me so happy." She murmured, Matt nodding in agreement as he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I know… Me too." He responded, stroking his thumb along her temple as he cradled the side of her head in his palm. "Two weeks and we'll have our dream home… You, me, and Sof."
Her eyes fell closed in contentment, Matt's chest flooding with warmth as he took in the joy written across her face, the man unable to stop himself from leaning forward to capture her lips in another kiss. The action caught her off guard, but she quickly recovered, Gabby reciprocating the gesture as they relaxed into one another, Matt bringing his free hand around to rest on Sofia's back, keeping all three of them close.
"I love you." She whispered against him, feeling his lips curl up into a smile before he kissed her again.
"I love you, too."
"So, you move in a week, huh?"
Gabby and Matt nodded eagerly at the woman across from them, the parents sitting in the same room they'd found themselves in multiple times before, Casey holding Sofia in his lap, his hand resting over her chest as he kept her back pressed into his stomach, making sure his daughter was securely within his hold.
"Yeah, here in about eight days, we get the keys and start moving in." Gabby responded brightly before looking towards Matt, finding her husband wearing a similar smile as he glanced at her.
"Well, you weren't kidding when you said I've missed a lot." Tina spoke with a laugh, the couple both nodding in agreement as an easy feeling settled around the room.
The Casey's had been here for a little over half an hour, both of them glad to finally have been able to make it to come visit her. It had taken a few days for them to find a time that worked for all three of them, with Gabby's busy training schedule, but lucky they'd been able to carve out some time this afternoon to catch up with each other, Gabby and Matt having given Tina an update as to what all had gone on since the last saw each other over two years ago. And though they'd definitely given her the toned down version of events, they were glad to be spending some time with the woman who'd been such a big part of their lives when they had Louie.
"But I'm glad to hear things are going so well for you all, and with Miss Sofia here." She continued brightly, Matt flashing her a warm smile. "I know how badly you all wanted to be parents, I'm happy everything's worked out."
"We are too." Matt responded, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the top of Sofia's little head as the baby was distracted by the toy in her hands.
"And, uh, speaking of, while I have you guys here…" Tina spoke up again, Gabby glancing at her as she saw the hesitation in the woman's eyes. "I know it's been awhile since we've spoken about him, and I'm not sure if you've kept in touch with Andre much, but I do still regularly check in on Louie." She told them, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek roughly as she felt Matt reach out to place a hand on her leg, keeping his other one firmly over Sofia's chest. "And he's doing amazingly well… He's happy, and he's healthy, surrounded by so many people who love him… I just wanted you all to know that." She told them, her voice soft as Gabby blinked back the tears beginning to well in her eyes at the thought of her son. "He's absolutely thriving, and that wouldn't have been possible if not for what you two did for him."
Matt squeezed her leg tightly, Gabby's eyes moving down towards the ground as she did what she could to keep her emotions in check.
"We're glad to hear that." Matt spoke up after a few heavy seconds, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip as she clasped her hands together tightly in her lap. "That's all we wanted for him… As hard as that was, we just want him to be okay."
"I know you do… And he is." She assured them, Gabby sucking in a deep breath as she slowly lifted her head back up, giving Tina a quick nod before she forced a weak smile, the woman shooting her a sympathetic look.
"So, um-" Matt spoke up again, clearing the emotion from his voice before continuing. "What about you?" He kept the conversation going, never removing his hand from Gabby's leg. "How are things here?" He questioned, Tina sighing softly as she placed her clasped hands on top of her desk.
"Well, unfortunately, things are about the same around here… Too many kids, not enough places for them to go." She replied sadly, Matt giving her a nod as a slight frown tugged on his lips. "The state has gotten a lot stricter about who can foster and adopt, and the paperwork has become a nightmare, too… creating more hoops that need to be jumped through before people can even foster children, let alone think of adopting. Which has, unfortunately, caused some people to look into other options, and we've got more kids than ever before." She explained, Gabby shaking her head sadly as she felt Matt give her leg another squeeze.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Casey replied, Tina giving him a sad nod. "That can't be easy."
"It hasn't been, but we're doing what we can… We have a lot of amazing kids just waiting for places to go, and we are placing a lot of them. It's just becoming more difficult." She explained, earning nods from the parents.
"I, uh-" Matt started, clearing his throat before continuing. "I understand if you can't say anything, I've just been a little curious since we saw you at the hospital, but um.. How's that little girl doing?" He questioned, Gabby's eyes snapping towards him once she'd registered his question. "I wasn't sure if she was there for anything serious, I was just wondering if she was alright."
Tina smiled softly before nodding, her eyes flashing back and forth between the couple. "She's doing okay." She replied softly, Matt giving her a nod. "Caitlyn, is her name… she's doing fine. She's, uh… she's actually an interesting situation." Tina began carefully, seeing the intrigued look on Casey's face. "We have a family who wants to adopt her… who are trying to adopt her, but like I said, they're working through a mess of red tape right now, and it'll probably be at least a few more weeks, if not upwards of a month, before she'll be able to go home with them." She explained, Matt nodding in understanding. "So Caitlyn, she's five years old, she's pretty much been getting bounced around places, until we can find somewhere a little more stable while she waits for her family. And we thought we'd found a good fit for her, but it ended up being more of a nightmare for the poor girl… The foster parents she'd been placed with… it wasn't a good situation. They had some other kids, and, well, I still don't have the full story, but she ended up falling down the stairs." A look of horror immediately covered both Matt and Gabby's faces, Tina shaking her head sadly. "That's why she was in the hospital, she had a few injuries from that."
"Oh my God." Gabby murmured, Matt shaking his head in disbelief.
"Yeah… I'm not sure if she was pushed, or if it was just an accident, but we had to remove her from the home. Obviously, she couldn't stay there, so we've got her back in a children's home for now."
"That's awful, is she doing okay?" Casey questioned, his concern evident.
"She is." Tina replied, Matt releasing a soft, relieved breath. "She's alright, thankfully. Aside from a mild concussion, and some bumps and bruises, she's okay."
"Good, that's good." Gabby replied, Matt agreeing with a nod.
"I'm glad she's alright, but that's just…" He trailed off, shaking his head sadly. "You don't know what's gonna happen to her?"
"No, we don't. Not while we're waiting for the paperwork to come through… we're just trying to find somewhere to place her for now." She told them, Tina glancing back and forth between them as she saw Matt nod. "But, uh… all of this, this issue with Caitlyn, is part of why I was so happy to hear from you guys." She started carefully, Gabby's entire body tensing as the words left her lips, Matt glancing to his wife when he felt her leg tighten underneath his touch. "Because, well- there's not really a good way to ask you all to consider this, but we've been trying desperately to find somewhere for her to go until this paperwork issue gets sorted out. Somewhere stable, especially with all she's gone through, and after running into you at the hospital… I can't help but keep thinking of you all." She told them, Gabby's breath getting caught in her throat as Matt was unable to tear his eyes from his wife, both of them knowing exactly what she was trying to ask them.
"I wasn't sure if it was something you all would be interested in, or willing to do, and I'm not trying to pressure you into this at all. I don't even know if it's appropriate for me to be asking you this, I'm just trying to think of anything I can to help this little girl… But would you all be open to the idea of fostering Caitlyn?"