Hello everyone! I hope you all have been doing well. I'm finally back with the next chapter for you all, thankfully.
I know I mentioned this in my update for If We Never Say Goodbye last week, but I'm sorry for not getting a new chapter of this story out to you all last Monday. I ended up not liking how the story was going and decided to delete the chapter, but I didn't have enough time to get the new one finished, so I just chose to wait until this week. I'm sorry about that, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. This one's certainly a little longer than normal, so I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you so much for reading. Stay safe, everyone xx
Chapter One Hundred and Twelve
"Yeah, no I'm glad you called…" Matt spoke into his phone as he sat on the couch in their living room, his attention torn between the person on the other end of the line, as well as his oldest daughter who was sitting on the ground playing with some of her toys. "It's fine, we'll talk then, [...] Yeah, all of us, we can have dinner and show you the new place. Catch up and everything." He continued, the man taking a deep breath as his eyes moved back to his daughter, knowing the woman he was talking to definitely was unaware of a lot of things happening in his life; the little girl in front of him being the most important one. But he didn't want to have this conversation over the phone, so he stayed vague in his words, Matt offering Caitlyn a small smile when she looked over to him. "Alright, that sounds good… I love you too, mom. See you then."
After a few more pleasantries, Matt hung up the call, the man releasing a soft breath as he tossed his phone down onto the coffee table. As he relaxed back into the couch, he looked at Caitlyn once more, the girl continuing to play by herself as her damp hair hung down off her shoulders. If Gabby had been the one to help her, he knew her hair would likely be back in a braid, or done someway to keep it out of her face while it dried, but since Casey was the one getting her ready for bed this evening while Gabby stayed upstairs with Sofia, he'd done well enough to get clothes on her before she came downstairs to play. Though, admittedly, he'd only managed to get her to put on her underwear and her CFD t-shirt before she took off for the stairs. And since it was warm enough in their home despite the cold air outside, he didn't bother trying to get her to put on the rest of her pajamas as the dad knew to pick his battles.
"Daddy, who was that?" Her voice hit his ears just as he heard movement coming from the steps, Matt looking over from Caitlyn to see Gabby walking down the steps with their baby in her arms. She flashed him a soft smile as she stepped down off the last step, Matt reciprocating the gesture before returning his attention to the five year old.
"That was my mom, baby." He replied, his words causing Gabby's ears to perk up as she set Sofia down on the ground beside Caitlyn, the baby dressed comfortably in a thick onesie as she was nearly ready for bed. Before he said another word, he met his wife's gaze, Matt giving her a soft nod. "Your grandmother, Nancy."
"Ohh." She replied before she returned her attention to her toys, Caitlyn soon holding out one of her dolls to Sofia as the one year old took it eagerly. Matt waited for a moment to see if she had any more questions, but it soon became clear that she had no follow up to that, Casey releasing another heavy breath as Gabby walked towards the couch.
"Your mom called?" She questioned, Matt giving her a nod as he lifted his arm up to rest along the back of the couch, Gabby sitting down beside him.
"She did… I just got off the phone with her." He told her, Gabby pausing for a moment before she nodded. "She finally called me back… It only took her a week." He added, Dawson picking up on a slight hint of annoyance in her husband's voice, one she couldn't say she was surprised to hear. Especially with how excited he'd been to tell her the news. But since Matt's call to his mother last week, this was the first they'd heard from her, meaning they hadn't had a chance to talk to her about what was going on in their lives.
It had been a couple weeks since they heard from Tina, and found out they were going to be able to go through with the adoption. And in that time, they'd continued sharing the great news of Caitlyn's adoption with everyone they were close to, granted there weren't that many people left to tell once the firehouse knew. Aside from their family, there was no one actively in their lives that they felt warranted a call, at least not right now, so they'd stuck to telling their immediate family.
And, for the most part, their reactions did not disappoint. Though Gabby's parents and her brother knew they were trying to adopt Caitlyn, when they'd had Ramon, Antonio, and Diego and Eva over for dinner and Caitlyn told them the great news, their reactions were like they had no idea this was happening at all. Ramon had nearly cried, the man so beyond happy for his daughter and her family, while Antonio and his kids had been equally thrilled as well, the older Dawson sibling having a similar reaction. And though Gabby hadn't exactly been expecting that, considering they both knew already, it had been a more than welcome response, and Caitlyn absolutely loved it. Antonio and Ramon were two of the people the little girl was most excited to tell, and she was so beyond happy with how that night had gone, Gabby remembering fondly how her daughter had spent most of the evening attached to Antonio's hip.
And telling her mother had been a similarly wonderful experience. Though it was a little harder because of the distance, and they had to tell her through Facetime, she'd still been just as excited for them, Camila already talking about making plans to come back to Chicago for a visit. Which, that alone had made them all excited, Gabby especially as she definitely missed seeing her mom. But not only that, it was important to her that Caitlyn have a relationship with her mother, even though she didn't live in Chicago.
But while telling Gabby's side of the family had gone better than they imagined, it hadn't exactly been the same for Matt.
They were able to tell Christie, but the woman was definitely surprised to hear the news as she had no idea Caitlyn was even back with them. And though she hadn't been as excited as Matt had hoped for, Gabby knew she was likely just shocked. She hadn't reacted badly, not at all, but the couple could tell she was confused, which had led to a somewhat lackluster reaction from her. And after seeing that, they were kind of glad they'd told her without Caitlyn there, as the five year old would've picked up on her confusion and assumed it meant something bad, and the last thing they wanted was Caitlyn being worried that their family wasn't happy for them. So in the end, it worked out for the best that they'd told her while the five year old was in school, and Gabby just hoped that the next time they saw her, the shock will have worn off by then and she'd be able to be a little more excited for them.
But with Christie's less than comforting reaction, that had made Matt even more eager to tell his mother, Gabby knowing he was desperately wanting some type of affirming response from his family. But with Nancy taking so long to get back to him, he had yet to get that, and Gabby knew he was feeling a bit discouraged by all of it.
It wasn't that he was jealous, as Gabby's family was as much his family too, but she knew he was having a little bit of a hard time with the fact that they'd gotten such great reactions from the Dawson's, and hadn't gotten that from the Casey's. Things between Matt and his family were always up and down, but this was a great thing, an incredible thing, and it was something they had been so excited to share with them. But so far, telling them hadn't gone as planned. And it was something that she knew bothered him, not because he wanted her side of the family to react any less, but he was hoping for more from his. But, unless his talk with his mother just now had gone well, she knew he hadn't gotten that. Though his demeanor wasn't giving her much to go off of.
"How is she doing?" Gabby finally asked, Matt drawing in a deep breath before shrugging.
"She sounded good." He responded softly as Gabby looked up at him. "We weren't able to catch up on much, we didn't talk for very long." He added, his words pretty much giving away the answer to her next question, though Dawson decided to ask it anyway.
"Did you tell her?"
He shook his head, Matt turning to look at her as well before bringing his arm down off the back of the couch to wrap around her shoulders. "No, I didn't… Didn't want to without you." Casey replied, Gabby smiling softly at him before she nodded. "But I also didn't tell her because, well she's gonna be in town next week."
Gabby's eyebrows raised slightly, her head tilting to the side as he rubbed his hand over her shoulder. "Really?"
"Mhmm. Her and Henry, seeing as how he's still in the picture," He spoke of his mother's boyfriend, Gabby scrunching up her nose slightly, "They're coming into town next week. She said she wanted to come and visit, so I figured we could tell her about Caitlyn then." He murmured, Gabby nodding slowly in response.
While Nancy knew they were fostering Caitlyn, she really hadn't heard much about the situation aside from they were going to take care of the five year old for a little while. As far as she knew, this was just temporary, and she hadn't been in the loop for much of this process, as Matt hadn't gotten into too much of what was going on in the few phone calls they did have. Which meant there was a lot to explain here, so part of him was glad they'd be able to have that conversation in person, though he could do without seeing her boyfriend.
He just hoped she'd have a better initial reaction than his sister did, especially considering Caitlyn would be with them when she found out.
"That sounds good, baby." She responded before she tucked her head down against his shoulder, Matt tightening his hold around her body as they cuddled on the couch. As they got closer, their eyes mostly stayed focused on their girls in front of them, Caitlyn and Sofia still playing easily as they all wound down for the night. "I'm sure she'll be happy for us." Gabby added, Matt smiling softly before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"Yeah, I'm sure she will be." He replied as he scratched her arm lightly. "Because I know I am." Matt told her, his gentle words causing her own smile to widen before she wrapped her arm around his torso, effectively pulling herself even closer to him.
"So you're happy, huh?" She questioned, though it was completely rhetorical as they both knew just how pleased Matt was with his life in this moment. But he nodded nonetheless, Gabby feeling him chuckle beneath her before he rested his cheek against the top of her head.
"You could say that." He responded teasingly, Gabby scoffing lightly as she pinched his side, the action causing him to laugh once more. "Hey, watch it." He scolded quietly, though his tone stayed the same as she gave his side another squeeze. "But no, to answer your question, I am very happy. The happiest I've ever been… And not just because I'm looking forward to that shower I was promised after the girls go to bed." He added, dropping his voice even further as he reminded Gabby of her words from earlier, the promise of a shower together coming after they'd gotten interrupted together a few hours prior.
In a rare moment of quiet this afternoon, where Sofia was napping and Caitlyn had, surprisingly, fallen asleep as well, Matt and Gabby's attempts at getting a break for themselves quickly turned into them wanting to make the most out of the time they had. But before they could get very far, Caitlyn had woken up and they'd had to put everything on pause, but not before Gabby had promised to make it up to him later.
Gabby raised her eyebrows, the woman lifting her head up off his shoulder before turning to face him, finding a proud gleam in his eye as he wore a sly smirk across his face. "Uh huh… Well, I'm not sure if you're looking forward to that shower as much as you're looking forward to what I'm gonna do once we're in there."
His eyes widened slightly at her bluntness as the words left her lips, Gabby matching his reaction with a soft chuckle as Matt glanced over towards the girls before looking back at his wife. "Gabriela Dawson…" He warned, the use of her name causing her grin to widen as he shook his head. "Our children are right there."
"You started it." She defended herself as she made herself comfortable back down against his shoulder, Matt scoffing in amusement as he faced forward once more, his gaze moving to his daughters just as Caitlyn handed another one of her toys to Sofia.
"You can be the pretty princess, too!" She spoke excitedly, Sofia dropping the toy in her hands and reaching for the one in front of her, a string of unintelligible words leaving the one years old lips. "Both our dolls are princesses!" She continued on, Caitlyn clearly having a great time playing with her sister despite the fact that Sofia didn't know much of what was going on, the baby waving the doll in her hand around while Caitlyn rested her chin down on the top of her knee as her foot was placing firmly on the ground.
"Da!" Sofia spoke as she waved the doll around in her hands, Caitlyn scrunching up her nose before a soft laugh escaped her lips.
"Yeah, doll!" She replied as the five year old knew exactly what she was saying, Matt and Gabby both watching their girls as they played together. "Can you say that, Sof?" She questioned, the one year old looking up at her. "Doll?"
"Da!" She repeated brightly as she lifted the toy up towards Caitlyn. And while she wasn't able to say the full word, Matt couldn't help but smile as she clearly knew the name for what was in her hands, the father feeling a sense of pride at just how smart his little girl was. "Da!"
"Well, that's close enough." Caitlyn replied with a laugh, the older girl holding her doll up as well as Sofia gave her a slobbery grin. "You will get it one day, I know you can." She encouraged before she went back to playing with her own toy, Sofia keeping her bright blue eyes on her.
"Yeah, I think Caitlyn's getting the big sister thing down." Gabby murmured, the sound of her voice gaining his attention as Matt was unable to fight off his smile, his eyes staying locked on his babies.
"Oh, absolutely." He responded with a soft laugh, Matt rubbing his hand up and down his wife's arm. As the girls continued to play, Casey spared a quick glance towards the clock on the wall, seeing it was getting close to the girls' bedtime. And if how much energy they still had was any indication, it would take them a while to get them to wind down.
"I guess we should probably start thinking about bed soon." Gabby spoke up, Casey smiling softly as it was like she could read his mind.
"Yeah, we should." He agreed, giving her arm a squeeze before he pulled away from her, Matt leaning forward on the couch. "Hey Caitlyn," He spoke a little louder, the five year old looking up towards her father when she heard her name. "I know you two are having fun, but it's getting close to bedtime, so why don't we start cleaning up our toys and then we can sit and cuddle before going to sleep."
The second he said those words, he could tell she was conflicted, because as much as Caitlyn loved her cuddles before bed, it was always a challenge to pull her away from her toys. But eventually she gave him a reluctant nod, the girl placing her dolls down on the ground.
"Okay Daddy." She replied, Matt giving her a small, encouraging smile before he pushed himself up off the couch, Gabby's hand running along his back as he went.
"Alright. How about you clean up your toys, and I'll help Sof with hers, yeah?" He suggested, Matt having done this enough to know that it worked better when he helped Sofia instead of Caitlyn. Because while the girls played very well together, when it came time for play time to end, Sofia sometimes mistook Caitlyn wanting to help her as the five year old trying to take her toys. And though it was something they were working on, Sofia understanding not only the concept of sharing, but the difference between taking her toys and it being the end of playtime, it was a slow process. And usually things went smoother when he or Gabby were the ones to help her put her things away.
"Okay." She repeated before she stood up off the ground, Caitlyn beginning to grab her toys and take them to their designated place in the bins in the corner of the room. As she was doing that, Matt began to help Sofia put her toys away, the father explaining the process to her as they went. And while they put everything away, he made sure to let Sofia do as much as she could, the parents knowing that not only did it help her learn how to clean up after herself, but it helped her understand that they weren't just simply taking her toys away from her.
Within a few minutes, both the girls had gotten their things put away, Caitlyn running towards the couch and practically launching herself up into Gabby's lap. The mother caught her with relative ease, Caitlyn cuddling into her side as Sofia waddled her way over to the couch as well, the younger girl doing what she could to pull herself up onto the furniture as she too wanted to be with her mom.
"Come here, baby." Gabby spoke softly as she leaned down to pick up the little girl, Sofia smiling brightly as she was lifted into her mother's arms.
"Mama."
"Hi sweetheart." She responded, pressing a kiss to the top of Sofia's curly haired head before she settled into her other side, both of her girls now curled up against her as they sat comfortably on the couch.
While Gabby had been getting them situated, Matt moving off towards the kitchen to get Sofia's bottle of milk that she always had before bed, as well as Caitlyn's sippy cup of water, the father completing the task easily before he began moving back towards the living room. A warm smile formed across his face when he saw the sight in front of him, the image of his three girls his favorite thing in the world as he walked to the couch. But he stopped along the way to turn off a few of the lights, Matt knowing it would be easy for them to calm down the darker it was.
"Here you go, Caity." He spoke as he handed her the sippy cup, the girl giving him a soft, appreciative thank you before he reached over them and handed Sofia her bottle. "And here you go, Sof." He added, Sofia's eyes lighting up when she noticed what her dad was holding, the baby reaching her chubby little hands up towards him.
"Baba!" She spoke excitedly before grabbing the bottle, Sofia relaxing back into her mother's side as she began drinking her milk, Gabby and Matt both smiling at her excitement before the latter sat down on the other side of Caitlyn.
"What are we gonna watch?" Caitlyn questioned as she leaned over to tuck herself into Matt's side, her head resting against his side as his arm was up on the back of the couch.
"Hmm, I'm not sure… Is there something you want to watch?" He asked back, the man looking up quick enough to give his wife a wink as they both knew exactly what Caitlyn was going to choose.
"Frozen!" She replied happily, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as that was easily their daughter's favorite movie, Caitlyn lifting her head enough to look up at her dad with hopeful eyes.
"I think we can do that." He responded with a small smile, Caitlyn bouncing in her seat enthusiastically before she returned to her previous position against his side. Bringing her knees up towards her chest, Caitlyn relaxed into her dad while she sipped on her water, Gabby bringing the movie up on the TV while she cuddled with Sofia. "But we're only gonna watch a little bit before bed time, alright?"
"Okay Daddy." Caitlyn answered as she leaned her head against his chest, Matt leaning down to press a kiss against the top of her head before he got comfortable himself, knowing they'd at least be here for a half hour or so before it was time to take the girls to bed.
And as the movie got started, with Sofia tucked into Gabby's side and Caitlyn curled up with Matt, both parents knew it wouldn't take too long for their girls to start to fade, the younger one especially. But they'd never complain about that as they knew it only made it that much easier to put them to bed. Drawing in a deep breath, Matt moved his hand down from the couch to squeeze Gabby's shoulder comfortingly before he continued down to wrap his arm around Caitlyn, the action bringing his daughter closer to him. With them all cuddled up on the couch, they focused on the movie in front of them while they continued to calm down for the evening, the parents relishing in this moment together as they loved to soak in as much time with their girls as they could.
Casey had his hands in his jacket pockets as he walked through the hallways of firehouse 51, the Captain having just pulled himself away from the abundance of paperwork he seemed to have lately as he decided to take a little break. As he turned the corner, Matt stretched out his neck while he noticed Severide walking out from the bathroom, the man giving him a small smile when Kelly saw him.
"Hey man." Casey greeted, Kelly nodding as he halted for a moment so Matt could catch up with him.
"Hey Case, how's the paperwork going?"
"Like you'd expect, slow." He replied with a shrug, his words earning a knowing look from his friend before they continued towards the main part of the firehouse. "Do you know if Dawson is back yet?"
"I don't think so. At least they weren't when I was out there." He responded, Matt nodding as they continued walking. "Why? Missing your wife already?" He asked teasingly, Casey shooting him a weak glare. "Don't give me that, it's a valid question… Though I think I already know the answer."
"Hilarious. But no, I was just gonna tell her that I'd ironed out the plans with my mom, if you must know."
"Oh yeah, Nancy's coming to town." Severide recalled, Matt giving him a nod as their steps slowed down once they got closer to the common room, knowing their conversation would likely be interrupted if they went in there with everyone else.
"She is… Well actually, she's already in town. Got here last night. Her and Henry." Casey breathed out, Kelly not missing the unimpressed look that covered his friend's face at the mention of Nancy's boyfriend.
"Can't forget about the boyfriend." Severide joked as Matt shot him another glare. "Though honestly I'm surprised he still is her boyfriend… no offense."
"None taken." Casey was quick to respond with a scoff. "Honestly, I am too. After meeting him, he doesn't… He's not really the person I thought my mom would wanna be with, but what do I know." He added, Severide clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he watched Matt.
"Yeah, from what all you told me, he didn't really seem great." Severide replied with a dry laugh, Matt shaking his head slightly.
"I'm not looking forward to seeing him again, no. But as long as he doesn't say anything ignorant to Gabby, or about Sofia, I can probably get through the day keeping things civil." Casey huffed out, Severide nodding as he reached out to clasp his friend's shoulder for a few seconds. "And, regardless of him, I am looking forward to getting to see my mom again. And for her to see the girls."
"I'm sure… How long has it been, anyway? I swear, everything just blurs together these days. Especially where the girls are concerned… It feels like just yesterday, Sof was only a few weeks old." Kelly spoke with a laugh, Matt slowly matching his grin.
"I know what you mean, everything's going by so fast. But it's been over a year since my mom was here." Casey responded, Severide's eyes widening slightly as Matt gave him a nod.
"Wow, it doesn't feel like it's been that long at all…"
"I know, it really doesn't. But Sof was still a baby when she came to visit… I mean, she still is a baby, but she was still basically a newborn. That's the last time she was here. So I'm glad she's finally visiting again." He breathed out as Severide gave him a knowing nod. "Cause aside from some photos and Facetime calls, she's never really seen Caitlyn. And with Sof, she'll pretty much be meeting her again cause it's been so long… So I just hope everything goes well."
"I'm sure it will." Severide was quick to assure him. "As long as Henry doesn't talk much." He added lightly, Casey releasing a soft scoff just as the double doors opened, Matt looking over to see the paramedics had finally returned from their call that sent them out of the house nearly two hours ago.
"Yeah, you're probably right about that." Matt replied, Kelly giving a quick nod to Brett and Foster as they walked into the common room, while a bundled up Gabby began to walk towards them once she noticed their presence. The soft smile on her face was welcoming, Dawson shoving her hands into her pockets as she came to stand in front of them.
"Hey guys."
"Dawson." Severide greeted, while Matt matched her smile.
"Hey babe. How was the call?" He questioned, Gabby shifting her weight back and forth on her feet as Severide began to head towards the garage, Kelly pausing to give Dawson's shoulder a squeeze before he walked away from them, leaving the spouses alone in the hallway.
"It was fine, nothing too bad. Just time consuming." She responded with a gentle smile, Matt's soft gaze tracing over her face before he nodded. "What about you, how have things been here?"
"Pretty quiet. This is the first time I've left my office." He replied, Gabby scrunching her nose up slightly as her head tilted to the side. "But I was actually coming to look for you…"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. I talked to my mom a little bit ago, we got the plans down for seeing her and Henry." He told her, Gabby nodding as she waited for him to continue. "She was wondering if we wanted to go out to eat somewhere, but I told her we'd just have them over for dinner." He began to explain, the look on his wife's face telling him he'd made the right choice. "With Caitlyn meeting them for the first time, in person at least, I figured she'd do better somewhere familiar. And you know how taking Sof out to eat is, that's always a toss up." He joked, Gabby chuckling softly before she nodded. "And plus I know my mom will want to see the house, so I just told her we'd make something, if that's alright with you."
"That's fine, babe." She responded softly as Matt gave her a nod. "You're right, I think it'll be easier on the girls if we stay home. I know she's gonna be here for a bit, so maybe we can go out to eat somewhere before she leaves, but I think for this we should do it at our house." She told him, Matt giving her a small smile in agreement as he heard the doors open once more. "And I'm sure between the two of us, we can figure out something to make for dinner-"
"Hey Dawson." Severide's voice interrupted them, Matt glancing towards the man who was standing in the doorway as Gabby turned back to face him, both Dawson and Casey noticing the uncertain look on his face.
"Yeah?" She questioned, unsure of why Kelly was back in here after he'd just left.
"Jemma's outside." He spoke quickly, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly as a look of confusion washed over her, the paramedic well aware that not only was her friend supposed to be on shift right now, but her showing up at the firehouse unannounced was certainly unusual. "She wants to talk to you. She, uh… She seems upset." He continued, Dawson's uncertainty morphing into concern as she took in his words. And she could tell Severide was a bit worried too, as Kelly and Jemma had become quite good friends since both becoming godparents.
Glancing towards Matt, she saw the same look of uneasiness in her husband's eyes as well, everyone clearly wanting to know what had caused Jemma to show up here the way she had. Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby nodded before she stepped away from Matt, the woman lightly feeling his hand rub over her back before she was out of reach. "Yeah, okay. Thanks Sev." She replied, Kelly giving her a nod as she walked towards him.
"I think she went back towards the ambo." He informed her, Gabby nodding as well.
"Let me know if you need anything." Matt spoke from his position by the wall, the man clearly concerned as well for their friend. But despite his worry, he knew that whatever was going on, Gabby was the only person Jemma needed right now, and he could be filled in later. Turning back towards him, Gabby gave him a soft, understanding nod before she followed Severide out into the garage.
The second she was outside, an involuntary shiver ran through her body at the abrupt change in temperature, Gabby adjusting the beanie on her head as the cold November air hit her. As Kelly continued back towards the squad table, Dawson walked through the maze of rigs towards the ambulance that had just been parked minutes prior, Gabby soon finding her friend as she got past 81 and saw Jemma pacing beside the ambo. Before a word was said, Gabby could already see what Severide had been talking about; something was definitely off with her best friend, Dawson breathing deeply as she continued towards her.
"Jemma…" She called when she got closer, the younger paramedic looking up when she heard her voice, Gabby immediately seeing the uncertainty written across her features. And that wasn't exactly comforting.
"Gabby, hey." She spoke up before Dawson could say anything more, Jemma slowing her pacing as Gabby came to a stop in front of her. "I'm, uh- I'm sorry for just stopping by like this, I know I should've called you to make sure it was alright, but I-" She cut herself off, shaking her head slightly as Gabby was getting a better understanding of just how unsettled she was.
"What's going on, Jemma?" She questioned, Gabby crossing her arms over her chest as her eyes flashed over her face. "Why aren't you at work, what-"
"I quit."
Dawson's eyes widened as she registered what she'd said, Jemma's words like a shock to the system as that had been the last thing she was expecting. "What?"
"I quit." She repeated, Gabby pursing her lips together before breathing in deeply, her eyebrows furrowed in question as she waited for more of an explanation. "I just- God, I quit. I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't work there anymore." She rambled out. "So I just quit."
Gabby gave her a nod, the woman running her tongue along her bottom lip as she digested her words, before finally speaking up. "Alright… Did something happen today specifically, or was it just everything?" She asked as Jemma leaned her weight back into the side of the rig. "I know you were thinking of leaving, but last I heard that's all it was…"
"It wasn't planned." She breathed out, Gabby giving her a nod as she saw Jemma's nervous energy slowly starting to leave her, at least for a moment. "I didn't plan it at all. I honestly hadn't even seriously thought about leaving, aside from like every now and then when things were especially difficult… But it wasn't planned at all." She told her, Gabby taking a step forward to standing beside her, her weight leaning into the side of the ambulance as well. "But I got there today, and it was just more the same bullshit it's been for months, and I… I didn't wanna deal with it anymore. So I just… I went to the Chief and I quit." She told her, Gabby nodding as she glanced over towards her, seeing the exact moment all of this started to sink in once more, Jemma's eyes widening slightly before she brought her hands up to cradle her face. "Oh God, I quit."
"Jemma-"
"What was I thinking?" She questioned rhetorically as she pushed herself up off the ambulance, Gabby sighing softly as Jemma continued pacing once more. "I have to have a job, I can't just quit. Jesus Christ, what did I just do? I can't-"
"Alright, take a breath." Gabby cut in as she stepped forward, placing her hands on the woman's shoulders to stop her movements. Now that Jemma had stopped pacing, Gabby finally got the chance to really look at her, and it didn't take long for Dawson to see that beneath everything else she was feeling right now, she was scared. For as level-headed as Jemma usually was, Gabby could tell this had freaked her out, and she couldn't say she blamed her. She'd just made a huge life decision, and made it rather hastily, and now she had to figure out what to do next. And in this moment, it was when Gabby was reminded of just how young Jemma actually was.
It was easy to forget sometimes, that Jemma was still just getting her life started, that she was still trying to figure things out. And Gabby remembered well just how hard that was when she was her age. She knew it wasn't easy, that there had been a lot of uncertainty at that point in her life. But all she could do now was try and help Jemma through this as she took a deep breath.
"I know you're kind of freaking out right now, and I get it. That's understandable." Dawson started as she gave her shoulders a squeeze, Gabby waiting for Jemma to take another deep breath before she continued. "It's okay that you're worried right now, but you'll figure it out. You just have to take a step back, and try and decide what you want to do next. And you know I'll be there to help you, every step of the way." She assured her, her words causing Jemma to smile softly before she nodded. "So, I know you're done with the SAS, but I'm assuming you still want to be a paramedic?"
"Absolutely." Jemma replied without hesitation, Gabby giving her a nod.
"Did you ever look into any other options?"
"I did before I joined the SAS… Other private companies, and then the CFD." She answered, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip as she dropped her hands from Jemma's shoulders, her mind racing as what felt like a hundred different thoughts were racing through her head. "...What?"
"Is that… Do you think that's something you would want to do?" She questioned, Jemma's head tilting to the side. "Working for the CFD."
Swallowing thickly, Jemma drew in a deep breath before she shrugged softly, the younger woman thinking over her question for a few seconds.
"I know the hours wouldn't be the same, and there might be a bit of a learning curve, but if it's something you think you might want to do… The CFD is a great place to work." She told her, Jemma smiling softly before she nodded. "And, obviously, there are some drawbacks. I'm pretty sure any place you work will have some, but, knowing you… I think you could be happy working for the CFD."
"Maybe, yeah… I don't know, this is all just so much. Nothing I was planning on having to deal with today." She breathed out, Gabby sensing she was still a little overwhelmed by the situation she'd put herself in.
"I know. And you don't have to figure this out right this second. You should take some time, and figure out what you really want to do… But if you do want to join the CFD, I could help you." She told her, Jemma catching her gaze before her eyebrows raised, Gabby giving her an encouraging nod. "I can make a few calls, talk to a few people at headquarters… because, admittedly, I know them all pretty well." She joked, her light words making Jemma smile. "But I could try and make sure you get placed somewhere great. You'd have to do some extra testing, the CFD is a little more extensive and demanding than ambo companies, but I could help you through it, and I think you'd be great at it."
"You do?" Jemma asked, Gabby giving her an immediate nod.
"Absolutely, you'd be an amazing paramedic here." She responded without a second thought. "And if you want, I could even set up a ride along with 61, let you get the feel of a shift, or two." She continued, Gabby sensing Jemma was definitely interested in the idea. "But this is all up to you, if you don't want to join the CFD, then forget what I said. I'm not trying to pressure you into anything. But if this is something you think you might be interested in, I can help you out… Or even if you want to do something entirely different, I'm still here to help you. Whatever you need from me, or Matt, you've got it."
Gabby barely finished getting the words out before Jemma wrapped her up in a tight hug, Dawson smiling softly before she reciprocated the action. They held onto each other for a few moments, Gabby feeling her relax in her grip as she rubbed her back gently. "Thank you, Gabby."
"You don't need to thank me." She replied, giving her a squeeze before they pulled back. "We'll figure this out, okay?" She told her, Jemma giving her a nod. "Matt's mom is in town right now, but how about here soon you come over and we can talk this through more."
"That sounds good." She responded, Gabby nodding in response before she looked back towards the firehouse, the older paramedic not wanting to stay out here in the cold much longer.
"Good… You wanna stay for a bit? I'm sure everyone would be glad to see you." Dawson spoke, Jemma drawing in a deep breath before shaking her head.
"No, that's okay. I, uh- I need to get going, I need to go talk to Marcus." She replied, a look of realization covering Gabby's face.
"Does he know?" She questioned, Jemma nodding softly.
"I called and told him as soon as I walked out… Though I was more of a mess then than I am now." She added lightly, Gabby giving her a sympathetic smile. "But he could tell I was freaked out."
"What'd he say?" Dawson asked, the younger woman chuckling softly.
"He said it was about time I left." She replied, her words earning a matching smile from Dawson.
"Well, he's right." She responded, Jemma nodding before she glanced out towards the driveway.
"Yeah, I think he was… But I'm gonna get out of here, and go think some of this through." She told her, Gabby nodding understandingly before Jemma brought her in for another hug. "But thank you, Gabby… Really, thank you."
Dawson merely nodded, the women holding onto each other for a few more seconds before they let go, both of them exchanging a few more goodbyes before Jemma left the garage and began heading for her car. Gabby watched her go as she stood in her spot for a few lingering seconds, the paramedic still trying to entirely wrap her mind around this now that she'd done what she could to help her friend. And once Jemma was out of sight Dawson decided to head back towards the doors, the woman not only wanting to get inside where it was warm, but she also knew she needed to fill in Matt on what had just happened, Gabby knowing her husband would want to know what was going on with their friend.
"So, any update on what Jemma's wanting to do?" Matt asked as he and Gabby stood in the kitchen, the couple getting the finishing touches ready on their dinner while the kids played in the living room. Gabby had just finished checking the food, their dinner of pot roast and veggies having just finished cooking, the woman leaving it in the oven to keep warm while the rice to go along with their meal was staying warm on the counter. As she'd been doing that, Matt was setting the table, the man focusing on his task while also keeping eyes on the girls. But with the Disney music playing on the TV, both Caitlyn and Sofia were more than content, giving the parents time to get ready for their guests.
Turning around, Gabby found her husband standing at the table, Matt placing Caitlyn's plastic plate and utensils down in front of her normal seat beside Sofia's highchair, his eyes moving back and forth from the table to her. They had talked about this a few times since Jemma unexpectedly showed up at the firehouse the other day, Matt having been told almost immediately what was going on. And he hadn't stopped checking in since, Matt just as concerned for Jemma as Gabby was. "No, I don't think so." She responded, Casey giving her a nod before he came over to grab Sofia's plate. "She and Marcus decided to take a few days and let her figure things out… And with his job, they'll be fine. Though I've told her if she needs any help, to let us know."
Casey nodded immediately as he walked back over to grab the plates for them and his parents. "Yeah, of course." He replied as he gave her a small smile. "I'm just glad she finally got out of there." He continued, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she caught his gaze, Matt seeing the questioning look in her eye. "I mean, I know you told me how frustrated she was, I hate the thought of her working somewhere she hates… And then after how they treated you when you were pregnant," He spoke, shaking his head in disgust as Gabby knew just how much that entire situation still bothered him. And she couldn't say she blamed him as she felt the same way. "I just don't like them, and it's clear they don't really care about their paramedics. I was glad when you got out of there, and I'm glad she's out, too."
"Yeah, I know you are." Gabby murmured, Matt giving her a soft smile before continuing on with her task. Though it was a hard thing to forget, Gabby never minded being reminded of just how protective her husband was over the people he cared about, her eyes following him as he moved through their home. "But since you're so glad, if Jemma does decide to come work in the CFD, you can help me make sure she gets into a good house." She spoke, Casey chuckling softly as he glanced back towards her once he'd set the stack of plates on the table. "Seeing as how you're a distinguished Captain and everything." She continued to tease, Matt shaking his head in amusement.
"Well, I don't know about all that, but you know I'll do anything I can to help her… CFD or not." He told her, Gabby nodded in agreement as she leaned her weight into the countertop. "And I'm sure wherever she goes, it'll be better than the SAS-"
Just as he finished speaking, the doorbell rang, Gabby and Matt both looking towards the sound that told them his mother had arrived. Caitlyn looked towards the door as well, the five year old knowing what that meant as she looked back towards her parents. "I'll get it, babe." Matt spoke as he began to walk towards the front door, Gabby walking out of the kitchen as Caitlyn stood up as well.
Her bright brown eyes bounced back and forth from her dad to her mom, Gabby giving her a comforting smile as she came to stand beside her daughter. She knew Caitlyn was a little anxious to meet her grandmother in person, as the little girl was worried about Nancy liking her. Because even though they'd spoken a few times, Caitlyn hardly knew her, and every time she met new people, she still felt some lingering nerves.
"It's okay, baby. They're gonna be so excited to meet you." Gabby murmured as she ran her hand through her blonde hair, Caitlyn smiling up at her before she nodded. As Matt got to the door, Gabby picked Sofia up off the ground, the baby whining for a moment as she was pulled away from her toys. But once she was settled on her mother's hip she didn't seem to mind, Sofia smiling up at her mom as she grabbed onto her shirt, the baby babbling away.
Drawing in a deep breath, Matt glanced back towards his girls before he unlocked the front door and pulled it open, the man being met with two people he hadn't seen in person in over a year as Nancy smiled brightly the second she saw him.
"Oh Matthew, hi sweetheart." Nancy spoke excitedly before stepping forward to bring him in for a hug, Matt reciprocating the action as he rubbed up and down over her back.
"Hi mom." He greeted as they pulled away, Matt stepping back so she had room to walk inside. "Hey Henry." He spoke to the older man, Henry giving him a warm smile before shaking his hand.
"Hello son." Henry replied, the two dropping hands before they all walked in.
"Wow Matthew, the place looks beautiful… We love the neighborhood, weren't we talking about that on the drive, honey?" Nancy spoke as she took off her coat, Matt fighting off a grimace as she used her pet name for her boyfriend, Gabby biting back at smirk as she saw how uncomfortable her husband was.
"We sure did." He agreed.
"Here Mom, I can take that." Matt spoke as he took her coat and hung it up, Nancy giving him a grateful smile before he did the same for Henry as well. "And yeah, we do love it here. We're thankful to have the home we do." He added as Nancy walked further in, the older Casey finally looking towards the other three people in the room as a welcoming smile formed over her face.
"Hi Nancy." Gabby greeted as she adjusted Sofia's weight on her hip, her other arm wrapped around Caitlyn's shoulders. The older woman smiled brightly as she took a few steps closer, her eyes moving back and forth between the two girls.
"Hi Gabby… It's great to see you again, all of you." She replied, Gabby giving her a small smile before nodding. As Nancy came to a stop in front of them, Caitlyn's nervous eyes darted between her and the man coming up behind her, the five year old tucking herself closer into her mother's side as she was now practically hiding behind her. "Sofia's gotten so big." She spoke first, Gabby bouncing the baby on her hip as the one year old looked around to the other people in the room.
"Yeah, she's definitely growing up." Gabby replied before looking down towards her youngest daughter. "Can you say hi, Sof?" She encouraged, the sound of her voice gaining Sofia's attention. "Can you say hi to your Grandma Nancy? Can you say hi?"
It always took some repeating for the baby to understand what was being said to her, but eventually her little brain grasped the concept, Sofia moving her fingers up and down as she waved.
"Hi." The word was a little broken as it left her lips, and sounded more like 'ha' than anything else. But they were proud of her nonetheless, Sofia becoming more and more vocal with every passing day. "Hi."
"Hi sweetheart." Nancy spoke as she reached out to rub her arm, the baby leaning a bit into her mother as she was around the woman she didn't remember. But the smile never left the one year old's face, Sofia seemingly doing fine around Nancy and her boyfriend. After spending a few seconds focused on Sofia, Nancy turned her attention to the older girl, a small grin forming over her face as they locked eyes. "And it's great to finally meet you, Caitlyn."
The girl moved a bit more behind Gabby before she nodded, Caitlyn clearly a little unsure of the new people she was around. But despite that, she gave her a small smile, her eyes focused on Nancy and not so much on the man she didn't know. "Hi." She spoke softly, her uncertainness evident to everyone in the room.
"I know we've spoken some over the phone, but I'm glad to meet you in person. Do you remember some of our phone calls?" She prompted, Nancy doing what she could to get the little girl to warm up to her a bit as she was still practically hiding behind Gabby.
"Mhmm." She hummed, even though they'd only spoken a handful of times, and not so much recently. As they stood there, Matt walked around to his family, Caitlyn watching as he came up behind them and stood on her other side. And the second he came to a stop, Caitlyn turned out of Gabby's side and faced him, the five year old holding her arms up in front of him, signaling she wanted to be picked up. To which Casey complied immediately, the father picking his little girl up and settling her on his hip, her arms wrapping around his neck as she immediately began to feel a little more at ease in his arms.
"Well, we're happy you all were able to come by." Matt spoke up, Nancy keeping her eyes on him and the five year old as she was beginning to understand just how strong of a bond Caitlyn had with them. "Would you all like a tour of the place?"
"Absolutely." Nancy responded, Matt giving her a soft nod before glancing towards Gabby.
"I'll stay here with Sof, keep an eye on dinner." She told him, Matt giving her a thankful nod before he moved his eyes down towards Caitlyn, the little girl already looking at him
"What do you say, Caity, wanna help me give a tour?" He suggested, tapping his hand against the outside of her leg. "You can show them your room, and all your toys." Matt prompted, Caitlyn smiling softly before she nodded.
"Okay Daddy."
The second those words left the child's lips, Nancy's eyes widened, the woman stunned as Gabby and Matt shared a knowing look. While this wasn't exactly how they'd planned on bringing up this conversation, this way was as good as any as Caitlyn looked around, clearly noticing the change in the air while Nancy looked between the married couple.
"Dad?" She questioned, her voice a little unsure as Matt smiled brightly, Nancy seeing the happiness radiating off of him. "You're- You're her dad?"
Drawing in a deep breath, Matt and Gabby both nodded, neither of them able to hide the excitement in their features before Casey spoke up.
"That's what I was calling to talk to you about… We wanted to tell you that, Gabby and I, we're in the process of adopting Caitlyn." Matt spoke, feeling the little girl squeeze his neck slightly as he spoke.
"Wow…" Nancy breathed out, Matt watching her closely as he saw just how surprised she was. "I… Wow, I wasn't expecting this at all." She continued, Gabby's face falling slightly as she knew this wasn't exactly the type of reaction Matt was hoping for. But it was like in that moment, Nancy's shock began to face, the woman smiling wide as she looked between them. "This is just- This is absolutely incredible, I'm so happy for you all!" She spoke excitedly, Nancy stepping forward to hug her son tightly. She was mindful of the girl in his arms, but Matt hugged her back with his free arm, Gabby grinning from ear to ear as she saw the way her husband's face lit up.
"Thanks mom." He murmured, giving her a slight squeeze before she pulled back, Nancy immediately moving to hug Gabby as well.
"Thank you, Nancy." Dawson replied, the woman hugging her tightly before they pulled apart.
"I didn't even realize this was something you all were trying to do," She continued as she looked at them, Henry taking a step forward as well. "I just always thought this was temporary… But it's amazing, I'm so happy for you guys." She repeated her earlier words, Matt nodding in response.
"Yeah, it, uh- we weren't really expecting it either for a while. We can explain more of later, but we're pretty far along with all this… We were keeping it to ourselves for a while, until we knew for sure, but we're working on adopting her."
"Well, I think that's great son." Henry spoke up as he came to place his hand on Nancy's shoulder, Matt giving him a small smile. "I remember when Nancy first showed me one of the pictures you sent of the girls, how I thought 'Now she looks like a Casey'."
Gabby's eyebrows furrowed as she took in his words, something about what he'd said leaving her with a weird feeling as she glanced at Matt, not missing the way his face hardened. Clearly, Matt was a little unsure of what he meant, too. But before they could question it, Nancy spoke up again.
"This truly is a great thing, honey." She repeated, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded, moving his attention away from Henry towards his mom. "And I can't wait to hear all about it."
He gave her a nod before looking back towards his wife, Gabby glancing back towards the kitchen before finding his gaze once more. "Why don't you all go ahead and do the tour, I'll get things finished here."
Casey decided to follow Gabby's suggestion, the man beginning to lead his mom and Henry around their home with Caitlyn still perched on his hip, while Gabby stayed downstairs to get dinner set out. While she worked, Sofia kept herself busy with the toys she'd been taken from earlier, until they'd eventually finished their tour. And once they all were back downstairs, it didn't take long for them to get into dinner.
Their meal together went smoothly enough, the family spending their time catching up with each other as it had been a long time since they'd been able to sit down and talk. And, admittedly, the evening continued on rather easily as Henry had mostly stayed quiet. But regardless, things went well, Matt and Gabby filling Nancy in on everything that had been going on in their lives as of late, as well as explaining some of how they ended up adopting Caitlyn. Though with the little girl present, they tried to keep everything as vague as possible, neither parent wanting to bring up any bad memories for their daughter.
But everything had been going well, Caitlyn even warming up to both of them as well as the night wore on. It took her some time, but she was clearly feeling more comfortable with them around. And by the time they'd finished dinner, Caitlyn was talking with Nancy like she'd been in her life forever, the five year old beyond thrilled to have another person to tell about her day at school.
As things began winding down for the evening, Gabby was in the kitchen cleaning up the last of their dishes, while Matt had stepped away from assisting her a few minutes prior to help Caitlyn in the bathroom when she'd called for him, as there apparently hadn't been any more soap for her to wash her hands. And once he and his daughter had left the bathroom, he saw Gabby had finished up already, the kitchen near spotless as she was sitting in the living room with his mom and Henry, Caitlyn running back towards her toys she'd left behind while Sofia was playing with a car on the ground.
"Hi sweetheart." Nancy spoke up from her seat on the far end of the couch, Henry sitting in the chair next to them while Gabby was sitting beside her.
"Hey." He greeted as he sat down beside his wife, Matt sparing another glance to his girls as they played happily on their own a few feet from them. "What were we talking about?" He asked as he knew he'd come back in mid-conversation, Nancy giving him a small smile before responding.
"I was asking Gabby more about all of this… With Caitlyn." She replied softly, Matt nodding understandingly. "I was wondering what your alls next steps are here, with the adoption and everything."
"Well, right now we're kind of just waiting." He replied, Nancy raising her eyebrows slightly as she waited for more of an explanation. "We've gone to court, went in front of a judge to get the official sign off… We did that a few days after we heard from Tina, Caitlyn's social worker," He spoke in as much detail as he could, "and that went great. It was a little nerve wracking, but it was fine. He signed off on everything, and we're set to adopt her, we just have to get through the mandatory waiting period before we can legally become her parents."
"What for?" Henry asked, Matt glancing towards him. "What's the waiting for?"
"To make sure our home is the right fit for her." Casey answered, earning nods from both his mother and Henry. "It's kind of like one last checkpoint in all of this, to find out if there are any issues that wouldn't make this home suitable for her. Like if there are any issues that come up, the courts and everyone know before she's legally ours… It's to protect Caitlyn." He elaborated, seeing the looks of understanding he was getting from the both of them. "But she's been with us for a long time, and there's been nothing that's come up that would make this place unsuitable for her… So once we get through this, she'll officially be our daughter."
Nancy smiled softly when she saw the happy look on her son's face, one that was mimicked by Gabby as the woman leaned into his side slightly. "That's really great, dear." She replied, Matt giving her a nod. "I'm not sure what all led to this decision, but I'm glad this is happening… Caitlyn couldn't ask for better parents."
"Thanks mom." He responded, his eyes flashing towards his oldest daughter before he breathed in deeply. "And it, uh… It's been a long road, we went through a lot, us and Caitlyn both. And for a while, we didn't think this was even possible. But then things changed, and Gabby and I just knew… We knew she belonged with us." He breathed out, Nancy smiling brightly as her eyes shined up at her son. "And it's been hard. There's been a lot of difficult moments to get where we are, a lot of ups and downs, but it was all worth it. More than worth it."
"Absolutely." Gabby echoed as Nancy gave them a strong nod. "Caitlyn, she's… She's amazing. She's the most incredible little girl."
"She just got dealt a bad hand." Matt continued, Nancy and Henry both listening to their every word. "But we're all moving forward, together."
"That's wonderful, honey." Nancy replied, Matt nodding with a soft smile. "I know I didn't know too much about her, but after tonight, seeing her with you all… You all are a family. She belongs with you all."
His mom's words hung in the air around them, Nancy slowly steering their conversation in another direction as she asked Gabby about work. But Matt tuned them out as he looked back towards his girls, his babies playing happily together like they were the only two in the room. And though he already knew it, what his mom said was completely true; they were a family. Gabby, Sofia, and Caitlyn were his family, and he couldn't be happier.
He had his family, he had his girls, and that was all he needed.
They were all he'd ever need.