Hello everyone, and happy Monday. I hope you all are doing well, and that you have a great week ahead. And hopefully you all enjoy this chapter, I really like it a lot. I've got some more fun Casey family moments for you all, which who doesn't love that?
But thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoy. Stay safe, everyone.
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty
Casey rubbed his hand gently up and down his youngest daughter's back as they all sat around the fireplace in Ramon's living room, the gentle conversation around them helping keep Sofia asleep as she'd been curled up in her dad's lap for the better part of the last hour. With her head resting against his chest, her body was angled towards Gabby who was sitting on the couch beside them, the baby's little legs hanging off his lap as she was curled into him, Sofia seemingly completely content to sleep up against her father while everyone else enjoyed the rest of the holiday evening together.
It was currently Christmas Eve in Chicago, and the entire Dawson clan, along with the Casey family, were chatting away in Ramon's apartment, the family sitting together happily as they'd spent the evening going through some of the Dawson family traditions for the holiday, Matt and Gabby both just glad they were here to enjoy it with everyone. By some stroke of luck, they had been scheduled off of work on both Christmas Eve and Christmas; and with this being Caitlyn's first Christmas with them, they were beyond grateful to get to experience the holiday with both of their girls.
And part of experiencing this holiday meant going to the service at church with their family, before coming back to eat dinner with everyone. So that's exactly what they'd done.
The Casey family, along with Ramon, Antonio and his kids, and Camila, who'd gotten into town yesterday morning, had all gone to their church for the Christmas Eve service, just like the Dawson's had done every year growing up. And Caitlyn absolutely loved it.
They weren't sure what to expect from their oldest when it came to going to the service, but the second they told her about it and what it meant, she had been so excited for the whole thing, and that elation had only continued to grow all day before they'd gone. Not only was she very intrigued by the idea of it, but she was also beyond excited to get dressed up for it, as there were only a few things she loved more than getting to put on her 'fancy dresses', as she called them. So she had been ecstatic for that, and she was even more happy when she found out her and Sofia would be matching.
It was Gabby's idea, to put their girls in matching outfits for the holiday, and despite Matt not having much input in the idea, the second he saw them together he was so glad Gabby had made the decision, as his girls looked absolutely adorable in their red Christmas dresses and black tights, their hair even matching as Gabby had curled Caitlyn's blonde locks, and tamed Sofia's curly head of hair as well, along with putting identical bows in.
To put it simply, they were incredibly cute, and it was just one of the many things Caitlyn had loved about tonight, as she enjoyed the service just as much as the lead up to it.
It wasn't something Matt or Gabby did often, at least not recently, so Caitlyn hadn't had too much exposure to it, but she'd had a lot of fun. And once that was over, they'd come back to Ramon's for a nice Christmas Eve dinner, because while they'd planned on seeing everyone tomorrow as well, with Camila only being in town for a short amount of time, and Diego and Eva spending Christmas Day with their mom, they wanted to get together with everyone while they had the opportunity. So two Christmas dinners it was, as Ramon and Camila were handling this one, and Matt and Gabby were hosting tomorrow, the entire family glad to get this time together as it didn't happen all that often anymore.
And their first dinner had gone incredibly well, everyone able to have a nice night together as they ate and told stories, though Sofia definitely got grumpy towards the end, as she clearly was exhausted. But overall, it was a great meal, and after everyone helped clean up, aside from Matt who was tasked with comforting Sof, they all made their way out into the living room to spend more time together before going their separate ways for the evening.
But while Gabby and Matt were enjoying the conversations they were having with their family, Caitlyn found the entire thing quite boring, as she definitely needed some sort of entertainment. So as her parents stayed put with Sofia, Caitlyn had gone back to the dining room with Eva to play with her dolls, her older cousin being a good sport about it as she was currently helping keep her occupied. And at some point Diego had wandered off that way as well, though from what Gabby when she last went to check on Caitlyn, he wasn't so much interested in playing dolls with his little cousin, as he was spending time on his phone. But regardless, the cousins were all having a nice time together, and it had given Matt and Gabby time to spend with the other adults while Sofia was passed out in her father's arms.
"So, how excited are the girls for Christmas?" Ramon asked, the sound of his voice pulling Casey from his thoughts as he looked up from Sofia, his hand continuing to rub over her back through her favorite blanket that was covering her tiny body. He'd placed it over her soon after she fell asleep, Matt not wanting to risk his baby getting cold, and it seemed to help keep her comfortable as she hadn't moved in a while. And he could tell she was resting soundly, as Matt was certain she was currently drooling on his shirt. But that was the last thing he cared about, his hand scratching her back lightly as he looked to Ramon. "Caitlyn's been bouncing off the walls all night, I know she's looking forward to it."
"Oh, she's so excited." Gabby responded with a soft smile, Matt glancing towards his wife as her attention was focused on her parents, her body close to his as Camila sat on the other side of her. "I mean, you all know she's just a happy kid… Literally everything gets her excited, but I'm not sure if we're ever seen her quite this enthusiastic about something."
"Yeah, she's been running around like crazy for the past few days." Matt added, his voice a touch softer than normal with Sofia so close to him. "She's really looking forward to Santa bringing her presents." He spoke with a chuckle, Ramon and Camila both nodding with warm smiles. "In fact, I think Santa might be her favorite part of all this."
"Oh, that was just like Gabriela." Ramon said, Gabby ducking her head slightly as Matt looked towards her with a bright grin. "Christmas was always her favorite, and she was always so fascinated by the idea of Santa."
"That's exactly how Caitlyn is." Matt echoed as he moved his free hand towards the back of the couch to rub Gabby's shoulder gently. "I don't think there's any doubt that Christmas is her favorite holiday… And we have this countdown calendar that we change the date on every morning, I swear it's her favorite thing… It's the first thing she wants to do when we wake up." He explained as Gabby leaned into him slightly, Matt simultaneously rubbing Gabby's shoulder while moving his other hand along Sofia's back, the man doing all he could to keep both his girls comfortable. "Though, it's also helping Caitlyn with her numbers, so we're kind of killing two birds with one stone there."
His words earned a few laughs before they nodded, Matt looking down when he felt Sofia moving around against him. But when he saw her, it was clear she was still deep within her sleep, the baby digging herself deeper into the warmth her dad's chest provided before she snored quietly.
"Well, I'm glad Caitlyn's having a fun time… Christmas can be some of the best times with your kids." Camila spoke up, Gabby glancing towards her mom with a soft smile on her face. "Though I'm assuming sweet Sofia is still a little too young to know what's happening."
"She is." Gabby agreed, the mother looking back towards her daughter just as Matt pressed a kiss to the top of Sofia's curly-haired head, the father clearly becoming more focused on his sleeping daughter than anything else. "We can tell she's having fun, and she gets excited because Caitlyn's excited, but I'm not sure how much she actually understands it." She spoke with a small grin, Matt looking up after he finished pressing kisses to the top of his daughter's head, the man having heard the tail end of his wife's words as he shot her a gentle look. "Though she understands the presents."
Everyone around them laughed once more, Matt's eyes widening slightly before nodding in agreement. "Oh, she definitely understands that… We made the mistake of trying to put a few presents out early."
"Oh boy." Antonio cut in with a chuckle, Ramon and Camila grinning from ear to ear as they all recognized the parents' misstep.
"Yeah." Matt replied knowingly. "Rookie mistake there… Last year she was still really young, and wasn't able to even crawl around or anything yet, so we didn't really have to worry about it. But this year… man, she really just went for it."
"I bet." Ramon spoke up, Gabby nodding softly.
"The second she saw them, she wanted them… It didn't matter who it was for, she kept trying to get into them."
"Well, you two know well how babies will get into anything… Especially if it's shiny and at eye-level." Ramon spoke lightly, Matt nodding immediately as the man's words were certainly true.
"We always had the same issue with you two." Camila spoke up, Gabby and Antonio both wearing sheepish looks over their faces. "When you all were younger, you'd always want to get into the presents… We learned pretty quickly with Antonio to not leave them out until he got older, but then we were again reminded of that with you, sweetheart." She spoke towards her daughter, the age difference between her and Antonio enough to where the parents needed some refreshers by the time Gabby came around. "But you both grew out of it pretty quickly… Then it just turned into you trying to look at the presents even when you knew not to." She finished with a soft smirk, Gabby ducking her head lightly as Matt chuckled.
"Yeah, I have a feeling we'll get there with Caitlyn at some point." Matt spoke up, his hand still moving lazily over Sofia's back. "While the presents were out, she definitely wanted to open them, but after we told her not to, she left them alone… But by next year, it won't surprise me if she doesn't listen as easily." He laughed softly. "And we were only able to keep them under the tree for like a day anyway, before we realized we needed to put them away… Sofia was way too intrigued."
"It'll probably be another Christmas or two before we can leave them out… But it'll just make tomorrow that more exciting when the girls wake up and see all their presents." Gabby added on, Ramon shooting her a knowing look.
"I imagine you two spoiled them rotten." Her father spoke with a laugh, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip before glancing towards Matt, the look on his face giving them both away.
"...I don't know if spoiled is the right word." He tried to defend themselves, but even he knew he and Gabby both went overboard with the gifts this year.
With this being Caitlyn's first Christmas with them, they wanted it to be perfect. And while they knew they didn't need to get her a bunch of toys or anything like that for her to be happy, they still wanted to spoil her a bit. Caitlyn was one of the most amazing, and grateful children they had ever known, and if anyone deserved to be spoiled tomorrow, it was her. Her and Sofia both.
So while they knew not to make a habit out of it, this was a special occasion. One they wanted to make sure was memorable.
"Somehow I'm not believing that, dear." Camila spoke up, the knowing grin on her face causing him to look the other way. "But I can't say I don't understand the impulse to want to give your children the world."
"Yeah, I was about to say, you and Papa have no room to talk." Antonio interjected with a chuckle, Gabby raising her eyebrows with a smug grin as Ramon and Camila shared a look. "You two always went overboard on Christmas… and birthdays."
"Yeah, I got it from you." Gabby added, Ramon shaking his head lightly. "And don't try and pretend you're not about to spoil the girls tomorrow… I saw all the presents in the garage when I went out to get the dessert out of the fridge." She spoke with raised brows, Ramon now the one to duck his head as Camila began laughing.
"You saw that, huh?"
"I did, Papa… So I think it's safe to say we're all spoiling them." She spoke with a bright grin, Matt matching her look as Gabby continued to rest against his side, Ramon huffing out a breath before he began to push himself up from his seat.
"Well it's our first Christmas with Caitlyn, you really think I'm not going to spoil my grand babies, don't be ridiculous, Gabriela." He spoke quickly, the entire room laughing as his sudden urgency as he seemed offended even at the idea that he wouldn't get his grandkids gifts. "It's my job to spoil those babies… But don't let your mother fool you, she played just as much a part in it as I did." He spoke, Camila's lips parting slightly as Gabby continued to laugh, the older woman feigning offense before speaking up.
"They're our grand babies, Ramon, of course I'm going to spoil them." She fought back, Matt shaking his head in amusement as the parents began to bicker lightly back and forth, despite the fact they were both clearly on the same side.
"You guys are ridiculous." Gabby replied once they'd finished, Ramon waving her off as he began to walk around the back of the couch. "...Where are you going?"
"All this present talk reminded me I wanted to give each of the grand babies one of their presents tonight… and Antonio, Diego and Eva can take the rest of their home with them, since they won't be with us tomorrow." He spoke, Antonio nodding as Ramon headed towards the hallway. "Camila, will you come help me? And can one of you get the kids in here?"
"I got it, Papa." Antonio spoke as he stood up from his chair, the son holding out his hand to help his mother up off the couch before she followed Ramon towards the garage, the oldest Dawson sibling heading towards the dining room to get the other kids.
"...I really hope they didn't actually get the girls too much." Matt spoke up once they were alone, his palm covering almost all of Sofia's back as he continued to cradle her against him, Gabby raising her eyebrows before a soft scoff left her lips. "I don't know where we're gonna put everything." He added with a laugh, Gabby shaking her head before glancing down towards her daughter.
"Well, a lot of the stuff we got them is practical, and then with all the toys… You know how kids are, they always gravitate towards one thing for a while, then move on. So we can always donate some of it when they're done." She reminded him, Matt nodding in agreement just as Caitlyn came running into the room, her blonde hair bouncing while she moved as she came straight towards them.
"Hi Mommy!" She greeted with a bright grin as Gabby was the parent she saw first, before her gaze soon moved to Matt. "Hi Daddy!"
"Hi sweet girl." Dawson responded, Caitlyn's smile never faltering as she pushed herself up onto the couch to sit beside her mother, her curious eyes looking down towards her baby sister.
"Aww, Sof is sleeping." She spoke, though her voice was much softer now that she recognized her little sister was resting, Caitlyn not wanting to disturb her.
"She is baby, she's tired." Matt replied as Eva and Diego came into the room, the older children sitting down on the floor as Gabby shot them a soft smile.
"Thanks for watching Caity."
"It's not a problem, we had fun." Eva replied, her words earning a grateful look from both of the parents before Caitlyn spoke up again.
"I'm not tired." She replied quickly to Matt's previous words, Gabby suppressing a chuckle as Caitlyn placed her hand on her mom's leg, the five year old sitting up enough to be able to see her dad.
"Oh you're not, huh?" Gabby questioned softly, Caitlyn immediately shaking her head.
"No! I'm not." She spoke proudly, Matt's head cocking to the side as he felt Sofia's grip on his shirt tighten subconsciously, the father glancing down for a split second to see his dress shirt wrinkled up in her little fist.
"Are you sure? It's getting pretty close to bedtime…" Casey played along, Caitlyn once again shaking her head.
"I'm sure." She promised, Gabby laughing softly before rubbing her hand over her daughter's back.
"Well, even if you're not tired, we are gonna be heading home soon… Cause Mommy and Daddy are tired." Dawson told her, Caitlyn's face falling slightly.
"But I want to stay and play." She replied with a frown, the little girl moving her legs back and forth as they hung off the side of the couch.
"I know you do honey, but it's getting late. And tomorrow's a big day, remember?" She asked, Caitlyn's frown disappearing as it was replaced with a bright smile, before she started nodding happily.
"Christmas! Santa is coming tonight!" Caitlyn replied, Gabby and Matt both chuckling before they nodded, the parents not missing the amused looks on Eva and Diego's faces.
"He is… But that means we have to be at home and in bed for him to come, remember? So we can't stay too much longer." She explained, the little girl nodding understandingly as she didn't want to risk Santa not coming. "And you know everyone's coming over to our house for dinner tomorrow night, too, so you'll get to see them again." She reminded her, Caitlyn clearly having forgotten about that conversation as she gave her another nod.
"Okay Mommy." She replied easily, the little girl sliding back against the couch next to her mom, Caitlyn lifting her mom's arm up and placing it around her so she could more easily tuck herself into her side, Gabby smiling softly before she pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I love you."
Warmth flooded Gabby's chest as she kissed her daughter's head once again, her hand rubbing over Caitlyn's side as the little girl wrapped her arm around her waist. "I love you too, baby."
Just as she finished speaking, they heard Ramon and Camila come back in, Matt glancing back to see them walking in with a handful of presents. "Are all the babies here?" Ramon asked, clearly speaking of his grandchildren despite the fact two of them were certainly no longer babies.
"They are." Antonio replied, Ramon smiling brightly before walking around to the front of the couch, Caitlyn's eyes widening when she saw what he was holding, Gabby able to feel how excited she was becoming at the idea of getting a present already. Though from the looks of what her parents were holding, it was much more than just one present for each grandchild.
"Papa, I thought you said you were doing one tonight?" She questioned, the man muttering something under his breath as he carefully placed all the boxes on the coffee table, Camila placing hers on the floor before Ramon sat back down in his chair.
"Oh it's fine, Gabriela, it's just a few… I know better than to wake little Sofia, so she can open hers tomorrow." He spoke, his eyes staying focused on the gifts in front of him as he looked over the name tags, Ramon wanting to make sure the presents got to the right kids.
"Mommy, is one for me?" Caitlyn nearly whispered, her eager voice making Gabby smile.
"I think more than one of them is for you, sweetheart." She responded, the little girl's eyes widening to a size Gabby rarely saw, before the already wide smile on her face grew even bigger.
"Alright, Eva honey, these are yours." Ramon spoke as the oldest granddaughter stood up, Eva thanking both her grandparents before Diego followed the similar process. "And Caitlyn, these are for you." He spoke as he held out a stack of presents, Caitlyn's wide eyes looking at them as she slid down off the couch.
"For me?"
"Mhmm, these are yours." He repeated, Caitlyn smiling wide before she walked around the coffee table and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Abuelo." She said, Caitlyn using one of the few Spanish words she knew as it was still something they were working on, Ramon using his free hand to rub her back.
"You're welcome, sweetie." He told her, Caitlyn hugging Camila as well before she turned back to the gifts, her eyes shining before she tried to take the stack from her grandfather. But it was heavier than she anticipated as she clearly wasn't able to hold it, Ramon chuckling softly as her tongue poked out from between her teeth in concentration. "Why don't you go sit back down and I'll hand them to you?" He offered, Caitlyn nodding happily before she hurried back towards the couch and climbed up next to her mom once more, the girl settling in before Ramon placed the gifts on her lap.
"You really didn't have to do this, Papa." Gabby spoke, though her voice showed just how appreciative she was as Ramon smiled softly. "You too, Mama… This is too much."
"No it's not." He replied simply as Camila moved a smaller stack to the edge of the coffee table.
"These are Sofia's." She responded, Matt and Gabby both nodding thankfully as those presents would definitely have to wait, Sofia still deep within her slumber in her father's arms. "And Gabriela, this is for you." Camila spoke up, handing her a small pile of things. "Then the two on top are Matthew's."
"Thank you." Gabby replied again as she took the gifts, the daughter beyond grateful for her thoughtful parents as they'd definitely done too much. But by the pleased looks on their faces, she knew they were just as happy giving the gifts as everyone was receiving them.
"Can I open it?" Cailtlyn asked as she'd been waiting as patiently as she could for her presents, Gabby nodding in response.
"Go ahead, baby." She told her, the five year old needing no more prompting as she began to rip open her gifts.
While the family all sat together, the kids began opening their gifts, Gabby helping Caitlyn when needed while Matt watched on happily, knowing he couldn't exactly be much help with the process without disturbing his youngest daughter. But it had been just as fun getting to sit back and watch Caitlyn's excitement, as the girl was beyond thrilled for every present she got. Her grandparents had gotten her dolls, a car for her dolls, a new Elsa costume dress, which admittedly had been Caitlyn's favorite, and then a few other clothing items than the girl absolutely loved. And it was clear just how happy she was with her presents, the girl saying thank you more times than they could count.
And Caitlyn's joy had made the evening that much more enjoyable, as all the parents wanted was for their baby to have the best Christmas, And so far, she was.
"Can I wear my dress?" She asked as there was a mess of wrapping paper and toys around her, Sofia having miraculously stayed asleep during the whole thing.
"Maybe you can try it on when we get home, okay?" Gabby told her, Caitlyn seemingly satisfied with that answer as she gave her a nod before she went back to admiring all her presents, Gabby returning her attention back towards her father who was currently looking between all his grandkids, that proud look in his eye never diminishing. "Thank you so much for this."
Gabby's voice gained the attention of both her parents, similar smiles forming over their faces as Camila was seated on the armrest of Ramon's chair.
"Really… Thank you."
"You don't need to thank us for anything, Gabriela." Camila replied, Matt rubbing Gabby's shoulder lightly. "We're happy to do it… I'm just thankful we're all getting to spend the holidays together."
"Me too." Gabby responded softly, Matt nodding in agreement.
"Getting to spend Christmas with your children, and then you're grandchildren… There's nothing better." She continued, her words causing Gabby to smile softly.
"Yeah, we're all just glad to be together, mija… All the presents are just an added bonus." Ramon responded lightly, his eyes moving towards Casey for a moment before he continued. "Though nothing we got the children is anything close to that new car I saw you all come in." He added with a grin, Matt's smile widening as Gabby bit back a laugh.
"I was wondering when you were going to bring that up." She responded, Ramon leaning back in his seat as he looked between them.
"Oh yes, I noticed it right away… If it weren't ten degrees outside, I'd want to go take a look at it."
"You can look it over tomorrow at our place… It'll still be cold, but at least it'll be in a garage." Matt replied, Ramon nodding before he looked back towards Gabby.
"So I'm assuming it was a Christmas gift, or did the timing just work out?"
"It was a gift… Matt surprised me with it the other day." She told her parents, Antonio and his kids listening in as well as they were all gathered in the living room.
"Good man." Ramon spoke, his words causing Matt to laugh as Gabby fought off the urge to roll her eyes.
"Yeah, it's something that had been in the works for awhile… Gabby's car was great, but it was cramped with the girls. And I like the idea of her being in a bigger vehicle… and this one is better for the winters, so overall it was just the right choice for us." He said with a smile, Matt having the attention of the entire room, aside from Caitlyn who was still fascinated by her presents though she was slowly fading, and Sofia who was asleep. "We'd been talking about it for awhile, but I figured it'd be a nice surprise for Christmas."
"It definitely was." Gabby chimed in as she looked towards her husband, Matt grinning proudly before he leaned forward to press a soft kiss against her forehead. Camila and Ramon watched the tender moment between their daughter and son-in-law, the two getting a bit lost in the other for a moment before snapping out of it, Matt's cheeks heating up slightly when he noticed everyone staring at them. But Gabby didn't seem fazed one bit, the smile never leaving her face as she looked back and forth between the knowing looks on her parents' faces. "I wasn't expecting it at all… He did good." She finished softly, Gabby reaching out to squeeze Matt's leg gently.
"Yeah, good job keeping the wife happy, Casey." Antonio snickered from his seat across from them, Gabby's eyes narrowing before she looked towards her brother, Camila and Ramon both trying to hide their laughter as Matt bit down on the inside of his cheek. "What, sis? I'm just saying." Antonio continued on when he saw her glare, the younger Dawson holding her tongue as she knew now certainly wasn't the time to bite back, not with all the kids here; though there certainly were a few comments running through her mind.
"Mhmm, I'm sure." She settled on, Gabby shooting him one last playful glare before looking back towards the rest of her family, the youngest adult in the room not missing the amused looks on her parents' faces. "But, back to the car… It was very sweet, and it was a great Christmas gift. We really like it."
As Gabby finished speaking she felt a little head fall down against her chest, the mother glancing down to see Caitlyn dozing in and out as her head was now resting against her, Gabby biting back a smirk as it was clear her daughter wasn't nearly as awake as she'd said. But not even a minute after her eyes closed, they snapped back open, Caitlyn trying to keep herself awake as she quickly looked around at her surroundings, the young girl shaking her head slightly.
"You're okay, baby." Gabby murmured once she saw Caitlyn was still a little unsure of where she was. Even though it had only been seconds, for however long she'd been asleep it was enough to confuse her a bit, Gabby not wanting her to worry. When she heard her mom's voice, she looked up towards her, Gabby seeing her eyes glazed over as whatever exhaustion she'd been ignoring seemed to hit her like a truck. "You sleepy?" She asked, her hand coming up to brush some hair from her eyes as Caitlyn nodded, the five year old no longer even bothering to pretend she wasn't tired before she dug her head back into the security of her mother's side. "Yeah, I know you are sweetheart."
Matt watched his wife and daughter for a moment before his eyes moved down towards his other sleeping daughter currently in his lap, it becoming evident that it was time to get their girls home. And when Gabby looked his way, he knew she was thinking the same thing. "Well, tonight was great, but I think it might be time to get them out of here." He voiced, Gabby smiling softly in agreement before looking towards her parents, Ramon and Camila both nodding in understanding.
"Of course, of course, I know it's getting late for them." Ramon spoke up first before he slid to the edge of his seat. "Let us help you get all this stuff outside, you just worry about the girls."
"Thanks Papa." Gabby replied before she glanced towards Matt, her husband already slightly shifting with Sofia in his arms. Gabby watched as he managed to get her moved up from his lap to his chest, her blanket securely around her as she continued sleeping like nothing had happened, her little head tucked into her dad's neck as drool slowly fell down her chin. "Yeah, she's out." Gabby said softly, Matt chuckling before he slowly stood up.
"She definitely is." He agreed, his eyes moving down towards Caitlyn, the girl practically asleep against Gabby as her presents were still sprawled out over her lap and on the couch beside her. "Do you want to wait here with her while I get Sof in the car, then I can come back and get Caity?" He offered softly. Though Matt knew Gabby could carry Caitlyn if needed, it wasn't the easiest thing for her to do, and especially with all the snow and ice outside, he didn't want her having to carry her to the car.
"I got her, Casey." Antonio chimed in, Matt glancing back as his brother walked towards him, Gabby slowly grabbing Caitlyn's presents and handing them to her parents so they could take them outside.
"You sure?" Matt asked, the older man nodding. "Alright, thank you."
It took some time, between the goodbyes with Eva and Diego, and the rest of their family, and also trying not to wake the girls as both of them were in a deep sleep, but eventually they were able to get the car loaded up with the Casey family securely inside. And by the time that task was completed, the parents were even more ready to get everyone home and in bed. With the warm air blowing through the vents to keep them all comfortable, Matt did one last check on all his girls before he began driving, the husband and father paying close attention to his surroundings the entire way as he was eager to get his family back to their home safely.
Caitlyn laid wide awake in bed as her eyes focused on the light across her room on the dresser, the five year old knowing she wasn't supposed to get out of bed until it changed colors, just as it did every morning. She wasn't sure what time it was, but according to the light, it was too early for her to be up; but that didn't matter so much to her, as today was a very special day.
It was finally Christmas, and Caitlyn couldn't contain her excitement.
Not wanting to wait any longer, she tossed the covers off of herself and grabbed her two favorite stuffed animals before sliding down out of her bed, Caitlyn clutching the plush toys to her chest as she walked towards her door. Having done this more than she probably should've, Caitlyn knew she had enough light to get down to her parent's room, the gate on the steps something she'd navigated easily before continuing down the stairs, her free hand holding onto the railing.
Within seconds, Caitlyn made her way downstairs, the girl deciding to take a detour to the living room as she wanted to see the Christmas tree before doing anything else. And the second she came around the corner, her eyes widened, Caitlyn coming face to face with a ton of presents that hadn't been here before, all her excitement rushing back as she couldn't stop the bright grin that formed over her face.
But after a few more moments, Caitlyn hurried off towards her parent's bedroom, the dark living room becoming a little scary as she didn't like being out here all by herself, the five year old stepping into the familiar room and soon seeing her parents fast asleep. With a soft smile on her face she walked around to the end of the bed, the little girl climbing up on the bench in front of the mattress, before she got up onto the bed, this method much easier on the small child as her parent's bed was high off the ground. As she crawled towards them, she tossed her stuffed animals in the direction of the pillows, Caitlyn trying to make it easier on herself to get to them. But as she did so, she'd accidentally tossed them on her mom, Gabby feeling that as well as the bed shifting as she slowly came into consciousness. And Matt was coming to also, as Caitlyn kept knocking into him before she finally came to a stop up by his waist, the little girl sitting on her shins as she looked back and forth between her parents.
"Daddy." She whispered, though her voice wasn't all that soft as she reached out to poke him. "Daddy… It's Christmas!" She spoke excitedly while also trying to keep her voice low, but she wasn't doing a very good job.
Matt slowly opened his eyes and looked towards his daughter, Caitlyn's smile widening when she saw him wake up. And Gabby soon did the same, the mother shifting to look at her as Caitlyn turned her attention to her mom. "Mommy!" She spoke excitedly, the five year old nearly bouncing up and down on her shins.
"Hi baby." She greeted, her voice still groggy as she was now lying on her side, Gabby reaching up to brush down some of her daughter's unruly hair. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Caity." Matt spoke up for the first time as well.
"Merry Christmas!" She repeated, Caitlyn far too excited for how early it was as Matt yawned softly. "Santa came!"
"Oh he did?" Gabby asked as she stifled a yawn herself, Caitlyn nodding happily as she looked between her parents.
"He did! There's lots of presents!"
"Wow." Matt played along, the light tone to his voice causing Caitlyn to grin wider. "That's so great, baby." He added,
"Can we go open them?" She questioned eagerly, Casey raising his eyebrows before he glanced towards Gabby, the woman immediately shaking her head. Looking past her, Matt checked the time before glancing back to Caitlyn, seeing his daughter trying to be as patient as she could.
"Maybe not yet, honey." He told her, her face faltering slightly before she nodded. "We can't open presents without Sof." He continued, the gleam in her eye returning as she realized she wouldn't want to do Christmas without his sister, either. "And it's still pretty early, it might be a few hours before she wakes up… So how about you come lay with your Momma and I, and when Sof wakes up, we'll open presents and have breakfast." He suggested, Caitlyn thinking over his words for a moment before she nodded.
"Okay! We can wait for Sof… I want us to be together." She told them as she began crawling towards them, Matt nodding in agreement.
"Me too." He told her, Matt raising his eyebrows in amusement as Caitlyn was doing her best to tuck herself down underneath the covers in between her parents, her little body managing to create quite the disturbance. And with the limited amount of space between himself and Gabby, it wasn't the easiest task in the world for her to get under the blanket, but eventually she managed, Caitlyn only accidentally kicking her father twice before she was situated.
She filled the space between them, Caitlyn looking back and forth at her parents as her head was poking up from beneath the covers, Matt smiling softly before he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.
"Try and get some more sleep… We'll get up in a few hours." He murmured against her, Matt kissing her once more before he got comfortable, Caitlyn nodding as she tucked herself into his side, her small hand reaching out to hold onto his shirt.
"Okay Daddy." She replied, the warmth and security of her parent's bed making her feel a little tired as she used her other hand to reach back for her mom and pull her closer, Gabby smiling softly before she moved to lie behind Caitlyn. "...Merry Christmas." She said once more as Gabby rested her arm over her side, Caitlyn feeling completely at ease with her parents as she slowly closed her eyes.
"Merry Christmas, baby… We love you."
"Babe, you need any help?" Matt called from the living room as he stood in front of the couch, the husband having just returned from taking the trash out as Gabby was still in the kitchen cleaning up their Christmas breakfast, his wife looking up from her task before she shook her head with an appreciative smile.
"I'm fine, I'm almost done." She replied, Matt nodding in understanding before he sat down on the couch, his gaze moving towards his girls who were sitting on the floor in the living room surrounded by all their new toys and gifts. And Casey was sure that was where they'd stay, at least for a while, as they were all content to just enjoy the rest of this easy Christmas morning together.
After Caitlyn's visit to their bedroom earlier, all three of them had managed to get a little more sleep before Sofia woke up and was ready to start the day, Caitlyn waking up soon after and more eager than ever to go and open presents. So that was exactly what they'd done. After they all went upstairs to get the baby, Caitlyn insisting she wanted to be there to tell her Merry Christmas, they'd come back downstairs and immediately went to the presents. And it had been a fun time for everyone involved.
With Sofia being so young, Gabby and Matt were mostly openly her presents, with the occasional help from Caitlyn, even though the baby did seem to enjoy pulling off wrapping paper, and ripping apart any tissue paper she could get her hands on. But Caitlyn was an entirely different story, the five year old hardly needing any help in getting her presents opened so she could see what all she'd gotten. Even the times she clearly could've used a little assistance, she wanted to do it on her own, Matt only stepping in when necessary as little Caitlyn wasted no time getting into gifts.
And that time together, Matt and Gabby getting to see Caitlyn's pure joy and excitement every time she opened a present, was truly one of the best moments so far since becoming a family of four. It was harder for Sofia to know much of what was going on, as all she really understood was there were a bunch of new toys that she was excited to play with, but Caitlyn was old enough to appreciate all of what was happening around her. And she was more grateful than either parent could've ever imagined.
Between getting most everything from Santa that she'd asked for, as well as many presents from her parents that she had no idea about, they were sure she had to have said 'thank you' nearly a hundred times, and she'd probably given them just as many hugs on top of it, Caitlyn genuinely thankful for everything she'd gotten as she hadn't expected it at all. And though she'd gotten overwhelmed every so often, Caitlyn near tears a few times as she was just so happy, all in all, it had been an amazing Christmas morning, one Matt and Gabby knew they'd remember forever as both their girls had a great time.
As Matt was sitting in the living room, he couldn't help but smile as he watched his daughters, both of them so completely captivated by the toys they were playing with, they weren't even paying attention to the cartoons on the TV, the mess of gifts around them telling Casey just how overboard they'd gone. Between all the new dolls they'd gotten to play with, the stuffed animals, and the few toy cars they'd gotten for Caitlyn as they found out a while ago how much she enjoyed playing with them, along with all the other gifts they'd gotten, Matt was beginning to see why Caitlyn had gotten so overwhelmed. But it was in the best way possible, as the five year old was currently playing with the new dollhouse they'd gotten her, which was her biggest gift this year.
It wasn't something they'd planned on getting her, but when they saw it they just knew they couldn't pass it up, as it was a present they could see both Caitlyn and Sofia getting a lot of use out of for years to come. And their decision to get her this also stemmed from the fact that the big gift Caitlyn wanted, they weren't getting her just yet.
For weeks, the parents knew how badly Caitlyn wanted a bike. It was close to the top of her list for Santa, and she desperately wanted to learn how to ride one. And it was something the parents were all for, and they even knew they could teach her safely as they had the long road between all the units here where they could practice without worrying about traffic. It was a perfect gift for her, and they had every intention of getting it. But after some thought and a little bit of discussion, both of them decided to wait on it, as with the weather in Chicago, Caitlyn wouldn't be able to start learning until the spring anyway, and they were hesitant to buy her a bike now on the off chance she grew out of it before she'd be able to learn how to ride it. So they'd decided to hold off on that gift and get her this dollhouse instead, as they wanted her to have something special. And Caitlyn absolutely loved it.
Matt was pulled from his thoughts when he felt the couch shift beside him, the man glancing to the side just as Gabby made herself comfortable beside him, a soft smile resting over her face as her body leaned slightly into his. Before saying a word, Matt lifted his arm up and wrapped it around her, effectively pulling her close into his body as she cuddled against him, the man pressing a kiss to the side of her head as they both watched their girls.
"They look happy." Gabby murmured as they sat there, her words causing a small smile to form over Casey's face.
"They do… Though knowing them, they would've been happy with one toy." He replied with a laugh, Gabby matching his grin as she nodded.
"They would've… But I'm still glad we were able to do this for them." She replied, Matt nodding in agreement before pressing another kiss to her head.
"Me too."
"Although we're definitely gonna have to watch Sofia on that thing." She continued with a laugh, Casey knowing immediately what she was referring to as his eyes moved towards the small plastic slide sitting off to the side of the room.
It was just a simple red slide, the toy meant for kids around Sofia's age, as Caitlyn was technically even a little too big for it, though they'd found out quickly this morning that she was still plenty small enough to play on it, too. But the gift itself was for Sofia, and their baby absolutely loved it. She'd spent probably half an hour wanting to go up and down it this morning before breakfast, one parent always there to supervise, while also surrounding the toy with pillows and blankets just in case she fell. But the gift had been a hit, and certainly one of Sofia's favorite things from this morning, Matt and Gabby just knew that one of them would need to be around whenever she played on it.
"Oh, absolutely." He agreed with a chuckle of his own, his thumb moving up and down over her arm. "She's so independent, I know she's just gonna want to do it on her own… But as long as there are some soft landings around, she'll be fine." He added, Gabby shaking her head lightly before relaxing back into him, the parents content to simply sit here and watch their girls play as they had a few more hours before needing to do anything. But they weren't sitting in that comfortable quiet for too long before Matt spoke up again. "Hey babe?"
"Hmm?"
"Before all the fun with presents is over, I uh… have one more gift for you." He told her, Gabby lifting her head up to look at him with raised brows.
"Please don't tell me you bought another car." She replied without missing a beat, Matt chuckling once more before he shook his head.
"No, I didn't." He responded with an amused gleam in his eye, Dawson feigning relief before her head tilted to the side.
"Good… But you know you didn't have to get me anything else, right? I mean, the car, and then the presents this morning… You've spoiled me enough." She told him softly, Matt shrugging as he thought over her words.
Though the new car sitting in their garage had certainly been their biggest gift, for the both of them, the couple had each gotten each other a few other things as well, as they couldn't help themselves. And they'd also each helped the kids pick out gifts for the other parent, as Caitlyn wanted to give her Mommy and Daddy presents too, meaning Gabby and Matt both had plenty of gifts to open this morning. But this last one he wanted to wait on, Matt knowing how special it would be to her.
"Well, for one, there's no such thing as spoiling you enough." He countered, Gabby scoffing lightly before he moved to get up, Matt dropping his hold on her as he stood from the couch and headed towards the bookshelf. Reaching for the wrapped present he'd hidden strategically, Gabby's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she watched him, the girls too preoccupied with their toys to care much about what was going on around them before Casey began to walk back over to her.
"Baby, you really didn't have to." She said again as she saw what appeared to be a little box wrapped in red paper, Matt smiling softly before he sat back down beside her, Gabby adjusting herself on the couch to sit up a little straighter as he held it out to her.
"I wanted to." He responded with a genuine smile, Matt nodding at her as she took it. "But just open it."
Sighing softly, Gabby gave him one last look before she began unwrapping the box, Matt waiting eagerly beside her as he was clearly excited for her to see whatever it was. And when she finally got the box open, she understood why.
A soft gasp left her lips as she stared at the necklace in the box, her hand immediately moving towards the necklace already around her neck as she clutched the worn pendant in her hand, the necklace he'd gotten for her last Christmas, the one she rarely took off, a wide smile forming over her face before she looked up at him.
"I know how much you love that necklace… but I figured it was past time to get you a new one." He told her, Gabby nodding happily before she looked back down at the new piece of jewelry. "One that more accurately represented our family."
As he spoke, her eyes were fixated on the gold necklace, the two pendants shining up at her as she felt a rush of warmth flood through her body, Gabby's gaze moving back and forth between the 'S' and the 'C' staring back at her.
Those initials meant to represent their daughters, on something Gabby could always keep with her.
Since Matt had gotten her the 'S' pendant last year, she wore it practically every day, it being one of the best gifts she'd ever gotten. But this new one, this meant so much to her, Gabby ecstatic to now be able to have both her daughters' initials around her neck as she ran her fingers over the lettering.
When she looked back up at Matt, he saw the tears sitting in her eyes, a small smile forming over his face as he'd realized just how good of a job he'd done with this present, Gabby pulling him in for a quick hug after placing the box down on her lap.
"Thank you." She murmured, Matt rubbing her back up and down before kissing her head.
"You're welcome, baby." He replied, Gabby giving him an extra squeeze before they separated. "I'm just glad you like it, I was a little worried about replacing the one you have because-"
"I love it." She cut him off, the bright grin on her face telling him all he needed to know. "Truly, I love it Matt… Thank you for this."
"Of course." He told her, the two sharing a soft, sweet kiss before they separated from one another, Gabby's bottom lip falling in between her teeth as she placed her necklace down on the coffee table, Matt recognizing that pensive look in her eye instantly. "...What?" He questioned, unsure of exactly what was coming.
"I, um… I kind of have another gift for you, too." She spoke, Matt's eyebrows raising slightly in surprise, the husband certainly not expecting it as his head tilted to the side. "Though I didn't have to wrap it."
"You didn't have to get me anything." He told her, Matt sounding an awful lot like Gabby had moments prior, before a soft smirk formed over his lips, his eyes flickering towards his daughters to make sure they weren't paying attention before he returned his gaze to his wife. "Although if it's anything like the present you gave me last night after we got the girls to bed, I'll gladly take it." He murmured, Gabby's face heating up before she shook her head slightly, though she knew the memory of their fun together last night would certainly be in her brain for a while. And she knew it would be for Matt, too.
"Matt…" She warned, the man chuckling softly before a proud grin covered his face. "But no, it's nothing like that… At least not yet." She played along, Matt feeling his throat go dry before he nodded. "Now can I give you your gift, or are you not done?"
"I'm done. I want my present." He replied quickly, Gabby chuckling in amusement before she sat up a little straighter, Matt's eyebrows raising slightly.
"Alright, well it's not so much an actual present," She started, his interest only continuing to grow as he could tell she was becoming a bit nervous. And that was something he certainly wasn't used to seeing from his wife. "It's more something I want to talk to you about."
"Okay." He spoke softly, Matt not sure what to make of her nerves. But whatever it was, he didn't want her to worry about it. "What is it?"
"I, uh… There's something I've been thinking about… Something I want to do." She started, Matt nodding as he waited for her to continue, Gabby pausing for a moment before she drew in a deep breath.
"I want to change my last name… to Casey."
The second those words left her lips, a soft smile formed over his face, his instant reaction calming her nerves as she matched his grin, his eyes shining back at her as she reached out to grab his hand.
"I… It's something I've been thinking about, a lot. And I know back when we were married before, we talked about doing when we had Louie, so we'd all have the same name." She started, Matt nodding slowly as the smile never left his face. "But then after that all… after he left, we never really talked about it again. And then we-" She stopped herself, Gabby wincing at the memory of one of the worst times in her life, Matt giving her hand a squeeze as he knew just how painful it was to think about the time when they'd fallen so far from each other. "Everything happened between ys… But now, with where we are, it feels right for us all to have the same name." She told him, the look on his face alone filling her with joy. "I've thought about it a few times since we got married again, but then Caitlyn asked me about it a couple weeks ago, why my last name wasn't Casey, and it got me thinking."
"She did?" He asked, Matt having heard nothing of this as Gabby nodded.
"Mhmm… She asked me why everyone called me Dawson, and it just kind of went from there. And since then, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it… But we haven't talked about it in a long time, so I'm not sure what your thoughts on it are. We didn't even really talk about it after Sofia, because of everything going on there… But with us, and our girls, and Caitlyn officially becoming ours soon… I want us to all have the same last name. I want us all to be Caseys. I want to be a Casey."
Matt was unable to wipe the grin off his face as she spoke, Gabby's own smile growing as the two were completely lost in each other for a moment, and the look on his face was enough of an answer for her as to where he stood with this. But still, she wanted to be sure.
"So… what do you think?"
She barely finished her sentence before Matt pulled her in for a heated, albeit quick, kiss, their movements full of passion and love as he held onto her hand tightly, Gabby nearly losing her breath by the time they eventually separated from one another. And when they did, she immediately saw the sly grin on his face, her chest heaving as her smile came back quickly.
"...I'm assuming that means you're alright with it?"
A soft chuckle escaped his lips before he leaned in to kiss her again, his actions giving her all the answer she needed as they pulled back from this much more tame kiss. "Of course I'm okay with it." He answered her, though he knew he didn't really need to. "There's nothing I want more than for us to all have the same name… You know I've always wanted that, but I also know how important your name and your family is to you, so I'd never ask you to change it for me." He told her, Casey knowing how proud she was to be a Dawson, and he never wanted her to feel like she had to give that up for him
"I know." She assured him, as Matt had never, not once, pressured her into taking his name. During the few conversations they'd had about it all those years ago, he never made her feel like she had to, he'd always left it up to her, even though she knew how badly he'd wanted them to have the same name, at least he did back then. And clearly, that feeling hadn't changed as her husband was as excited as she'd seen him in a while.
"And, while I'm all for this, you do know that whether you have my last name or not, you're still just as much of a Casey to me… Whether it's legally your name or not, you're still my wife and my family. Having a different last name doesn't change that." He told her, Matt needing to know she wasn't doing this solely for him, Gabby nodding quickly. "Because I've never needed you to have my last name for you to feel like my family."
"I know that, baby. That's not why I'm doing this… Regardless of my last name, I know I'm a Casey. I just want to make it official." She told him, Matt nodding softly as he ran his thumb over the back of her hand, the husband unable to explain just how happy the idea of this made him.
For them all to have the same last name, his last name, it filled him with a sense of pride he couldn't quite explain. To know that his daughters and the love of his life would all share the same name, the thought alone made him the happiest man in the world, and all he did know was that he couldn't wait for the day when all four of them were Caseys.
While he was deep in thought, Gabby couldn't help but watch him, the look of complete happiness on his face making her fall in love with him all over again as his bright blue eyes held so much life. Breathing in deeply, Gabby gave his hand another squeeze, the action causing his vision to come into focus as he looked to her, the small smile on her face making his own grow even wider.
"So… was this an okay present?" She asked lightly, Matt releasing a playful scoff before he pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her, Casey wanting to be close to the woman he loved as her head tucked into his neck, both of them hoping to relish in this feeling for as long as they could, his soft voice soon filling her ear as he cradled the back of her head.
"This is the best Christmas present ever."