Hello everyone, I'm here with the next chapter for you all. After that cliffhanger last time, I won't keep you all waiting much longer. But I hope you all like this one.
Thanks so much for reading!
Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Eight
"You're…"
"...I'm pregnant."
Casey choked on the air in his lungs when the words left her lips, his wide eyes moving back and forth between his wife and the positive pregnancy test in his hand. Like he was trying to make himself believe it, tears filling his eyes as he did all he could to process this news.
Gabby was pregnant. They were pregnant. They were going to have another baby, they were going to give their girls a younger sibling. Their family of four was about to grow- had grown, the test in his hands proof of what his wife had just told him.
They hadn't been trying for this, and honestly they never came to a decision about having more kids. When Sofia was first born, they knew they wanted more than one child, but after Caitlyn came into their lives it just hadn't come up again. With their two girls, they were happy with the family they had. And for a while, it felt like they'd never have another. To the point where they'd both tried to prepare themselves that when they go through those milestones with Sofia, and even Caitlyn, they wouldn't get another chance to experience that.
But that wasn't the case anymore. Because they were having another child, and Casey was sure his heart was seconds away from bursting through his chest.
"...Matt." Gabby spoke up after a minute, his gaze snapping back to her after he registered the sound of her voice. He could see in her eyes how she was desperate for him to say something, the unsure look written into her skin not unusual given how this went the last time she'd given him this type of news.
But that didn't mean he liked seeing it, Casey immediately nodding as he took another step towards her in the doorway.
"You're… You're pregnant." He repeated, Gabby swallowing thickly when she noticed how his eyes were shining. "We're having a baby."
His words were barely above a whisper, Casey glancing back down to the positive test one last time before he reached over to place it on the dresser. "We are." She replied, matching his tone while she searched his features for any sign of what he was feeling. Or what was going through his mind, Matt soon giving her just that as a wide, unmistakable grin covered his lips.
"Oh my God, baby you're pregnant." He breathed out, tears of pure joy streaming down his skin before he wrapped her up into his arms. The movement was quick, catching her off guard for a moment, but within seconds she reciprocated as she hooked her arms up around his waist.
His head tucked down into her neck, Matt feeling her relax into his embrace while they stood there in their bedroom, neither of them in any hurry to pull away as he brought a hand up to cup the back of her head.
"I can't believe it." He murmured, pressing soft, loving kisses to her neck and her shoulder while she tightened her grip. "I can't believe you're pregnant, this is amazing." He said through his tears, Gabby able to get out a happy laugh just as he lifted her up off the ground. Her legs wrapped around him out of instinct, Matt leaning back slightly while more laughs left her lips, the two basking in this joyous moment while he rocked back and forth with her weight in his grasp.
They stayed this way for a few more seconds before he put her back onto the ground, Matt pressing more kisses to her neck while her feet planted firmly on the carpet, before they separated from one another.
His eyes were still shining, that bright smile never diminishing as Gabby felt another wave of relief go through her when she saw his excitement up close, Matt bringing his hands up to cradle the sides of her face while she clutched onto his wrist.
"This is so great, baby. This is so, so great." He kept repeating over and over, the two sharing another smile before he gave her a loving kiss. One they both put their all into as his thumb stroked over her cheek. "God, I love you." Matt said when they pulled back, their foreheads resting against one another. "I love you so much.. I love you, and our girls. And this baby. I love you all so much. More than anything else in this world."
He said those genuine words over and over, Gabby incapable of stopping the heavy tears filling her eyes as a few of them trailed down her skin onto Matt's hands, her husband speaking with such conviction to where she couldn't keep it together.
"I love you, too." She managed to get out before he began to press light kisses all over her face, the gesture pulling another laugh from her as his lips moved all over her skin before landing back on her mouth.
"When did you find out?" He questioned moments later, while trying to focus the endless thoughts running through his mind.
"Just a few minutes ago." Gabby responded, feeling him wipe away more of her tears while that smile stayed plastered on his face. "I wasn't even going to take the test, but I was just trying to think of anything that would explain why I've felt so sick." She began to tell him, not missing the understanding look shining back at her. "And then tonight when I was getting ready for bed, I realized I'd missed my period. Which hadn't even occurred to me with everything else we had going on, but once it did, it kind of put all the pieces together… The symptoms, how up and down this has been. The soreness I've been feeling, it hit me that this is how I felt when we found out about Sofia. So I took the test, and… Well, you know the rest." She rambled out, her quick words endearing to him as a deep chuckle left the back of his throat.
"Yeah, I do." He softly responded, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone before he leaned down to give her another kiss. Gabby relished in the contact while they had it, letting her lips linger against his for a long couple seconds until she reluctantly pulled away.
But she made sure to stay close, her hands holding onto him while she drew in a deep breath. "...So you're happy about this?" She asked before she could stop herself, voicing the thought that had been in her mind since she took the test.
Matt was nodding before she even finished her sentence. "I am, I'm so happy." He assured her. "I know we weren't trying, and this was unexpected. But I'm so happy about this. This is, by far, the best Christmas present you ever could've gotten me." Matt told her, earning a small laugh from her while her head tilted towards the crowd. "What about you? How are you feeling?"
She paused for a moment, deep in thought. "I'm happy." Gabby promised, his face softening in response. "I think part of me is still in shock, if I'm being honest. And I'm a little nervous because of my first pregnancy…" She trailed off, seeing his smile begin to fall while his throat tightened, the mention of that unsure time in their lives still hard from them to face. "But I'm happy." Gabby finished, seeing him slowly begin to nod before pulling her back into his arms, the close contact something they both needed as they felt that black cloud of uncertainty begin to form over them.
Casey hadn't forgotten about it, about his wife almost losing her life due to being pregnant before. He couldn't forget about it, not when the best day of his life almost turned into the worst. Where he thought he had watched the love of his life die right in front of him. He would never forget that. But just for a moment, when he heard Gabby say those words- that she was pregnant, he hadn't let himself think about it. Everything they dealt with when she was carrying Sofia, the way he felt when they first found out, and all their fears for if she ever got pregnant again, he had pushed it all aside when she showed him that pregnancy test.
Now, all those repressed feelings were starting to rear their ugly head, trying to cast a shadow on what should be one of the best moments of their lives. But Matt refused to let it, at least for right now. They couldn't ignore the reality of this, or what this meant for Gabby, and they wouldn't; but at this point, they didn't even know what that looked like. As far as they were told, another pregnancy wouldn't automatically be dangerous for her. And until they knew for sure what they were dealing with, if anything, Matt wouldn't go back there. He couldn't.
To all that pain, and hurt- pain and hurt that he had caused, he wasn't going to think about it. It would eat him alive if he did, just like it had the first time. And he wasn't going to let this moment be tainted by that.
He'd made that mistake once before, he wasn't willing to do it again.
Drawing in a steadying breath, Matt held onto her a little tighter, feeling her fall more into him while pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "This is such a great thing, Gabby." He repeated his previous words, just as much for himself as for her while her hands raked over his back. "We've got stuff to talk about, and figure out. We'll need to go and see exactly what this means for you, but this is amazing. Us having another baby." He murmured comfortingly, Gabby blinking back the fresh tears filling her eyes as she dug her head into his neck. "We're gonna be okay… I love you."
"I love you, too." She whispered back, his promises helping some of her doubts wash away as he pulled back just enough to grab her hand and lead her over to their bed.
She wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but she didn't question him as he delicately guided her until she was laying down in the middle of their mattress. His touch was light and cautious, Gabby remembering this well from before Sofia was born as there was an extra bit of gentleness from him when she was pregnant.
Neither of them said anything as he sat down beside her, Matt catching her gaze with a smile before he reached out to grab the hem of the shirt covering her and slowly pull it up her body. He stopped it just underneath her breasts, Gabby taking in a steadying breath while he placed his warm hand against her lower stomach.
There was nothing for him to feel yet, and there wouldn't be for a while, but that didn't stop him from cradling her stomach where their child was. And the moment he did, he already felt an intense sense of protectiveness for this new life he and Gabby created; the same instinct he felt for his wife and daughters every day, Casey letting his eyes fall closed while focusing on the warmth radiating underneath his palm.
He stayed there for a couple minutes, his thumb stroking over her smooth skin before Gabby brought her hand up to rest over his, this moment together helping tremendously to push away some of their worries. Even more so when Matt leaned down to press gentle kisses to her stomach, Gabby's mind instantly going back to when she was pregnant with Sofia, and how this was something he'd do every single morning with her.
And now they'd get to experience that all over again.
"That's our baby." He whispered against her, his lips brushing over her skin as slow tears escaped Gabby's eyes. "Yeah, you're our baby… And even though we just found out about you, Mommy and Daddy love you so much. I always want you to know that." He spoke to their child, his sincere voice causing more tears to fall while he kissed her waist a few more times before moving up the bed until he was eye level with Gabby. "And I love you, too-"
He barely finished getting the words out before she crashed her lips into his, the passion behind her movements nearly knocking the wind out of him as Matt carefully climbed over top of her, hovering enough to where his weight wasn't crushing her. They moved at a steady pace, despite Gabby's desperation, both of them wanting to savor this time together as much as they could. To properly celebrate the new child they'd be bringing into this world, Matt being careful with her while he gently pulled the shirt from her body and tossed it to the floor, leaving nothing in his way as he began to show her the mother of his children just how grateful he was for her, while also trying to hold off some of their fears for this pregnancy.
At least for tonight.
Gabby's eyebrows furrowed when her mind gradually came into consciousness, a soft groan escaping her lips as she tried to fight against waking up. But as the seconds pushed on she found that wasn't going to work, Dawson letting out a heavy breath before finally opening her eyes.
Their bedroom was brighter than she would've expected, Gabby blinking a few times before turning to look at the clock on their nightstand.
8:54.
At first she thought she was misreading the numbers in front of her, as she and Matt hardly even slept in this late. Certainly not with their daughters and them needing to be taken care of, but as Dawson gained more of her surroundings it was then she heard the soft sound of the television coming from their living room. That, along with Nancy and Caitlyn's voices mixing into whatever show they were watching, telling Gabby that Matt's mom had been kind enough to watch the girls while they rested.
And given their long evening the night before, that felt like a godsend, Gabby letting herself relax once more as she curled up next to the warmth that was her husband. He was still asleep, not having moved an inch since she woke up a few minutes ago, giving Gabby the chance to look him over while she pulled the sheets up to cover her bare chest.
He was fast asleep, his features completely relaxed as he laid on his side, Gabby taking notice of his chest rising and falling with each slow breath he took. But his peaceful demeanor wasn't the only thing she was focused on, as she couldn't help but notice his hand that was resting protectively over her stomach.
Ever since she told him she was pregnant, he'd hardly let go of her. And that continued all through the night, the feeling of his secure hand sending a rush of comfort through her while also bringing back all the memories from the evening before to the forefront of her mind. Her taking that test, finding out she was pregnant, telling him that they were pregnant, and the uncertainties that came with it; it all came back to her while she focused on the feeling of his hand against her stomach, Gabby knowing that, without a doubt, last night had been one of the best in their lives.
But now that it was morning, and her head was a little more clear than it had been hours ago, the more her worries from the night before came rushing back.
She was excited, and elated. There was no way she couldn't be knowing that she and Matt had created another beautiful life together. But along with that came that sense of reality that she had to acknowledge. How she was beyond nervous to go through another pregnancy, and after last time she felt like she had every reason to be.
There were so many unknowns, so much up in the air, and after the ups and downs of her first pregnancy; how it not only almost cost her her life, but nearly tore her and Matt apart, there were a lot of conflicting emotions coursing through her. Most of which she wasn't sure how to deal with.
But through all this uncertainty, there was one thing she was holding on. One thing giving her hope, and that was her husband.
When she first saw that positive pregnancy test, she really didn't know what type of reaction to expect from him. If he'd be happy, or scared. Upset about them getting pregnant again, she didn't know. All she had to go on was their first pregnancy with Sofia, which- admittedly, wasn't the happiest of times in their lives. It wasn't nearly as joyous as it should've been, at least not at first.
And though that was all behind them, she hadn't forgotten how difficult that pregnancy was on him. She hadn't forgotten his fear and anger, all the worry he felt for her. And, while it still hurt to think about, she hadn't forgotten some of the resentment she knew he felt towards her at first, either. She remembered all of it, and for a moment last night she was worried that would happen again.
But thankfully, it hadn't. If anything, it was the exact opposite. He was overjoyed and steady, surprisingly calm even with the unknowns of their situation. He was just… Matt. He was the safe, loving presence he'd always been, that alone helping Gabby more than else could've.
And now, she could only hope he still felt that way.
The feeling of him shifting around pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby's vision coming into focus just as a soft groan left his lips, his face grimacing a bit before he slowly started to open his eyes. As soon as he saw her watching him, a smile appeared over his features, Matt letting out a small laugh before he leaned towards her and pressed a delicate kiss to her lips.
"Good morning." He murmured, Gabby matching his smile before she kissed him back, not missing how he was already starting to rub his hand over her still-flat stomach.
"Morning." She repeated, her voice a little rough from lack of use.
"And good morning to you, baby." Matt continued on while pushing himself up enough to move down to her waist, wasting no time in placing his lips down next to his hand to kiss her stomach. He stayed there for a few long moments, Gabby taking to running her hand through his short hair while he spoke in hushed tones to their child, Matt carefully moving his palm underneath the sheets to be as close to them as possible. "...How are you feeling?"
It took her a second to realize he was now talking to her, Gabby still mindlessly rubbing his head while clearing her throat.
"Do you feel sick or anything? I can get you some tea." He offered, his words bringing that small smile back to her face as she shook her head.
"I feel okay, thank you though." She replied, Matt pressing one last kiss to her stomach before he made his way back up the bed, not stopping until he was eye level with her. He used one hand to prop his head up, the other moving to rest gingerly over the side of her neck while his thumb stroked her jaw, Casey looking over her tired features before leaning down to give her another kiss.
This one was fleeting, but Gabby soaked in the moment for as long as she could before he pulled back. "Have you been up long?"
"Not really, just a few minutes." She answered with a shrug, letting herself lean into her husband's touch.
"Do we need to get the girls? I'm not sure if they-"
His voice was cut off by the sound of Caitlyn's laughter coming from the living room, that soon followed by Nancy responding to her, along with a few noticeable squeals from their youngest, Matt letting out a chuckle of his own while Gabby bit down on her bottom lip.
"I guess that answers my question, I'd say our girls are fine." He continued on with a huff, Gabby nodding with a gentle grin.
"Yeah, I think your mom has it handled. Though we'll need to make sure and thank her for that." She told him, Matt nodding in agreement.
"We will." He replied, moving to place another kiss against the side of her arm as he let his lips linger against her skin, the air around them turning quiet while Gabby's eyes fell closed.
And that was how they stayed for a couple long minutes, Gabby not seeing the way Matt was watching her while she took slow, steadying breaths. Her hand was absentmindedly rubbing over her stomach, Casey looking between her and her movements as he could tell there was something on her mind. And there had been ever since he woke up, Matt knowing her well enough to realize she was holding onto a lot that she wasn't saying.
But he didn't want her to carry it all on her own, whatever it was. Even though he had a pretty good idea of what she was thinking.
"You wanna talk about it." He eventually spoke up, her brows knitting together before she opened her eyes to find his watchful gaze on her. But she said nothing, the look on her face enough for him to continue. "Whatever's going on in there." Matt added on, lifting his hand up to gently tap his finger against the side of her head, prompting her to blow out a heavy breath before she began messing with the fabric of their sheets.
"I'm just… I don't know, thinking about all of it I guess." She breathed out, Matt staying quiet while giving her a supportive nod. "The baby, and what this means for us. How we don't even know what it means yet. It's a lot to try and process."
"It is." He replied.
"And even past me, it's a lot to wrap my mind around because I kind of just accepted that you and I were probably never going to have any more children." She kept on, feeling safe enough to get this off her chest. "I think we both did. Especially now that the girls are getting older- I mean, we just got Sof out of diapers and Caity's already in elementary school. I had gotten to the point where I put all the baby stuff behind me, so when I saw that positive pregnancy test it kind of caught me off guard."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." He agreed softly, while pushing back some of her hair out of her face. "There's stuff to this that is… a lot to deal with."
Gabby nodded back at him, her eyes darting around for a second before she blurted out the next words on the tip of her tongue. "But you're still happy about this, right? You're okay with this?" She asked, Matt's face quickly showing the surprise he felt at her question before his features began to soften. "I know you were last night, but you're happy about us being pregnant? Cause I know last time…" She trailed off, a frown beginning to pull on his lips before he forced in a deep breath. "I just wasn't sure if any of the excitement from last night had worn off."
They both went quiet for a few seconds, Matt deep in thought as his mind couldn't help but go back to when they found out she was pregnant with Sofia.
And he still hated himself for it.
He tried not to think about it too much last night, but now he wasn't able to ignore it, the memories of that time in their life settling in his stomach like a rock as he couldn't help but be mad at himself for the way he acted. How he treated Gabby, how he'd put so much distance between them and made it impossible for them to actually enjoy the beginning of her pregnancy, it was one of his biggest regrets. And his actions then would likely haunt him for the rest of his life.
But because of that, he refused to ever do something like that again. He wouldn't put his wife through that, letting his anger and fear control him. Certainly not when they had no reason to think anything was wrong with Gabby or this baby.
"Matt…" She spoke once more when he stayed quiet, the man taking another steadying breath before he gave her a small, yet comforting smile.
"I'm still excited, babe… More than excited, I'm so damn happy about this." He explained to her, feeling her relax beneath his touch as he spoke with a strength he knew she needed to hear. "And back then, with Sofia… There's a lot I did that's inexcusable, but I never want you to worry about that happening again. Because it won't. I won't ever do that to you, or our child, again. No matter what I'm feeling." He repeated the thoughts in his head, Gabby opening her mouth to try and shoulder some of the blame, as this wasn't why she'd brought it up.
But Matt continued on before she could.
"I can't lie to you and say I'm not worried, because I am. Especially after your pregnancy with Sofia, and how that was…" He stopped himself to clear his throat, Matt trying to find the right words before he started once more. "There were parts of it that were incredible, and amazing. You being pregnant was what we'd always dreamed of. But there were also times it was terrifying, and it's hard to think about us going through that again. To think about you experiencing it again." He explained further, Gabby nodding sadly in agreement as he voiced some of the exact thoughts that had been on her mind. "Not just mentally, but physically. Your body has gone through so much, between having Sofia and the accident. And- I think this goes without saying, but I will never, ever, be okay with the idea of something happening to you… But we both know what Dr. Tanner told us after you had Sof. This doesn't have to be like last time. With Sofia, we knew something was wrong and it was dangerous, but this.. Right now, you're healthy. You're aneurysm is gone, and while there's always risks; I know Dr. Tanner said it was possible another aneurysm could form, but she also said she didn't see any reason you couldn't have a safe pregnancy, if that ever happened for us again." He reminded her, Gabby's eyes falling closed while his words washed over her, Matt pausing to place another kiss to the top of her shoulder before he spoke again. "I am worried, and probably will be this entire pregnancy. But baby this is a great thing. And the thought of having another child with you, of giving Caity and Sof another sibling…" He spoke, not missing the smile that began to reappear over Gabby's face before she slowly opened her eyes. "That makes me feel like the luckiest guy in the world. Because our girls are already so perfect, and now we're going to have another perfect baby."
Her hand kept ghosting over her stomach while he spoke, her smile widening before she slowly began to nod.
"So that's what I'm going to focus on, instead of stressing myself over something that might not even be a problem. At least until we see Dr. Tanner and know what's going on." He finished, Gabby drawing in a slow breath before reaching out to him.
"Okay." She murmured, Matt giving her a slow nod before he pressed a loving kiss to her lips, staying there until she was ready to pull away.
"Are you alright?" He checked with her, Gabby needing a few seconds before she was able to respond.
"I am." She assured him, Matt brushing the back of his hand over her cheek in an effort to help soothe her. "I'm where you're at, I think.. Part of me is scared to be excited about this, because of everything you said. And how terrifying parts of my last pregnancy were.. Especially because it's not just us anymore, either. It's our girls. And if something were to happen to me, I wouldn't just be leaving you, but our two beautiful, incredible babies who need us."
"I know." He replied sadly, not wanting to dismiss her very real fears, as they were the exact ones he had a few years ago. And still did, to an extent.
"But like you said, we don't know yet if there's even anything to worry about… Dr. Tanner told us I was alright, that I would most likely be fine having another baby. And even though there aren't any guarantees, I'm gonna try to just believe that everything will be fine. That I'll be okay, unless we're given a reason to think otherwise." She repeated his words, as much for herself as for him.
"That's all we can do right now baby." He agreed, Gabby breathing deeply before she nodded. "That, and call Dr. Tanner.. See if we can get an appointment soon, that way she can answer some of our questions. And hopefully ease some of these worries we have."
"Yeah, you're right. We need to see her… I'll call the office today, see if they're open. And if she can get us in as soon as possible." Gabby told him.
"That sounds good." He replied with a smile, Matt giving her one last kiss before he slowly started to get up. "So you're okay?" He asked one last time.
"I'm okay." She answered, earning a soft smile from him before he squeezed her thigh.
"Good.. Now, are you ready to get up and go see our kids- while there are only two," He quipped, sensing he needed to lighten the mood as Gabby let out a soft laugh. "Or do you wanna stay here for a bit?"
"Let's go see our girls." She answered without hesitation, Casey nodding in agreement before they began to disentangle themselves from the sheets and get more presentable.
But as Matt was sliding on a pair of pajama pants a thought occurred to him, the man glancing back just as Gabby was clasping her bra into place before he spoke up.
"Hey, uh.. Before we go out there, we should probably figure out if we're wanting to tell anyone yet or not?" He asked, gaining Gabby's attention as she reached for the t-shirt she had pulled from the drawer. "I mean, I know we'll need to tell the girls on our own at some point, but in terms of our parents… Are you wanting to say anything yet?"
She took in a thoughtful breath, Gabby mulling over his words before she began to shake her head. "I want to keep this between us, for now. If that's okay."
"That's fine, baby. It's whatever you want." He replied with a smile. "We can wait as long as you want to."
"Yeah, I'd at least like to wait until we see Dr. Tanner and know what we're dealing with… Then we can figure out when we're gonna tell everyone." She settled on, Matt giving her an agreeing nod before the couple went back to getting ready to leave the confines of their bedroom.
It only took them a few more minutes before they were both dressed and ready to go see their girls, Gabby pulling her hair back into a ponytail as they walked to the door, the parents able to hear the chaos happening just feet away before they even stepped out of their room. But once they did, even they were taken aback by the sight in front of them as there were toys and blankets littering the floor of the living room, while Sofia and Caitlyn were chasing each other around.
The two year old was just in her pullup, with her shirt hanging off the top of her head almost like a headband, while Caitlyn was running slowly behind her, loud laughs and squeals coming from both girls as they played together, Nancy just trying to contain them while Matt let out a soft chuckle.
"...You really think we can handle three kids?" Gabby asked softly, none of them having noticed her or Matt yet as a small smirk appeared over his lips, before he reached out to rub his hand over her back.
"Oh, without a doubt. We can handle anything." He spoke proudly, pressing a kiss to the side of her mouth before taking a step away from her. "And I can always become a stay at home dad if we need to."
Gabby laughed in response, shaking her head while he winked at her before he stepped further into the main part of their home, the movement finally gaining the attention of their daughters.
"Daddy!" Caitlyn cheered, Sofia soon shrieking while shoving her hands up into the air.
"Dada! Dada! Dada here!" Sofia cheered while waddling over to him, her eyes then widening when she saw Gabby a few steps behind him. "Mama!" She yelled even louder, changing her path towards Dawson while Matt picked up Caitlyn, the father turning around just as Gabby picked their youngest daughter up.
"See?" He spoke, gaining Gabby's attention while the family stood together. "We got this."
A soft, genuine smile graced her lips while she rubbed over Sofia's bare stomach, before she nodded back at him.
"Yeah… We've got this."
Casey stood stoically outside the firehouse while Gabby climbed down from his truck, their shift bags swung over his shoulder as he waited for her to get to him. Heavy snow was falling down around them, the late December day proving to be a rather dreary one as the weather wouldn't be looking up anytime soon. But they'd managed to get here safely, which was all Matt cared about, especially since this was the first time they'd been out of the house since Christmas Day.
After they joined their girls out in the living room yesterday morning, they never went very far from the couch. They played with their daughters, and watched a few movies and shows with them, but they had stayed in the entire day, their afternoon spent with the girls, Nancy, and eventually Gabby's parents proving to be a relaxing one. And something they desperately needed with this rather big secret he and Gabby were holding onto, the two of them glad for this great time with their family as being together helped to ease some of the heaviness of everything going on. Even if it was just for a few hours.
But now, they had to try and put all that aside and focus on work. As much as they could at least, as they had an entire twenty four hour shift ahead of them. Which, admittedly, Matt found himself a bit anxious for. Now knowing about this little life growing inside Gabby, and the obvious dangers of the job, it made him nervous being back here. But he trusted Gabby, and knew she wouldn't push herself too hard.
"You ready?" Matt asked after she shut the door, his hand reaching out to help guide her over some patches of snow and ice in her path before they started up the driveway.
"I am… And I think the distraction will be nice." She told him, Matt nodding understandingly while they walked. "Cause if we were at home, all I'd be thinking about is our appointment tomorrow." She added on, a look of realization flashing over his features as he felt the exact same way.
Yesterday, when they'd talked about calling Dr. Tanner's office to set up an appointment, they had no idea they'd be able to get in so quickly. Especially not as soon as tomorrow morning. But when the office realized who was calling, and what was going on, they'd made every effort to squeeze Gabby into Dr. Tanner's schedule, which was something the both of them were extremely grateful for. Because it meant they would get those answers they so desperately needed.
They just had to make it through this shift first.
"Yeah, you're right… But we'll get through today, and then go see Dr. Tanner in the morning." He repeated, Gabby nodding in agreement just as they got to the garage, the pair kicking the excess snow and ice off their books before walking further in.
"Oh, and before I forget.. I already asked my parents if they could stay later tomorrow morning. To help your mom out with the girls until we get home." She explained, glancing his way.
"Did they ask why?"
"Mhmm.. But I told them I was going to get a check up, since I'd been sick." Gabby said, earning a nod from him as they walked around the rigs.
"Alright. Well, I appreciate them staying later.. And I know Caity and Sof will be excited for more time with their grandparents."
"They definitely will be." She agreed just as they got to the squad table, where there were a surprising amount of firefighters already sitting.
"Hey Caseys." Severide greeted first, nodding their way as Stella sat on his right.
"Hey guys, how was your Christmas?" She asked.
"It was good." Matt answered with a soft smile, the man feeling as if he almost had to regroup himself after this life-changing news he and Gabby had. Like he had to find a way to act like everything was normal, even though it was the farthest thing from it. "We had a great time with our families, and the girls loved it."
"I'm sure they did, I saw that stack of presents." Severide teased, just as Gabby felt an arm wrap around her shoulders from the side Matt wasn't standing on, her head turning to see Norris now next to her.
"Hey Jemma." She greeted with a bright smile, giving her friend a hug while the younger paramedic rested her head against Dawson's.
"Hey Dawson… Are you feeling any better?"
"Oh yeah, you're not still blowing chunks everywhere, are you?" Severide asked, pushing his chair back a bit in an effort to get farther away from her.
"Charming, Kelly." Gabby replied dryly, before returning her attention to Norris. "And I am, I'm feeling better… Not one hundred percent, but better." She explained, not missing how Matt's hand went to rest over her coat-covered back, the gesture simple enough to everyone around them. But it held so much more weight to her.
"Good." Jemma said with a smile, rubbing over her shoulder just as the bells went off above their heads, calling out ambo and squad to a call a few blocks away.
The firefighters began to scramble, hurrying to their rigs while Jemma stepped away from Dawson, leaving Matt and Gabby there beside the table as they turned to one another.
Neither of them said anything at first, their eyes telling more than words ever could before Gabby gave him a slow nod.
"Please… be careful." He requested, his gaze flashing down to her stomach before he met her bright brown eyes, Gabby giving him a weak smile in response while her hand rested against his chest.
"I will. I promise." She assured him, Matt giving her one last nod before she hurried off to the rig, his eyes following her every movement as he couldn't help but think about how it wasn't just her climbing into that ambulance, but her and their child.
And, from experience the first time around, that knowledge was something that never got easier.
Well, there we have it. We've seen Matt and Gabby talk a little bit about everything, and where they stand. And, I'm not sure if it'll surprise any of you or not, but we've got some role reversal happening here with the two of them, compared to last time. But still, they're both very excited, and I was glad to see a lot of you are, too.
Reading through your reviews, first off let me say I appreciate the feedback. It helps me so much, and I'm glad to see where you all stand with everything. And with this, I do understand the concerns you guys have. Gabby has been through a lot, physically and mentally, and the last thing she needs is more trauma. So while I don't want to give too much away, just trust that I'm aware of that and this pregnancy will likely be a lot different than Gabby's pregnancy with Sofia.
I think that's about all I've got, next time we're gonna get to see Dawsey's appointment with Dr. Tanner, and find out exactly what they're dealing with. But for now, thank you all again for reading and I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm very eager to hear what you think.
Have a great week, everyone. And I'll see you next time!