Hello there everyone! I'm here with the next update for you all. In this one we have some cute Casey family moments, along with Gabby and Matt sharing their good news with a few other people. So I hope you all enjoy it, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts.
Happy reading!
Chapter One Hundred and Ninety One
"Daddy, Mommy is still sleeping."
The sound of Caitlyn's hushed voice filtered into Gabby's head as she slowly began to wake up from her nap, her eyebrows furrowing the slightest bit while she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Her brain was fuzzy, and she didn't know how long she'd been asleep for since laying down late this morning. But the one thing she did understand was that she was still out on their couch in the living room, the plush material underneath her feeling heavenly as she was in the same position she'd been in when she first fell asleep.
"Yeah, she is Caity.. We need to be quiet." Matt's voice came in, his words harder to hear as he was doing his best to whisper. Though it didn't mean much, when Sofia immediately called out for her mother the second she saw her. "Sof, shh. Shh. Momma's resting." Casey tried to quiet her down, Gabby digging herself deeper into the cushions as her mind was still debating on whether it was time for her to wake up or not.
"Mama." Sofia repeated happily, Gabby hearing the faint sound of her husband's laughter that was soon followed by footsteps, telling her that Matt and their girls were moving further into their home.
Dawson couldn't know for sure, but in all the haze of her tired brain she had a feeling that the rest of her family had just returned home from their afternoon out. One that had been planned pretty last minute, due to Gabby feeling especially worn down when her and Matt woke up this morning. It was something she remembered well from her first pregnancy, the way she seemed to be constantly exhausted no matter how much rest she got, at least through her first trimester. And even at just seven weeks pregnant she was already beginning to feel that now, that fatigue prompting not only her long nap, but Matt making the choice to take their girls out for the day after noticing how tired she was, allowing Gabby to get some rest while Casey had a little Daddy-Daughters date with their children.
But now they had returned home, their arrival continuing to bring Gabby out of her slumber while she turned closer to the sounds of their voices.
"Why don't I take you girls upstairs and we can play?" She heard Matt speak up once more, surely in an effort to get them out of the room so she could continue to sleep.
"So we don't wake up Mommy?" Caity asked.
"Yeah, we don't wanna wake Mommy. We can tell her about today when she wakes up, and you can show her your new dolls." He added on, Gabby unable to stop her smile even in her haze, as despite Christmas just being a few days ago she wasn't at all surprised to hear that Matt had bought them more toys.
"Is the baby sleeping too?" Caitlyn's inquisitive voice carried on, her words washing warmly over Gabby while Matt let out a soft laugh.
"They are, the baby is sleeping."
"Aww." The six year old cooed, her genuine love and excitement for her newest sibling something that Gabby and Matt both were so incredibly grateful for.
She'd been elated ever since finding out last night, her and Sofia both. Something that hadn't changed when the girls woke up this morning, Caitlyn hardly able to go one conversation without mentioning her little brother or sister and how much she loved them, how she couldn't wait for them to be here. Then whenever she was with Gabby, she'd been glued to her side and cradling her stomach, showing her little sibling as much love as she possibly could. And not only was it one of the most adorable things the parents had ever seen, but Caity's feelings for this baby had also affected how she'd been with mom, too.
Caitlyn was always affectionate towards Gabby, ever since she'd come into their home she never shied away from letting her parents know how much she loved them. But something about this baby had made those feelings even stronger, as Caitlyn took every opportunity to care for her mother. In the short time she's known about this pregnancy she'd been looking out for her, making sure she was alright and didn't need anything, their daughter as cautious as she'd ever been around her mom. Protective almost, and that was something Gabby knew she'd definitely gotten from Matt.
From the moment they became a family, Caitlyn had seen a lot of Matt's protective nature over Gabby. No matter the situation, she'd picked up on a lot of how he'd act towards her, how he'd treat her. And now she was beginning to emulate that, Caitlyn's gentle nature nearly melting her heart as Gabby never got tired of seeing how loving her oldest daughter could be.
"Daddy, we should let Mommy and the baby sleep." Caitlyn continued on moments later, Gabby then hearing Matt agreeing softly in response before she realized she should probably make her alert presence known, a slight yawn escaping her lips as she shifted around on the couch.
"Mommy's awake." Dawson spoke up, her voice a bit groggy from lack of use as she opened her eyes.
Her vision was somewhat blurry at first, but it didn't take long to find her family as they were standing just inside the living room, all three of them watching her as Matt held Sofia in his arms while Caitlyn stood beside them.
"Mommy!" Caitlyn replied first, a beaming smile gracing her features as she placed her shopping bag on the ground before hurrying over to the couch. Once noticing her sister's movements, Sofia began to fight against her dad as well, moving around in his grasp until he put her down on the ground so she could get to her mom.
"Hi baby." Gabby greeted with a small smile as Caitlyn stopped at the edge of the couch, standing in front of her mom's chest while Sofia came up beside her. "Hi my other baby." She repeated for Sofia, the two year old grinning from ear to ear before she held her arms up.
"Mama, get me." She requested, her curly hair framing her face while she grinned up on her mother. "Mama sit me."
Sofia continued to put a few broken sentences together, Gabby watching on happily as Matt came up behind their girls, the man laughing before he reached down to help Sofia up onto the couch.
"Momma needs to be careful, Sof. But you can sit with her." He explained to their youngest, Sofia nodding back at him as he cautiously placed their daughter down onto the couch beside Gabby, her little body sitting up against her mom's waist. "Hi babe." Matt then said to his wife, Gabby looking up at him with a gentle smile before he leaned down to give her a kiss.
"Hi." She repeated, kissing him once more until he pulled away.
"Mama up." Sofia said, Gabby and Matt both understanding she was talking more of how she was now awake, instead of Sof wanting her mother to pick her up.
"Yeah, I'm awake baby." She replied, rubbing her hand through her hair before she reached her other out towards Caity, resting her palm over the girl's side while Caitlyn leaned her weight against the couch.
"Baby." Sofia echoed before shifting her body enough to be able to lean down next to Gabby's stomach, where she then rested her head on her. "Baby here." She continued, placing her tiny hand over Gabby's torso as neither parent could stop the wide grins that covered their faces. Not just at Sofia's heartwarming demeanor, but the fact that she remembered what they had told her the night before.
"Yeah, there's the baby Sof." Caitlyn replied with a giggle, before reaching out to rest her hand over Gabby's stomach as well. "Hi baby, I missed you." She spoke to her sibling, forcing Gabby to now have to blink back a few tears forming in her eyes while she fought to keep her emotions at bay. But with how sweet natured her daughters were, that was nearly impossible. "I wish you and Mommy could've come with us, but Daddy said you all needed to sleep."
Caitlyn kept on speaking to Gabby's stomach, Matt watching the whole thing with the biggest grin on his face while he sat down on the edge of the couch behind Sofia, his side resting up against Gabby as he placed his palm over the top of her thigh.
"And you're still in Mommy's belly, so I don't know if you would've had as much fun as me and Sof." Caitlyn added, her words causing Gabby to laugh while the six year old smiled sheepishly. "But it still would've been fun. You can come with us next time if Mommy wants to." She finished, Gabby nodding before patting her side.
"Yeah, baby and I will try to come." She assured her, earning another content look from her oldest daughter while Sofia was continuing to nuzzle her stomach.
"Yay!" Caitlyn cheered, Gabby watching her for one more moment before she looked further down the couch towards her husband, who was watching her with an easy look on his face.
"Hi baby." He said again, earning a gentle smile from her before she yawned once more. "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good." She told him, feeling him squeeze her thigh as she spoke.
"You sleep okay? I tried to stay gone as long as we could."
"Yeah, I slept well." She replied through another yawn. "I don't even know how long I was asleep."
"Well, we were gone for about three hours. So probably a while." He spoke lightly, Gabby scrunching up her face a bit before she nodded. "But you need the rest, I'm just glad you're feeling better." Matt told her, seeing the appreciative look that then graced her features.
"Me too… What about you all? How was your day out?" Gabby questioned, regaining Caitlyn's attention as she and Matt both watched her. "Did you have a nice time?"
"We did." Caitlyn spoke first, while Matt nodded in agreement. "It was lots of fun."
"It was." Matt repeated, Gabby giving him a soft wink before adjusting her head on the pillow.
"What did you all do?" She prompted, those words earning another smile from her oldest daughter before she began to explain to Gabby how their day had gone.
From going out to eat lunch at their favorite restaurant, to going to the toy store, before finishing up with getting some more clothes for both Sofia and Caity, the six year old went over everything, Gabby hanging on her every word as Caitlyn was clearly excited about getting that time with her father.
"And Daddy even took us to look at baby clothes." Caitlyn added on once she finished describing the few dresses Matt had gotten her.
"He did, did he?" Gabby asked back, raising her brows in amusement as she glanced back towards her husband, who was merely watching her with a shameless grin.
"Uh huh! There was lots of baby stuff. Daddy didn't buy anything for them though, just me and sissy." She rambled on, her words pulling a laugh from Dawson. "The baby clothes had lots of pretty colors though, with cute flowers and princesses. But if I had a little brother, I don't know if he'd like it." She said innocently, Gabby laughing softly while shifting to lean her back against the couch.
"Well, if you did have a little brother, he might like those things… We wouldn't know what he likes until he's born and gets a little older." The mother explained simply, Matt nodding in agreement while Caitlyn thought over her words.
"That would be cool, having a little brother to play princess with. Like Sofia." She replied moments later, the parents sharing a soft laugh in response.
"Yeah, it would be." Casey told her, the smile on Caitlyn's face widening as she looked between them.
"...Am I having a little brother?" She questioned, the gleam in her eye evident while she waited for an answer.
"We don't know yet, honey." Gabby was quick to respond, Caitlyn's excitement diminishing ever so slightly. "We won't find out for a while. They're too little for us to know."
"Will we know before they're born?" Caity pushed, Matt glancing towards Gabby with raised brows before she gave him a nod, silently answering the question they hadn't discussed yet. But were both on the same page with.
"We will, we'll find out at one of my appointments in a few months." Dawson explained gently, giving Caitlyn a second to take in her words. "But once we know, you and Sof will know.. Then we can go together and buy them some stuff."
Caity perked up a bit, the grin returning to her face before she started to nod excitedly. "Okay Mommy."
Sensing that Caitlyn was content with her answer, Gabby patted her side lovingly before she returned her gaze to her husband, who was already watching her.
"Are you hungry?" Matt shifted the subject, while rubbing his free hand over Sofia's back. "I can make you something."
Gabby shook her head. "I'm not, thank you." She replied, causing him to nod. "I will probably get something before we go to my parents, though." She added on.
"Alright, well when you decide what you want, let me know." He said back, Gabby smiling gratefully at him before matching his nod.
"I will… What time are we supposed to be there tonight, anyway?"
"Seven." He answered, seeing Gabby then glance across the room towards the clock. "We have some time."
"Yeah, I might have to take another nap if we're gonna be out that late." She joked, Casey laughing in response while a soft gasp left Caitlyn's lips, the six year old clearly still listening to their conversation.
"I wanna nap with Mommy." Caity interjected, regaining her mother's attention as the little girl's brown eyes widened. "We can cuddle, and watch a movie."
Casey let out a deep chuckle, as Caitlyn's version of napping today wasn't entirely what Gabby was thinking. But the mother nodded regardless.
"I would love that, baby. You wanna lay with me for a bit?" Gabby asked her, as she wasn't going to pass up the time with her daughter.
"Mhmm." Caity hummed while nodding happily.
"How about we go into our room?" Casey suggested before Caitlyn made any moves to get up on the furniture, knowing the couch would be pretty cramped with both girls and Gabby. And, not that their daughters would ever do anything to hurt their mom or their sibling, he didn't want his wife to be cramped on the sofa. "And we can all lay down together for a bit."
"Okay!" Caitlyn replied instantly, Gabby shooting him a thankful look while Caity took a step back from the couch. "Sof, come on. We're gonna cuddle with Mommy and Daddy." The girl instructed, Sofia not needing any more instruction once Caitlyn reached for her hand and helped her down off the couch, before the Casey girls ran over towards their parents bedroom.
"Well, who knew it was that easy." Casey said lightheartedly, Gabby shaking her head at him before she slowly began to sit herself up, Matt instinctively reaching out to help her. "You ready to go lay down?"
"Definitely." She replied, like she hadn't just spent the last few hours sleeping as Casey released another laugh.
"Alright, well we should probably get in there before they take over the bed." He said with a light grin while he stood up, Casey never going too far as he held his hand out for her to hold on to before she got to her feet as well, their fingers locking together while they made their way towards their bedroom. "Oh, and before I forget…" Matt started as they passed their dining table. "I called your mom while we were out, and she said it was fine for Jemma and Severide to come tonight."
Gabby's steps slowed as she took in her words, a small smile reappearing over her face before Matt gave her a soft nod. In all the exhaustion she'd felt today, it had slipped her mind how last night she and Matt discussed Jemma and Kelly coming to their family dinner, so they could be there when they delivered the news to everyone else. It just felt right, them being there, because to them Kelly and Jemma were their family. People who were there for them without question, no matter what. And they wanted them there when they told the rest of their family, too.
"Said she was already making extra, because she's Camila." He kept on with a smirk, Gabby scoffing lightly before they continued towards the bedroom. "And I talked to Jemma and Kelly, too. They'll both be there."
"You really do take care of everything, don't you?" Gabby asked him, her teasing words pulling a chuckle from him before he gave her hand a squeeze.
"Well, that's why you keep me around." He deadpanned, Dawson shaking her head as he led her to their door. "Now, let's get in there and spend some time with our girls."
Gabby sat comfortably in the living room of her parent's house while her family was sprawled out around her, her father to her left while Matt sat on her right, the two men currently in the middle of an easy conversation as everyone else was broken off into smaller groups. Sofia was currently standing over by the front window with Severide on the ground next to her, as they watched the snow fall down outside, while Caitlyn was a few feet away sitting next to Nancy in the oversized chair, the six year old currently showing her grandmother one of her favorite games on Gabby's phone. Then Antonio, who had showed up just a few minutes ago, was already put to work as their mother asked him to set the table, while Camila was finishing up the last few touches to their dinner in the kitchen.
Gabby had tried a few times to offer help to her mother, as she didn't want her to feel like she had to do everything on her own. But Camila turned her down every time, even ushering Gabby back to the living room one time when she'd gone to the kitchen, repeating over and over how she just wanted her daughter to take it easy and she had everything under control, the mother still not entirely believing that she was over her sickness. And, considering how Gabby couldn't explain the true reason for her sudden illness just yet, she didn't push it and went back to be with the rest of her family.
And she had stayed there ever since, Gabby content to just sit and enjoy this time with the people she loved dearly, this easy feeling in the air something she hoped would continue through the night until they could share the news with everyone.
Though she and Matt didn't exactly have a plan for how they were going to tell them about the newest addition to the Casey family, she knew they were wanting to wait and do it after dinner. It seemed like the best time to her, that it made the most sense to get through their meal first. And as long as there were no excited little girls that blurted out the surprise too early, Gabby thought it best to end their evening with the news of their baby.
"Do you want more to drink, babe?"
Gabby snapped from her thoughts when she heard Matt's soft voice, his hand resting over her leg as she glanced towards him, to find him looking between her and the near empty water glass on the table in front of her. Her cup was between a couple different beers, as her father, Severide, and Antonio had all placed their bottles there. But none of them seemed to question her opting for a non alcoholic drink tonight, likely because Matt had declined the offer just seconds after she had.
"I'm okay right now." She replied with a smile. "Thank you, though."
Casey gave her a nod, the little smile on his face never faltering as he gently squeezed her thigh. But neither of them said anything else, not before the doorbell suddenly rang throughout the home.
"That must be Jemma, I'll get it." Ramon said, pushing himself up from the couch and heading out of the room towards the front door.
"Oh, it's definitely Jemma." Severide spoke up, Gabby looked towards him to see Sofia's face practically pushed up against the glass, tapping against it while she babbled her version of 'Auntie Jemma' over and over again. "Sof stopped caring about me the second she saw her."
"Well, it's been that way since she was born, Sev." Casey shot back playfully, earning some laughs from the adults left in the room as Severide flipped him off, the gesture then causing Caitlyn to let out a quick gasp.
"Uncle Kelly, that's bad!" She chastised, gaining more laughter from Matt, Gabby, and Nancy, while Kelly soon put his hand down the second he realized he'd been caught. "Daddy says you can't do that, it's mean."
"Yeah, you're right. It is mean, baby." Matt agreed with a smug grin, Severide narrowing his eyes towards Casey before he looked at Caitlyn, his features softening immediately.
"I'm sorry, Caity." He spoke sincerely, while keeping his other hand on Sofia's back to help steady her.
"It's okay." She gave in, the six year old not picking up on how the entire room was amused by her. "Just don't do it again, or you'll go to timeout." She added, Gabby biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing louder while Severide nodded at the young girl.
"Alright, I won't."
"Uh oh, Severide. Did you get in trouble already?" Jemma's voice filtered into the room as she and Ramon came in through the entryway, everyone turning her way while she stood there with a bright gleam in her eye.
"He did, he was bad." Caitlyn repeated herself, Jemma's lips parting slightly in response before she shook her head in Kelly's direction.
"The night's barely started, and you're already causing problems." Norris teased, Kelly then waving her off before Sofia spotted her godmother and began to run that way.
"Yeah, yeah. At least I was here on time." He shot back, Jemma giving him another look before she turned her attention to Sofia, who was giggling and saying her name the entire way.
"Hi sweet girl." Jemma greeted, her tone a complete shift from seconds prior as she bent down to pick the toddler up in her arms, everyone in the room watching on at the adorable sight while Sofia greeted her Auntie Jemma. "I've missed you, I feel like I haven't seen you or your sister in forever."
"We missed you, too." Caitlyn chimed in as she slid down off of her seat and went towards Jemma as well, Norris grinning brightly down at her before rubbing her hand over the back of her head.
"Yeah, I'm glad I was able to come tonight. Thanks again for inviting me… Though I am sorry I'm late."
"Oh, nonsense. It's fine." Ramon said quickly, while Jemma continued to get greeted by the two Casey children. "We were just sitting around waiting for dinner. Can I get you something to drink?"
"A glass of wine would be great, thank you." She replied, Ramon giving her a nod before he headed back towards the kitchen just as Camila was walking towards them.
"I was hoping that was you I heard, hi sweetheart." Camila warmly greeted her daughter's partner, Jemma offering a smile in response as her arms were occupied by Caity and Sofia. "It's great to see you again."
"You too." Norris echoed, Camilla rubbing over her back before she turned her attention out to the entire room.
"Well, if you all are ready, it's time for dinner."
"Thank God." Severide breathed out, Casey scoffing back at him while the rest of the room laughed. "Sorry, but I'm hungry." He continued, after pushing himself up from the floor.
"That's a good thing, because there's plenty of food. Now come on, let's eat." Camila replied before beginning to usher everyone towards the dining room, Severide coming up to Jemma to help her with the girls while Nancy followed in their path as well, leaving Gabby and Matt to be the last out of the room, the couple sharing a knowing look before they headed off towards the dining room to spend this evening with their family.
Dawson drew in a deep breath while she stood in the kitchen at her father's house before taking a slow sip of her water, the sound of her friends and family filtering in from out in the living room as they continued on with their night together. They had finished up dinner and dessert over an hour ago, everyone pitching in to help Camila clean up and put the leftovers away- despite her protests, before they all went and sat together in the family room. And that's where they had all been ever since, sharing stories and talking together, just trying to soak up what little was left of the time they all had together as both her mom and Matt's were set to leave here in a couple days.
"Baby?"
Gabby looked up when she heard the familiar term of endearment, seeing her husband standing just a few feet from her with a small, yet somewhat hesitant look on his face, the tone in his voice telling her this wasn't the first time he'd tried to get her attention.
"Hey, sorry." She replied, his face softening before he continued the rest of the way towards her.
"You're fine, I was just coming to check on you… You've been gone for a bit." He replied pointedly, Gabby smiling a bit before she nodded.
"Yeah, yeah… I was gonna head back out there in a minute, I was just getting something to drink." She told him, lifting her water glass up before she turned back to place it on the counter.
"Ahh… Are you still feeling okay?" He asked, earning another quick nod from her while her arms crossed over her chest.
"I am. A little tired, and the smell of that meat at dinner made me kind of queasy," She explained, Matt frowning sympathetically as he stood directly in front of her, his hand reaching out to gently grab ahold of her arm. "But I'm fine."
"Yeah, I could tell it was getting to you a little bit. But you hung in there like a champ." He replied lightly, causing Gabby to laugh as she relaxed her weight back more into the counter.
"I did what I could." She played along, Matt's easy smile growing as she matched his look, before looking past him towards the door. "...Is everyone still out in the living room?"
"They are." He answered, squeezing her arm once more before dropping his hand. "Right now, they're all competing for Caity and Sof's attention." Matt added on lightheartedly while another laugh escaped Gabby's lips.
"That's not surprising… Although here soon, they'll have another kid to fight over." Gabby replied, the volume of her voice dropping considerably just incase someone was closer than they realized.
"Yeah, they will. Even if they don't know that yet." He responded, as Gabby nodded. "Which, speaking of, I'd say it's probably time we tell them, if you're ready." Matt prompted, seeing her watching him as her hand subconsciously moved down to rest over her stomach.
"I'm ready if you are." Gabby said, seeing the smile on his face widen before he reached out to place his hand on top of hers. "And I know Caity definitely is."
Those words earned another laugh from him, as both parents were well aware of how excited Caitlyn was for everyone to know about her newest sibling. With Sofia, things were a little different as she couldn't really understand the difference in people knowing about this pregnancy. But Caitlyn did, and she'd practically been bouncing off the walls all evening wanting people to know. Though to her credit, she hadn't said anything about it, the six year old remembering how they were going to tell everyone all together after they ate.
"She really is.. In fact, we should probably go do it now before she blurts it out by accident." He joked, Gabby mimicking his laugh as she gave him a nod, the parents standing her for a few more seconds, cradling her stomach before they ultimately moved away from the counter.
With their hands clasped together, Matt and Gabby walked out of the kitchen towards the living room, a mix of excitement and some nerves rushing through their systems as they were eager to tell those closest to them about this pregnancy.
When they got to the room, everyone was where they'd last left them, Gabby and Matt pausing in the doorway while they looked over their friends and family. None of them had realized they were back just yet, not until Matt cleared his throat after giving Gabby's hand a squeeze.
"Hey guys?" He started, everyone in the room turning towards him and Gabby with varying looks on their faces. "Gabby and I want to talk to you for a second."
They didn't get much in the form of a reaction for any of them, though they could sense their family was unsure. Like they didn't know if this was going to be a good or bad thing, all of them listening regardless while Gabby drew in a deep breath.
"Is everything okay?" Antonio was the first to speak up, his younger sister nodding in response as Matt couldn't stop his smile from growing.
"Yeah, we're good."
"Everything's great." Casey added on once his wife finished speaking. "There's just something we want to tell you guys, why we wanted us all to get together tonight." He explained, though his words didn't do much to help their uncertainty as a few of them nodded. "Caity, you wanna get your sister and come over here?"
The six year old nodded, sliding down off the couch beside Jemma and walking over towards Sofia, Caitlyn reaching for her hand before she led her over to their parents.
"What's going on?" Severide spoke up next, Matt's smile never diminishing despite the fact he didn't give him an answer. Instead, he glanced towards Gabby, who looked up at him seconds later.
"You wanna do it? Or should Caity." He questioned, Gabby matching his smile before she nodded down towards their oldest daughter.
"Let Caity." She replied, Casey giving her a knowing look before he leaned down to their child, whispering something in her ear while Sofia moved to stand between her parents.
"I can?" Caitlyn asked brightly after her father finished speaking, Matt giving her an assuring nod before she quickly turned back to face the room, the girl bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet while she clapped her hands together excitedly.
"Go ahead." Gabby prompted, rubbing over her back just before Caitlyn got out what she'd been dying to say since they got here.
"Mommy's having a baby!"
The entire room stopped, it taking a few seconds for Caity's words to sink in before looks of disbelief covered their faces. A few of them were smiling, others still trying to process the news while Gabby and Matt looked around at them, before the former locked eyes with her father.
"Gabriela…" He murmured, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes before she started to nod brightly.
"We're pregnant." She repeated, Ramon letting out an elated breath before it all finally hit them.
"Oh my God." Jemma said softly.
"That's wonderful news!" Nancy added with a bright grin.
"Oh mija, this is amazing." Camila cried, the woman being the first to her feet before she hurried over to her daughter.
"Mommy's pregnant!" Caitlyn repeated loudly, her grin beaming while the rest of the group began to make their way over to congratulate them.
Camila took Gabby into her arms first while Ramon hugged Casey, the parents staying there for as long as they could while soaking in this moment.
"This is incredible." Ramon voiced as he moved to hug Gabby, Camila getting in a moment with Casey before Nancy came in to congratulate her son.
"I can't believe you're pregnant." Severide voiced, picking Sofia up while Antonio got Gabby into his arms.
"Congrats sis." He said, pressing a loving kiss to her cheek while rubbing over her back. "I'm so happy for you two."
"Thanks Tonio." She murmured, holding him a little tighter before they separated, giving room for Jemma to step in.
"Oh my God." Norris breathed again, tears already filling her eyes before she held onto her friend. "You're pregnant."
"I am." Gabby said with a watery laugh, while Severide came up to give Casey a one-armed hug.
"Congrats man." Kelly told him genuinely.
"This is.. I don't even know, I can't believe it. This is amazing." Jemma repeated to Gabby over and over, her pure excitement for her best friend evident as she held onto her as tight as possible.
"Thank you, we're excited." Gabby breathed out just before they let each other go.
"I'm gonna be an older sissy again!" Caitlyn spoke up, Gabby looking over to see her talking to Ramon. "And Sof is so!"
"You are, that's so exciting." Ramon told her, while Nancy went to hug her son once more.
"I'm so happy! And so is Sof. Right Sofi?"
"Baby!" Sofia cheered from Severide's arms, earning some laughs from around the room while Gabby wiped under her eyes, Camila moving back to her daughter's side as the group circled around them.
"This really is such incredible news." Camila spoke up, everyone else nodding while Gabby looked at her mom. Though there was something in her face the younger Dawson picked up on.
"It truly is… Though a part of me still can't wrap my mind around it. Were you all expecting this?" Ramon followed up, Matt soon shaking his head.
"No, no it was a complete surprise. We had no idea… We found out on Christmas." He explained, as their friends and family nodded.
"Well, it's great… Unexpected, but wonderful." Nancy said.
"Absolutely." Ramon echoed, the rest of them continuing to nod while Gabby focused on her mom, seeing her agreeing with those words a little less than everyone else. And after a few seconds, she was starting to understand why.
"Thank you guys, really. We're so happy about this." Matt voiced first, while Severide patted his shoulder. "We wanted to tell you guys, because you're our family… But we aren't really planning on telling anyone else right now." He explained, seeing Norris nod back at him. "We're gonna wait until we get through the first trimester, just to be safe. So if you all could not say anything…"
"Of course, of course." Ramon replied.
"Yeah, we won't tell anyone." Severide repeated, earning a grateful look from Casey while Gabby continued to watch her mom, Camila unable to ignore her stares any longer as she finally looked up at her daughter.
"...You knew, didn't you?" Gabby asked suddenly, interrupting their conversation as Camila pursed her lips together before the entire group looked towards them.
"You knew, Camila?" Ramon asked before she could answer, the older woman taking a breath before she nodded.
"I had a feeling." She replied, Gabby letting out a soft laugh while the rest of them smiled. "I didn't know anything for sure, but when she was sick without any real cause, and the way she was acting.. It added up." She said with a shrug, Matt shaking his head in amusement while Gabby wiped away a few more of her tears.
"Well, I wish you would've told us because we had no idea." Casey joked, the group chuckling while Camila offered him a knowing look.
"Sorry Matthew… But really, I wasn't sure. I just thought it might be a possibility. Especially after you went to the doctor yesterday, and the way you were acting after that." She added on knowingly, Gabby letting out a soft laugh in response.
"Yeah, I didn't love lying to you all about that." She told them, while Ramon laughed deeply.
"So that's where you two actually were." He commented.
"Pretty much." Casey replied easily. "We were at the doctor, just not the one you thought. We went to see Dr. Tanner, to check on Gabby and the baby… We wanted to see her before we did anything. You know, because of last time."
The mood in the room started to shift while Matt spoke, all eyes moving to Gabby as there was a slight heaviness that settled around them.
"What did she say?" Jemma voiced first, her question soon followed by Ramon.
"Is this pregnancy safe for you, mija?" He asked the question they were all thinking, worry laced in his voice as he couldn't bear the thought of his daughter having to go through something like her pregnancy with Sofia again.
"It is." Gabby replied after a second, hearing them all release heavy, yet grateful breaths before the smiles returned to their faces. "I'm okay. We both are." She told them, as her hand came to protectively rest over her stomach once more.
"Thank God." Antonio murmured, Gabby noticing a few tears sitting in his eyes before she gave him a strong nod, while Camila moved back to her side.
"I'm so glad, Gabriela."
"Us too.. We worried about it, for sure. That's part of why we didn't say anything. But she's great, the baby's great. They're both completely healthy." Casey assured them.
"That's wonderful." Ramon told them, before stepping over to place a kiss to his daughter's head. "All of this, it's all just amazing… I'm so happy for you."
"Thank you, Papa." She said, holding onto her parents a little longer while she continued to enjoy this time with the people she loved most. All the love and excitement in the air, and the relief knowing that they were all okay, in this moment she felt so at peace and happy, not only with this next stage of their lives but also knowing they had their family here for them every step of the way.
And it was one of the greatest feelings in the world.