CHAPTER 13
"Gabby?"
She turned around, amazed by the presence of her parents, Gabby walked up to them.
"I-I, what are you doing here? I mean, you don't need-", Maria interrupted her.
"He is our grandson, and we wanted to be here for you...", they hugged each other.
"Thank you, Mamá...".
They all gathered around Ryan's grave, one hour later they headed down to Dawson's bakery.
"How long are you two staying in Chicago?"
"Your mother planned two weeks...", Gomez answered.
"Great, I miss you...," Gabby said hugging her mother.
"We also want to visit you at your new place..., if that's okay with you...".
"Please, stay with me, you and dad...".
"We're gonna stay with Antonio this time, don't worry..., but I plan to sleep two or three days at your apartment, we need to catch up...", Maria explained.
"I'm so glad you're here, Abuela...," Eva voiced.
"Everyone is invited to have dinner with me, I'll make the dish you love, Mamá," Gabby exclaimed enthusiastically.
"I can't wait...", Maria responded.
At the end of the day, Gabby was exhausted, a good night of sleeping was what she was looking for... They had dinner at Antonio's house, then she went straight home, she has a shift the next day.
...
Severide and Shay's new apartment...
"Wow, I never thought a small party would demand a lot of planning...".
"Tell me about, Shay. I will order a pizza, I'm hungry...", Severide informed her.
Casey was at Shay's bedroom setting up a bookshelf for her.
"Would you like a beer?" Severide asked Casey.
"No, thanks...", his eyes fixed on what he was doing.
"Are you sure? We ordered a pizza."
"Yes, I'm not hungry...".
"Shay invited Gabby to come over on Saturday...", Severide observed him. Casey stayed still, he doesn't look affected by his words.
"You will come, right?"
Casey frowned, "Yeah... she would kill me if not... you know, Shay...".
"What's going on with you?" Severide asked because Casey was weirdly quiet...".
Casey stopped his moves... sighed deeply... gazed at his friend...
"It's nothing, I-I changed my mind, can I have that beer now?".
"I saw you did there..., Casey..., it's okay", Severide smiled at him.
Before Severide could leave, "I don't know what to do with myself... my feelings for her are stronger than ever...".
Severide turned around to face his friend... "Would you see you two just as friends?".
Casey pressed his lips together, "I could live with it?!", he shrugged.
"Then, be her friend... it's the first step in the right direction, don't require more than that now... Maybe, down the road she will change her mind, what you two lived, even for a second, you didn't make it up, she felt something too, I mean she agreed to go out with you in the past...".
"Yeah", Casey crossed his arms over his chest, "... I will do that, thank you."
"Guys... pizza. Come on...", Shay announced from the hallway.
...
Firehouse 51...
"I can't take another call like that...", Cruz declared as entering the common room.
"Mills, can you prepare something quick for us? I'm starving..." Mouch asked him.
"If your help, I think so".
"I'll help you," Gabby stood up from the couch. "What are you thinking of making?"
"What are you thinking of...".
When Casey watched Mills and Gabby chatting happily from behind the counter, he decided to go straight to his office, while from the corner of the room, Shay noticed his attitude. Right after, Severide entered the room and sat beside Mouch on the couch.
Shay got up, walking up to the couch, she whispered in Severide's ear: "Hey, we need to do something...".
"What are you talking about?".
"...Casey and Gabby...".
"Shay, they asked us for help? No... so move on...".
"If you don't want to help, well I will do something about it...".
"I'm afraid of your plans...".
"Don't be, I'm an angel...", she lashed her eyebrows at him.
"Okay, just don't put up our new apartment on fire...?" he snickered at her.
"You are not funny..." she patted his arm and sat beside him.
1 hour later...
Gabby was reading a book as laying on her bed...
"Hey...", Shay sat at the end of her bed, "... since Severide is not a good assistant, I was wondering if you can help me with the party...".
"Yes, no problem...".
"Great, can I get you on Saturday morning, we have breakfast together... you get dressed in our apartment, what do you think?".
"I'm okay with it...".
"Thank you, Gabby."
Shay winked at Severide when he passed by them.
...
Gabby's apartment...
"Mommy, where is dad? I thought he would come with you..." Gabby closed the door behind her mother.
"We thought it would be nice I have some time alone with you...", Maria said after taking off her coat.
"...I miss our long nights talking...".
"Let's order some food...", Gabby suggested when they sat down on the couch.
"No, it's nonsense. What do you have in your refrigerator? I can make something for us...".
"Not so much, but I've done miracles in the past with so little...," Gabby said smiling.
They went to the kitchen. Then Maria checked what Gabby had in the refrigerator as Gabby grabbed other ingredients in the cabinet.
"Your apartment is beautiful, Gabby."
"Thanks, mom". Thanks to Matt, she thought.
"Gabby?"
"Yup?" she responded distractedly.
"Where is the pan?"
"Here...", Gabby took it out of the cabinet.
40 minutes later... They were eating in the living room, they drinking some wine with the food...
"So tell me about the young man who has done all the work here...", Maria winked at her.
"I- what you mean...", Gabby said confused.
"Antonio told me... Don't get upset with him, he cares about you".
"Yeah... he likes to gossip... for sure...," she got irritated.
"Tell me... ", Maria sipped her wine.
"There is nothing to say, he did his job and that's it...".
"Gabby? It's your mother here, don't be silly...".
"Mom...", Gabby sighed, putting her place over the center table, she gulped all her wine.
"Do you like him?".
"That doesn't matter...".
"Why?".
"Antonio didn't tell you the whole thing?", Gabby shifted on the couch to face her mother.
Maria shook her head negatively, still curious.
"...I was transferred to Firehouse 51... I didn't know he has worked there, we both were in shock when we saw each other...".
Maria raised her eyebrows, sipped her wine.
"Yeah, you know, crazy, right?".
"I'll call it destiny, ... it is putting you together...", she took another bite of her food.
"Mom, please!"
"You thought that as well, why not?".
"...It's just a coincidence... I met him first here, then we met again at Molly's..., now Firehouse 51... it's like Chicago is not that big as we think...".
"Is he cute, handsome?".
"Yup. He has the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen...", Gabby smiled softly.
"You two kissed already?".
"Mom!".
"What? It's a normal question... don't get so offended...".
Gabby scratched her forehead, "No, we didn't kiss...".
"... I can't see a problem here... why aren't you two together?".
"We work together, remember? He's my lieutenant...".
"Hmm, that's because of Josh?".
"I've made a mistake there, I'm not dating a co-worker again...".
"Gabby, you two broke up not because of work, he cheated on you. Sorry, don't mix things up...".
"Yeah, and I had to face him every shift... I don't want to go through that again".
"You think your lieutenant is a kind of guy, who cheats his partner? Honestly, tell me...".
"... There is nothing I can say... everyone at 51 admires him..., he is great at work...".
"If you give him a chance you will get to know him... Antonio likes him...", Maria smiled at her.
"He does cause he must have investigated his life, so typical of Antonio".
"Do you like him?" Maria asked again.
"I've been thinking a lot about him...".
"Come here", Maria guided Gabby to rest her head on her lap.
"I'm happy you're here, mom...".
"Me either, honey... I love you...".
...
Severide and Shay's new apartment...
"Hi," Shay greeted Capp who brought a company.
"Make yourself at home..." she pointed out to the drinks.
Hermann and Otis are still at Molly's, they are going to close the place early that night to join their friends at Shay's.
"Shay, wise choice, your apartment is beautiful!".
"Thank you, Cindy!"
Severide had some games for the night, he was organizing the material on the main table for later...
"Shay, where's the bathroom?" Tony asked.
"Go ahead, it's on your right...".
30 minutes later... Brett and Chilli from Firehouse 78 arrived at the party... Brett was with her boyfriend Roman.
Herman and Otis were at the front door waiting for the hosters to open it..., they were bringing more beers...
Severide let his friend in, when he was shutting the door, Casey showed up...
"I thought you weren't coming...".
"My sister was late, so... I had to wait for her to come home, next time I'll have a babysitter...".
Casey wandered around, Gabby was missing.
"She is in the kitchen...".
Casey smiled at his friend, " you know me so well...".
"I think she's trying to hide...," Severide supposed.
"I'll check it out...", on his way to the kitchen he greeted friends.
"Shay, I think your microwave is broken?!".
"I can check it...", she didn't see when he walked in, she had her back to him.
Turning around slowly: "Hi...".
"Hi. May I?", he pointed to the microwave.
"Yeah... I'll get out of your way...", she stood a few inches behind him, taking her glass of wine on the counter, she sipped it. He was handsome that night, she thought.
"There is something wrong with the cable, let's not put it to use, for now, I'll tell Severide...".
"Okay, thank you for trying, you know,...", Gabby put a strand behind her ear. "You want to eat something?" she started opening up a bag of chips...
"Gabby... I-I need to know if-if we at least be friends? I would be happy to be your friend...".
Gabby looked up at him from across the counter, "You probably regretted meeting me...".
He was confused by what she said.
"I mean, I've been childish with you. I'm sorry. It's not-", he cut her off.
"No ...", he wasn't upset with her.
"I'd like to be your friend, I would be happy with being in your life as a friend, Matt...".
He walked up to her, grabbing her hand, he squeezed it softly...
"Hey, how about you two join us?" Shay required.
They smiled at each other and followed Shat to the living room.
Later... couples were dancing in the living room... Hermann and Cindy were one of them...
Gabby was at the balcony watching them, while the fresh air had a way to cool down her headache...
Casey was talking to Tony when he noticed her alone...
Gabby sat down at the small bench, staring at the sky...
"Are you all right?" Casey asked. Gabby turned slightly toward him.
"Yeah, enjoying this beautiful sky...", Gabby answered him and looked back at the sky.
"It's amazing...".
"It is...".
"I was wondering if you would like to dance with me..." Gabby peeked at him...
"Friends can dance together..., it's written in the manual...", he grinned at her.
Gabby bit her lower lip, "... you made that up...".
Reaching for her hand, Gabby stood up... He put his hands on her waist. as Gabby rested hers over his shoulders... Getting closer, Gabby rested her head against his right shoulder... they danced for a few minutes.
"Gabby?"
She pulled away and looked up at him...
"Gabby, may I kiss you?".
"... We are only friends, remember...," she said confused.
"Yeah..., but sometimes friends kiss each other...".
"That's written in your manual either?", she stared at him, there is no denying she wanted to be kissed...
Matt leaned down slowly as Gabby closed her eyes, smiling at her, he kissed her on the lips...