Mike was holding onto him as he finally made a step, holding onto the bars. For the first time since he was trapped in the basement on the call, his legs didn't crumble from under him and he managed to make a step on his left leg. Panting, he put right leg forward, pain surging through his hip but he managed to make another step. After one more step, he had to sit down, pain taking over and his body felt exhausted.

Sitting down in the wheelchair, he smiled just for a second, so glad he had finally made his first steps. He knew it would still be a long road, especially as he couldn't make any step unaided, but it still marked an important step in his recovery.

Taking the towel from mike, he wiped the sweat from his face, smiling slightly as he had finally managed to take a few steps.

Gabby was waiting for him on the hallway as he got out of the physical therapy room.

''Finally took my first steps!'', he said excited, not sure if Gabby had seen him.

''I saw! Matt, that was amazing!'', Gabby smiled, so happy to hear it. Matt had seemed so distraught the last few days and she was glad that he finally seemed to feel like his recovery was moving forward.

Making their way towards the car, Gabby drove them home.

As they just got home, Gabby looked at her phone, excited.

''I got the job!'', she said excited, Matt pulling her down onto his lap, hugging her tight.

Holding her tight, he kissed her, so excited for her. He knew it would be good for her to have some time away from the house and taking care of him.

''I am so happy for you!''

''Looks like it's a good day for the both of us!'', she exclaimed as they shared a kiss.

Gabby got out of the shower, ready to go to her first shift at the hospital. She had found a job as a parttime nurse at a hospital closer to their home, a little smaller than Lakeshore. With how much time she had spent and would still spend there with Matt, she didn't mind it was at a different hospital.

As she walked back to their bedroom, she was surprised Matt was no longer in bed. Getting changed, she walked into the kitchen, hearing him rummage around. Walking into the kitchen, she saw Matt putting plates on the table.

''Good morning, you are out of bed early.''

''I made you some breakfast, and lunch to take to work,'' he smiled as he took the paper bag from the kitchen cupboard and handed it to her.

''You didn't have to do that.''

''You have been looking after me nonstop, about time I return the favour.''

''You don't owe be anything,'' She said as she gently sat down on his lap and kissed him. She was

''I also want to take you out for dinner tonight,''

''Matt-''

''Please let me do this, this feels like one of the few things I actually can do for you right now,'' he explained.

''You do enough for me already.''

''Just, please Gabby.''

''Sounds good, where are we going?'', she asked as she really appreciated all the effort he was putting in.

''The Italian, down the block. I know you like that one – come on, let's have breakfast.''

She got up from his lap, sitting down by the table he had set as he moved the wheelchair closer as well. Although he managed to take a few steps aided, it was far from walking, but it was encouraging that he was actually recovering.

Having breakfast together, he missed going to work as well. He hoped that soon he could do some administrative work for the CFD or at the firehouse. But with all of the appointments at the hospital and how tired he was after those, he knew that would still be a while.

''Alright, don't wanna be late for my first day.''

''Have a good first day, I am really proud of you.''

She smiled. Sharing another kiss, she left then. Walking to the car, she was a bit nervous about leaving him on his own, but she knew he would manage. Especially since Kelly could be coming over for lunch.

Starting the car, she drove towards the hospital she had found a parttime job. It would only be for three shifts a week while Matt still needed her. But to be honest, it was nice to get out of the house and do something alone. It meant even more that Matt was so supportive of her and wanted her to be happy.

As Chicago rushed by as she drove, she realized more and more that as much as she missed Puerto Rico, she was more excited to come home to Matt again. Wearing her wedding ring and loving him so much, she was sure that their marriage was going to work out.

When she returned from the shift, Matt was on the couch. The laptop was in front of him, but he had fallen asleep. Carefully she put it away and laid down beside him.

''Hey you,'' she whispered softly as he woke up from her touch.

''Hey, how was your first shift?'', he groaned as he woke up, kissing her on her forehead as he tried to turn on his side.

''It was really nice, it's not as big as lakeshore but it's a nice hospital and the rest of the nurses are nice,'' she smiled.

''I am really glad to hear that.''

''Should probably get up soon if you wanna make dinner,'' she said softly, gently. Nodding, he got up, getting undressed on the edge of the bed as Gabby showered.

''You okay?'' Gabby asked as she walked into the bedroom, drying her hair with a towel as Matt was sitting on the edge of the bed.

''Just gonna need a hand getting in the shower.''

She had his arm around him, holding him close as she helped him take the few steps to the shower.

''Just be careful with the step down –'' she warned him as he grabbed the doorframe.

He carefully made another step, sitting down on the chair in the shower. Panting as it took a lot of power and energy, he moved to turn on the shower.

''It will get easier.''

''Yeah,'' he smiled. He tried not to be upset anymore with how long it took to get back on his feet, knowing he was lucky that he even made it through and he had Gabby by his side now.

Getting changed after the shower, he smiled as she put her black dress on.

''You look amazing.''

''You don't look shabby yourself.''

''Not feeling so handsome now.'' He said as he struggled to get his pants on, holding on to the dressed as he got up to do so.

''You kidding me, you look amazing,'' she told him. He looked handsome in his white button up shirt, his hair a little longer than usual and she still thought the beard he lot grow now looked good on him. She knew it would change as soon as he would go back to work.

It felt just like the date nights they had had before. But those seemed like eternity ago.

They hadn't known normalcy in a long time. First they had been apart with their pending divorce, after that they had been on Puerto Rico, unfamiliar ground for their relationship and nothing had been the same after that with Matt's accident.

Making their way to the restaurant, Gabby opened the door for him. They got a table by the window, Gabby moving the chair out of the way for him.

Getting the menus, they picked their food and ordered a bottle of wine. It was so different from the first dinner they had had together in Puerto Rico.

Chatting over dinner, laughing and smiling at each other, she had her hand over his, playing with the wedding ring that had been around his finger since his return from the hospital.

After desert, she saw he struggled to sit up, shifting a little in the wheelchair and a look of pain on his face.

'' We can head home.'' She told him, squeezing his hand.

''No, you wanted another glass of wine right?''

''Can have another drink at home, just think we should get you comfortable.'' She said as they got ready to leave.

It was still warm after the nice spring day and they decided to sit down in the patio. As Matt was starting the fire in the small firepit he had built there, she went to grab them some wine.

''Be careful!'' She warned him as she was a little nervous seeing him lean against the firepit from the wheelchair, worried he would fall over.

''You know, I am kind of a professional,'' he smiled.

''Usually you put them out, you generally don't start them – I hope.''

He chuckled, backing off as the fire got going.

He moved to one of the lounge chairs, smiling as he took the glass from gabby and she pulled the table between them to put it away.

''How was lunch with Kelly?'', Gabby enquired, as most of their conversation had been about her job.

''He couldn't stay long, had to go to the academy to do drills with the candidates. Apparently the instructor called in sick.''

''Hopefully you can meet up with him soon again,'' Gabby said, as she worried a little about him becoming lonely now that he was stuck at home while she had a job to go to once more.

''I did use my time well though,'' he said as he put his glass of wine away.

''Oh yeah?'', She asked as she was curious about what he was talking about.

''Just gotta-'', he said as he tried and sit up, Gabby trying to stop him from getting up.

''Let me get it.''

''It's on the dresser.''

He looked as he walked inside, not sure what she was going to say. As he had been alone today and after Kelly had left as they had had lunch together, he had finally put some stuff together about the thing they had been talking about for weeks now. She held the papers he had printed earlier today as she came walking outside.

''Matt, what is this?'' she asked as she sat down on the chair beside him again.

''I looked into surrogacy, but for real. Even send an e-mail to an organization that could help us meet a surrogate, just asking about the process, their prices….'' He said as Gabby looked at the emails he had printed out.

''Matt, we don't have this kind of money,'' she said as her eyes fell on the prices in the e-mail, ''I can start working more…but it's a lot of money-''

''No, no, we can use my savings,'' Matt said, caressing her hand.

''It's still a lot of money,'' She said, taken aback by the price. Although he had paid of this house and she had income now, while he still received his salary while he was on disability, it was a lot of money. He had lived a modest life and she knew she had a good amount of savings, easily buying out her ownership of the house when they were headed towards divorce. But she couldn't imagine he had this amount of money jus laying around.

''I ehm, I reached out to Christie if she could help us out looking at our finances. I haven't send anything over as I wanted to go over it with you first, but she is happy to help us out to see if we can come up with a way to pay for it, besides my savings.''

''The next time I leave you alone you might solve world hunger,'' Gabby said, impressed by everything he had done today.

''I want you to know I want to try everything to make this marriage work, even if things aren't going to be easy with my recovery.''

''I think this marriage is already working again,'' she smiled as she put the papers aside.

''So you are okay with Christie looking at our finances to work it out?'', Matt asked her. As his sister had studied to be an auditor, he knew she might be able to help them out with figuring out a way to pay for it.

''Yeah,'' Gabby smiled, appreciative that he ran it by her first. Holding his hand, she realized that both of them had grown a lot when it came to their relationship. They were a lot more sensitive about each other's needs and what they wanted in their relationship.

Thank you so much for still relturning to the story. Work was really busy and I didn't manage to get this chapter out any sooner. I am really sorry about that. I hope to get the next chapter out sooner. Please let me know what you thought about this chapter and hopefully till next chapter!