Gabby returned from a dayshift al the hospital, parking her car behind Matt's truck. She made mental note to drive it somewhere this week, as it couldn't be parked for too long, worried it would drain the battery. There was a lot on her plate even now still and it seemed different from the months she had spent on Puerto Rico. But being with Matt is all that was important to her. Almost losing him made her realize how much he meant to her.

She was just about to open the door when she was surprised it opened from the other side, Boden almost bumping into her.

''Gabby, how are you doing?'' her old chief asked her, excited to see her.

''All good, it's nice to see you.''

''You and Matt take care, I am really happy you are back.''

Nodding, she waved as he walked away. Walking inside, Matt was by the coffee table, moving the mugs that he and Boden had used onto a tray so he could move them to the kitchen on his lap.

''Had a visitor?''

''I ehm, I talked to Boden about working in arson for a few days a week. Just – sitting at home day after day is doing my head in.''

Gabby nodded, putting her bag down.

''It will just be temporarily, until I am back on my feet. He said I didn't have to, that focusing on my recovery is enough, but I want to.''

''Boden is right, getting you back on your feet is what's most important now'', Gabby told him as she kissed him.

''I guess so,'' Matt smiled as she sat down beside him. Taking his hand, he looked curious, saw that there was something she wanted to tell him.

''I picked up the keys to my parents cabin – my mom got in in the divorce – we can spend the weekend and Monday there'', Gabby said as she held up the key.

Making their way to the restaurant, they spotted Christy inside, waving at them from one of the boots on the side, which they had requested to talk with a bit more privately.

Gabby helped him into the boot, Christie looked a bit concerned as she looked at her brother. Matt moved into the corner, sitting a bit more supported as Gabby moved the wheelchair out of the way. After weeks, they were getting used to it, although it still wasn't easy.

''So happy you could meet us.'' Gabby greeted Christie as she sat down as well.

''How's Violet been?'', Matt asked as they got their drinks.

''She's been good, can't believe she has begun to look at college – seems like she was baby barely any time ago.''

Matt nodded, remembering when he had held his niece in his arms for the first time having rushed to the hospital from the academy to see her, not even twenty years old himself.

They ordered dinner, catching up on each other's life. But soon the conversation went to the topic they had met up together for, their finances.

''I looked at both your finances and I have to say, it's expensive, but it's doable.''

Matt took Gabby's hand on the table, so relieved that they could look at having a baby after all.

''But he would still have some savings right?'' Gabby asked concerned, knew that Matt was trying to take on all of the costs.

''There is something else I looked into,'' Christie said as she pointed at the ownership papers of the old, small house his uncle and aunt had left him on the south side he and Christy both owned. It had been empty for years and he had wanted to fix it up, but he had never found the time. Especially with everything that had happened in his life the last few years, he had just never managed to do anything with it.

''I talked to Kelly and some others at the firehouse, they are going to fix up the house so you can flip it or rent it out, that would cover a massive amount of the costs.''

Tears in his eyes, Matt nodded, so moved by the effort that his sister had put into this and that all of their friends were still happy to put into it. His first response was to call Kelly, tell him he didn't want or need the help. But he knew that even though he had been planning to fix it up and rent it out, with the long recovery he still had ahead of him, it would be months before the house would be good enough to rent out.

''What about your half of it?''

''You spend more time in that house and with them than me.''

Matt nodded gratefully. He knew that if he could flip it, or rent it out, they could manage to pay for the whole process of surrogacy.

Soon they had to call it a night, Matt struggling to sit up any longer. They waved at Christie as she left, Gabby kneeling back in the car.

''You okay to move to the car?''

''Yeah,'' Matt sighed, feeling a little guilty that she had to help him.

Getting back into the car, Matt groaned for a second. He managed to get through most days, but especially in the evening his leg and back got painful. It worried him that going to arson would take a toll on his body as well, but it was something he really needed to do.

''You never told me about that house,'' Gabby said surprised as they started driving.

''I just always kept it – and sort off forgot about it,'' Matt admitted. He had been so young when his parents had split up and didn't have the best memories of his childhood. The house had not been good enough to live in and didn't want to move back to his old neighborhood. But now it would finally come in handy.

''Finally going to the cabin tomorrow.

''Finally some time away, just for us.'' He smiled, laying his hand over hers.

Parking the car by the cabin, Gabby smiled at him, so happy to have even just a little time away with him just with the two of them. After these hectic eight weeks between him having the accident on the job, his long recovery and her moving back to Chicago and finding a job, it had been hard to find quality time between just the two of them.

Helping him out of the car, he knew that the fact that not everything was accessible was one of the things that they would have to overcome over the weekend, but it didn't mean that he wasn't happy to have some time away with her.

Her arm around him, they slowly walked inside the cabin, Matt struggling with every step, but finally managed to make it inside.

''You okay?''

'Got it,' Matt panted, letting her guide him to the couch as he sat down.

Sitting down, he struggled sitting up, his sore pelvis and leg hurting a ton now as Gabby walked back to the car to grab their stuff.

Immediately he thought back about being back down in in the basement in a world of pain. It seemed minimal now, and he tried not to wallow in it.

Awoken from his thoughts as Gabby walked in with their stuff and his wheelchair.

''I am really sorry,'' he said as he couldn't help her.

''You know it's fine, '' she smiled as she put the groceries away. Matt moved to his wheelchair, his leg still throbbing.

''Want to head out to the lake.''

''We can do so tomorrow, maybe just get dinner ready now'', Gabby said as she laid her hand on his shoulder, too tired to help him up or push his wheelchair once again. She felt a little guilty, but honestly, she was tired as well after the long drive.

Nodding, Matt grabbed some of the groceries, moving to the table to start making the salad, not wanting to get in Gabby's way as she could see that she was tired.

''Looks good,'' she said a few minutes later as she stood behind him, everything ready for their BBQ outside.

''Thank you, for everything you do for me, I know it's a lot.''

Kissing him on top of his head, she gently sat down on his lap, kissing him once again.

''You are never too much.''

They moved to the porch with some drinks and dinner, Gabby starting the barbeque as Matt sorted out the plates on the table and took the food of the tray and put it all down.

Sitting down on the lounge seat, Matt rubbed over his thigh as he struggled walking only short distances. He still wanted to be hopeful, but with how long he had been working on his recovery and how long he still had to go, he did worry he might never be able to return to the firehouse.

''What's on your mind?''

''Just being away from Chicago – somehow the accident has been on my mind all day.''

Sitting down beside him, she thought back about that day as well. The fight they had, the call from Kelly, rushing to Chicago, finally seeing him in the ICU.

''When Kelly called me you had an accident on the job, my whole world just fell apart,' she said, tears in her eyes as she stared over the water. She had had a lot of misfortune in a life and it had never been easy, but hearing Matt had been in an accident, he was still stuck in the basement, pinned down by layers of concrete was something that she could barely even think off and had barely even something she had dared to think of in her worst nightmares.

It something that she still sometimes saw in her nightmares now that it had really happened.

''Cruz told me that you were heading to Chicago, I felt myself slipping and it just gave me enough focus to keep hanging on,'' Matt admitted, trying not to think back at the few memories he still had of being stuck in the basement. Especially after they had finally managed to get him out, he barely remembered anything as he was being airlifted to lakeshore.

''Still don't remember much, but I do remember seeing you at my bedside in the ICU.''

''That was after a full 48 hours, I slept by your bed the first night, you had a another surgery the following morning so they didn't wake you in the meantime.''

Matt nodded just a bit, trying to piece it together as she caressed her hand.

''That must've been really hard,' he said, realized that it would have been a lot harder to spend all those hours of the hospital while he had been mostly out of it.

She nodded, laying down against him carefully.

''I remember Kelly told Cruz to put me on the phone with you – as if there would be signal down in that basement,'' Matt chuckled just a bit, ''but who knows, it might be part of a dream I had about it, I don't remember it well.''

''I asked Kelly if I could talk to you over the radio, he said you were unconscious.''

''I think I was, most of it.''

''You dream about the accident?'', Gabby asked a bit concerned, noticing now what he had said before.

Not wanting to talk anymore, having relive those moments in the basement, as he did so in his nightmares often enough, he tried to change the subject.

''Boden called me about moving to arson parttime, and I really want to. I still want to return to the truck 81 but you know it's going to be a long time,'' Matt said and Gabby nodded. She knew it would be months before they would be able to remove the hardware in his body and he would still need months of physical therapy.

''I think it will be a good idea.'' She said as she laid her hand against his arm. Smiling, Gabby jumped up as the meat on the BBQ seemed to be ready.

After dinner, they looked over the water, laying against each other on the lounge seat.

''There is something that has been on my mind – Gabby, what we are doing now, it is going to have a big impact on both our lives. We need to know for sure this is what we want,'' Matt mumbled, finally bringing the courage to bring it up.

For a moment she saw that insecurity on his face again.

''Matt-''

''This is a big step and I know everything has been moving so fast over the past few weeks. I just want to know for sure you are happy, and we are going to be together.''

Gabby nodded, taking his hand. She knew that just a few weeks ago she would have been really upset if she had been asked this. But she could understand that with the rollercoaster they had been on in these past few months, he needed a little more reassurance before charging headlong into a big change in his life.

''Yeah, I am not going anywhere, I promise. I want nothing more than to be with you and start a family with you.''

''What about Puerto Rico?''

''It's not floating away.''

He nodded, he didn't want to question her being with him, especially after she had put everything on hold to be with him and look after him. But it was something that had been on the back of his mind, especially as he would be making a lot of decisions on his financial situation and about their life situation. If they were really going to pursue with the surrogacy, this wasn't something they could stop in just a few months.

''I know you are worried Matt, but I am really not going anywhere, I promise. If we ever want to go back to Puerto Rico, we can – as a family.''

Sharing a kiss, they held each other close. She laid against him, looking up at the stars as he caressed her upper arm.

''I think the moon is a little too close to only love you up until there – and back.'' Matt spoke gently as they looked at the stars in the moon.

''Thought you said it was until infinity.''

''Very true,'' he said as he kissed her once more, so happy to be here with her.

Thank you so much for still returning to the story. The last few weeks have been very hectic and I haven't had time to post. I hope you still want to read more though. I hope to get next chapter up very soon, although I can't make any promises! Thanks again!