My dear readers,

I hope you have a very nice New Year's Eve. Here's a little belated Christmas gift for you. This one took me some time, because I decided to rewrite it, after I finished it for the first time. I hope you'll like it.

Enjoy reading,

Miss Eliza

Matt

He put the phone back in his pocket and walked right into the Chief's Office. "Chief? I need to talk to you."

"Sure, Casey. Come in and have a seat." Chief Boden gestured towards a chair in front of his desk. "What can I do for you?"

"I need furlough like right now." Matt said. "I want to go to San Juan and get my wife back."

Boden smiled. "Captain Casey, congratulations. I was wondering how long it would take you to finally come to your senses. Furlough is granted for a week and I'll call headquarters to get a relief lieutenant for Truck 81."

"Thanks Chief, I really appreciate it."

"Good. Now get out of here and get Dawson back. Tell her, we all miss her." Boden was visibly happy. "Oh, and ask Severide to drive you to the airport. Capp can take over for him."

"I will." Matt walked out of the office and right into the common room. "Severide? We have an errand to run. Capp, you're the lieutenant of Squad 3 until Severide is back." With that he left the common room, followed by a confused looking Kelly Severide. "Casey, what the hell is going on with you?"

Matt turned around, beaming like a child on Christmas Day. "Gabby called earlier. I booked a flight to San Juan. I think there might be a chance she'll come back."

"Oh wow. That's…I don't know what to say…that's great. I'm happy for you, man." Kelly reached for his keys but his pockets were empty. "Wait, I forgot my keys."

"Don't worry. We'll take my truck. You can park it at my place and Squad 3 can take a ride and pick you up." Matt opened his truck and they got in.

"You got it all figured out, huh?" Kelly grinned. "What happened?"

"Well" Matt started the engine. "The calls without a caller ID? That was her. Last time she left her number and a message. So, I called her back, we talked and she said she wanted to see me."

"And?" Kelly pressed him.

"I booked a ticket for the next flight to San Juan."

"That sounds like the both of you finally came to your senses." Kelly noticed the direction they were going. "Wait, where are we going? The airport is the other way."

"I know, but my place isn't if you don't mind, I'll pack some clothes. I'll stay there for a week and I really don't want to wear the same pair of boxers all the time." Matt joked.

"Ewww" Kelly covered his ears. "Too much information, bro."

"You asked for it." Matt stopped the car in front of his apartment and returned ten minutes later with a bag in his hands. "Ready to go. I texted Gabby my ETA. She'll pick me up."

"Great. Let's get you into that airplane."

When they arrived at the airport, Kelly got behind the wheel. "See you in a week. Tell Dawson to move her ass back to Chicago."

"I will." Matt ran into the terminal, since he was a little bit late thanks to the usual traffic on the highway. After he got checked in, he didn't have time to sit down at the gate. Boarding had already begun. A friendly flight attendant showed him his seat and he made himself comfortable. Matt started to feel a little bit nervous. He didn't really have the time to think about everything since now. It finally hit him: His wife was pregnant. He would become a father. Part of him was over the moon but the other part of him was freaking out. Would Gabby really want to come back to him?

Gabby

She tried to dry her sweaty palms by rubbing them against her jeans. But it didn't really help. Her heart was pounding against her chest. One more time she looked at the big destination board. Flight JBU 562 had landed 10 Minutes ago. Nervously Gabby checked her phone. There was a text from Matt: Waiting for my baggage. See you very soon. Love you. She took a deep breath and her pulse almost got back to normal. Why was she even afraid? In a few minutes the doors of the arrival's terminal would open and the love of her life would come out. Well, that was part of the reason why she was nervous. There was a lot of stuff they needed to talk about. Gabby started to feel a little bit dizzy and sat down on one of the chairs next to her. She was going through a lot lately and the pregnancy made her feel everything twice as intense as before plus she never had been good at waiting. She checked her phone again. Nothing.

"Oh, come on, don't freak out. He will be here soon." A voice came from behind her and Gabby turned around. "Carol! What are you doing here?"

Carol Hathaway sat down next to her and laughed. "Thought you might need some moral support while waiting for your hubby."

"Thank you" Gabby hugged her. "I really appreciate it. I feel like I'm going to vomit."

"Morning sickness?"

Gabby nodded. "Yep. And being nervous doesn't make it better."

"Well, then you better try to calm down, because I don't want puke on my new shoes." Carol joked. "Seriously Gabby, that guy boarded a plane right away after you told him about the baby. What are you afraid of?"

"I don't know." Gabby looked at her feet. "The future?"

"Understandable" Carol took her hand. "I've been where you are now. But the difference is I made a big mistake by not telling Doug until the babies were born. You did the right thing. You told your husband. Everything will be fine. Trust me. Before you know it, you'll be back in Chicago buying furniture for the nursery."

"Carol?" Gabby took a deep breath. "I'm not sure about going back to Chicago."

"Why not?"

"I really really love planning and building the hospital with Carter."

"Gabby, if that's the only reason, it's not going to be a problem. I'm sure you can continue doing that while you're in Chicago. That's what FaceTime is for."

"It's not the same" Gabby complained. "I know I sound selfish, but I never pictured myself as a housewife and mother."

"Gabriela Dawson, you will be a mother but you don't have to be a housewife. Talk to Carter, maybe you can work for his foundation in Chicago or for the CFD. You have a lot of possibilities that are far from being just a housewife. And now quit the whining. I think that handsome blonde guy over there is looking for you. The one with the CFD cap?"

Together

Hearing Carol's words Gabby looked up and saw Matt walking through the doors. She shot up and ran towards him calling his name. When he saw her a big smile appeared on his face. He let his bag fall to the ground and opened his arms. Gabby jumped into them and buried her face in his neck. "Oh Matt, I missed you so much." Tears were rolling down her face. "I'm so sorry…" She started to apologize again but Matt stopped her with a kiss. They only parted because they were out of breath. "Don't apologize, Baby." Gently he touched her cheek. "We're together now. That's all that matters and I'm not mad at you anymore. Not at all."

"I don't deserve you." Gabby sobbed and Matt took her face in his hands. "Baby, look at me. You deserve everything and more. I was an idiot for letting you go the first time. I'll never let you go again. I promise." He kissed her again. Gabby pulled back a little bit and smiled at him. "Let's get out of here." She wanted to take his bag but Matt stopped her. "No way you're carrying that." He touched her belly. "You're already carrying very precious cargo."

Gabby leaned against him. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too." They wanted to leave the terminal when Carol cleared her throat behind them. "Gabby, it's this what I get for supporting you all the time? Won't you at least introduce us?" She winked at her.

"Oh Carol, I'm so sorry. I totally forgot. This is my husband Matt Casey. Matt, this is Carol Hathaway. She's a nurse at our station and a great friend."

Carol took Matt's hand. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Matt."

"Likewise," Matt shook her hand. "So, you helped Gabby getting through everything?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Carol blushed. "I was just there for her when she needed a friend and right now she doesn't, because she finally has her husband back. I'll go back to the station now and leave you two alone. I'm sure you have a lot to talk about. See you Monday at work, Gabby."

"Bye Carol." Gabby took Matt's hand. "Let's get out of here." Together they walked out of the terminal. "My car is over there." Gabby pointed towards the car park and closed her eyes for one second. "But I think I forgot where exactly I parked it."

"Oh boy." Matt shook his head. "In that case we better hurry up, we have ten park levels to search for your car." They entered the car park through a side door. "Can you at least tell me the color or type of your car?" He joked.

Gabby grinned. "It's a black Chevy Impala."

"Okay, give me the keys" Matt stretched out his hand and Gabby put the keys in it. He pressed the unlock button and about 100 ft away from them a sedan flashed its headlights. "Let's take that one, okay?" Matt couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like pregnancy dementia hit you."

Gabby snuggled into his side while they made their way towards the car. "I'm so lucky to have you." She joked. "I would have never found my car without my knight in shining armor."

"Always at your service, milady." Matt opened the trunk and put his bag into it.

"Would you mind driving?" Gabby asked him. "I feel a little bit off today."

"No, not at all." Matt opened the driver's door and adjusted the seat while Gabby climbed in on the passenger side. "But you have to show me the way."

"I will." Gabby yawned. "It's only a 20-minute drive."

Matt started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. 20 Minutes later they arrived at Gabby's apartment.

Matt got his bag out of the trunk and Gabby searched her purse for her key. When she found it, she opened the front door and they walked in.

"It's a nice place you have here." Matt looked around.

"Thank you." Gabby walked into the kitchen and reached for the kettle. "You can put your bag in the bedroom over there." She pointed to the door. "Do you want some coffee or tea?"

"Coffee, please" Matt called from the bedroom and Gabby could hear the door of the adjoining bathroom closing. She got two cups out of her cabinet and put a tea bag in one and some instant coffee in the other one. She still wasn't feeling very well, a little bit dizzy and nauseous but she knew it wasn't just the pregnancy that caused it. It was this whole situation that made her feel insecure. She still didn't know where this whole situation would lead them. Gabby covered her face with her hands and tried to calm down but it didn't work. She took a deep breath and reached for the kettle to pour the hot water into the cups. While she did so, her eyes started to fill with tears. With shaking hands, she put the kettle down on the stove and a tear made its way down her cheek. Soon followed by another one. Before she knew it, she was standing in her kitchen sobbing. Once again, she covered her face with her hands. She didn't hear the bathroom door open or the steps behind her.

When Matt came back into the living room he saw Gabby standing in the kitchen. She was crying and the sight of it broke his heart, because he knew how much pain the whole situation had caused her. How much she had tried to stay strong, for the baby and for him. He didn't hesitate when he walked towards her and carefully hugged her from behind. "It's okay, Baby. I'm here now. You are not alone anymore." He comforted her. As Gabby felt his body close to hear and heard his voice, she finally felt safe. She turned around in his arms and looked at him with puffy eyes. "Promise me." She buried her face in his chest. "Promise me we'll work this out. Promise me you'll never leave me alone and I'll promise you I'll never run away from you again." Matt kissed her forehead. "I promise. I'll never let you out of my life again. Never ever. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Gabby sighed. Love had never been the problem between them. "But we really need to talk."

"Yeah, guess we were never really good at talking about things." Matt admitted.

"True." Gabby looked at him. "But I love you and you're my best friend. I think we can find a way to overcome our communication issues. We have to." She put a hand on her still flat belly.

"We will." Matt held her tight. "I promise you, we will."

Gabby pulled back from his embrace and took the two cups in her hands. "Let's sit down on the couch and talk."

He nodded and together they made themselves comfortable on Gabby's couch. She took a sip of her tea and looked at her husband. "Where do we start?"

Matt took her hand. "Tell me everything." And she did. From the first time on her new job to the awkward date with Hunter and the horror she went through when she found out she was pregnant.

"Gabby, Baby," His voice was very emotional. "Why didn't you call me right away?"

"Because I was afraid you would be mad at me, because I left you." Gabby sobbed. "And you were mad at me."

"I was." Matt agreed. "But not because you left, it was more because of the way you left. Sneaking out like a thief."

"I did it because I wouldn't have had the strength to go otherwise and I felt like we were trapped in a dead end. I needed space." She looked at her feet. "I feel ashamed now. I mean, I didn't even ask another doctor for a second opinion. I just jumped to conclusions without talking with you."

"Well, I was wrong too. I shouldn't have gone to the adoption agency without you and I really shouldn't have let you go the first time. I was an idiot for not talking to you about how I felt. And I regretted it deeply ever since you left."

"Me too." Gabby leaned against him. "I missed you so much. I went to bed crying and I woke up crying almost every day. Then I had this ridiculous idea about moving on." She laughed and shook her head. "As if I could ever move on from the love of my life. Well, your baby made sure I didn't do something stupid. Every time Hunter came close, I felt the urge to vomit."

"Good baby" Matt smiled and caressed her belly. "But Cruz arranged a blind date for me too. It was horrible. Severide kind of talked me into it. But it felt wrong the whole time and, in the end, I literally ran away from that women."

Gabby giggled. "You should have known better than taking relationship advice from Severide."

"I know." He kissed her cheek. "I'm so glad you called me. Otherwise I would have gone completely crazy."

"Me too. Ask Carol. I was a crying mess most of the time since I found out I was pregnant. I was so afraid." She snuggled into his side and he could feel her shaking. "Carol called Carter and he found out about the non-existing aneurysm. I felt relieved at first but then it hit me. We had fought over nothing and I thought I had lost you. Carol told me to call you, but it took me a few days to do that and when I did, I was afraid you would hate me."

"Gabby, I said it once and I'll say it again: I could never hate you. I love you and I understand that it was hard for you to call me but I would have been there for you all the time."

"I know and I love you too." She kissed him. "After I took the pregnancy test I would have done everything to be in your arms. But I was too stubborn to call you."

"It's okay, baby." Matt stroked her back. "I'm here now."

"But only for a few days." Gabby looked at him. "I don't want to stay here alone. I want to come back to Chicago as soon as I can. But I need to ask Chief Hatcher, if I still have a job in Chicago and I want to ask Carter, if I can continue my work for the foundation."

"Sounds like a plan. How long do you think it'll take?"

"A few days, I guess. Chief Hatcher knows about the pregnancy, but he knew better than to ask questions." Gabby grinned.

"I asked the Chief for some days off and he granted it. I can stay for a week and help you get everything done."

"That would be nice. Did you tell Chief Boden about the baby?"

Matt shook his head. "No. Told him I needed to come here to get you back and he said it was about time."

"Chief is a wise man." Gabby leaned her head against his shoulder. "Did you tell Kelly?"

"No, nobody knows. I asked Kelly to drive me to the airport and told him the same thing I told Boden."

Gabby raised her head a little bit and kissed him. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome. But now tell me everything about this little peanut." Matt placed a hand on her belly.

"Well, I'm 6 weeks along and everything looks fine. Peanut is in the right place and his heart beats steady." She got up and reached for the ultrasound picture in the drawer of her coffee table. "Have a look yourself, Daddy."

Matt looked at the picture and his eyes got a little watery. "This is amazing."

"Yeah, I know and today is the first day I'm really and entirely happy about this pregnancy. Because you're here."

He kissed her. "And like I told you before, I will never let you out of my life again. Never. Because I love you. Both of you."

"I called my OBGYN in Chicago and made an appointment for my 12 weeks checkup. I think it's a day you're not on shift, if I didn't mix things up."

"I'll be there. No matter what."

"I can't wait to come back to Chicago. This morning I was afraid of going back and becoming a housewife."

"Gabriela Dawson, you'll never become a housewife. I wouldn't let you. You've so much talent and you're a badass firefighter and paramedic."

Gabby laughed. "Glad to hear that. But I have a request."

"I'm all ears"

"I don't want to be Gabriela Dawson anymore. I know its old fashioned but I want our baby to have your last name and I want to be Gabriela Casey. Are you okay with that?"

"Oh baby" He kissed her passionately. "Of course, I'm okay with that. I love it but I would have never asked you to do it."

"I know. That's why I brought it up."