Hi there! I'm so sorry I didn't update this story since forever but life kind of got in the way and I wasn't very inspired after watching what a mess the show became lately.
I hope you'll like the new chapter and I promise I'll update again.
Miss Eliza
"That's it." Gabby closed the last suitcase and wanted to carry it to her car but before she could even think of doing that a strong hand reached for it and took it from her. "No heavy lifting for you" Matt told her sternly.
"I'm pregnant, not disabled." Gabby protested. "I know I have to be a little bit more careful but I can still carry my own suitcase"
Matt just looked at her then at the suitcase and back at her. "This suitcase probably weighs more than you. I wouldn't let you carry it even if you weren't pregnant." Deep inside Gabby knew he was right, but it was still hard for her not to do everything on her own. She sighed. "Yeah it's heavy but I'm sure I could carry it if I wanted to." Matt couldn't help it, he started to laugh. "That's for sure my love. You could do that but I won't let you. Call it old fashioned but there's no way I'm standing here watching you dragging a suitcase into your car while I put my hands in my pockets."
He lifted the suitcase and took it to Gabby's car. Over the last week they had packed everything Gabby wanted to take back to Chicago and she was very proud of herself. Everything still fit into the three suitcases she originally brought with her. They were only a little bit heavier than before. But Matt didn't need to know that. She turned around and looked at the place she had been calling home for the last few months. She wouldn't miss this place. The first two months here had been the worst time of her life. She looked forward to going back to Chicago but part of her was a bit anxious too. She had left in such a hurry and never said goodbye to her friends and family. Maybe it would take them some time to forgive her.
Gabby was lost in her thoughts when Matt came back into the living room. "Hey babe" He kissed her cheek. "What are you thinking about?"
"Don't know." Gabby shrugged. "Everything. I'm really happy you came here and we'll go back to Chicago. I mean I loved my job here but it was also the most horrible time of my life. It's no fun finding out you're pregnant shortly after you left your husband. Plus I'm afraid of the reactions back home. What if they're angry? What if they don't want anything to do with me? What if my parents are mad at me?" She rambled.
"Gabby" Matt stood in front of her and put his hands on her arms. "Look at me. I know you love your job but luckily you can do nearly the exact same thing in Chicago by working for Carter and his foundation. And quit focusing on all the what ifs, focus on the what is. Chief Boden told you you're old job is waiting for you. That means there are no hard feelings at 51. He must have talked with Brett and if I remember correctly you called her too and apologized for leaving the way you did. Everyone at 51 loves you and they all were concerned after you left. So nothing to worry about."
"Maybe" Gabby leaned her head on his shoulder. "But what about you? Any hard feelings? I know we already talked a lot but I still feel so guilty for waiting that long before telling you about the baby."
"Don't" He took her in his arms. "Don't feel guilty. You don't have any reason. I played my part in the whole thing too. I shouldn't have said the things I said and I certainly should've stopped you from running away but I didn't and I'll regret that forever. I was an idiot and I'm sorry for that."
Gabby nodded against his chest. "True. We both behaved like idiots. Stubborn idiots. Now let's pack the last suitcase in my car."
"Yes boss" He joked and went into the bedroom to take the suitcase. Gabby made sure the whole apartment was empty before she locked the door and got into her car. Matt closed the trunk and got into the driver's seat. "Let's say goodbye at your old workplace before driving to the airport?" Gabby just nodded and Matt started the car. When they arrived at the station it seemed like nobody was there. Gabby opened the door to the common room and stopped dead in her tracks. There was loud cheering, a big banner saying "Goodbye Dawson" and a cake with her photo on it on the table. Carol made her way through the crowd and hugged her. "We couldn't let you go without a little farewell party, so I instructed your husband to bring you here." Gabby rolled her eyes. "I should have known he's into this. He loves surprise parties, as long as they're not for him." "Hey don't blame me!" Matt's voice came from behind her. "Carol threatened that she wouldn't let you go if I didn't bring you here."
"That sounds like you" Gabby looked at Carol. "I can't believe we aren't going to see each other every day. I'll miss you a lot."
"Same" Carol hugged her. "I've been telling Doug to move back to Chicago but he prefers Seattle." She shrugged. "To be honest I don't really care as long as he's beside me because the one thing I know is that I can't live without him."
Knowingly Gabby looked at Matt. "Tell me about it. I know the feeling very well."
"You do?" Carol joked. "What happened to I can do this alone, I don't need anyone ?"
"Let's just say I became wiser." Gabby winked. "I might be a little bit stubborn sometimes." Matt nearly choked on his water. "A little bit stubborn, huh?"
"Oh come on. That's the pot calling the kettle black!" Gabby was in a good mood and the fact that they could joke about this made her even happier.
"It's almost time to go" Matt looked at his watch.
"I can't leave without saying goodbye to…" Before Gabby could finish the sentence the door opened and John Carter entered the room. "Carter!"
"Dawson, I'm so glad you're still here. I'm so sorry for being late but there was an emergency. Little girl fell into a hole and broke her leg." He walked over to them. "Always the knight in shiny armor" Carol winked at him. "Now say goodbye to our girl, because she needs to go to the airport or otherwise she'll miss her flight."
"Bye Gabby Dawson" Carter gave her a hug. "Thank you for working with me on this important project and thank you for being a friend."
"Bye John Carter. Thank you for being an awesome doctor and finding out about the non-existent aneurysm and thank you for offering me an amazing job."
"Will you take it?" He looked at her quizzically.
"I will." Gabby said. "But as my side job. I want to go back to my old firehouse."
"Fine with me" Carter was visibly happy. "Like I told you before, it's mostly charity work and planning some projects. You don't need to spend a lot of time in the Carter Center, you can do most of the work at home. Give me a call when you're back in Chicago and ready to start."
"Will do. But now I really need to go." Gabby looked at the two people who had become her closest friends over the last few months. "Thank you for everything you did for me." They hugged one last time. Matt, who had talked to some of the other team members came over to them. He shook Carter's hand. "Thanks man. For everything."
"You're welcome" Carter grinned. "Gabby looked so unhappy without you, we had to do something but it was mostly Carol's work."
"I know" Matt gave Carol, who was standing next to Carter, a hug. "You're the only one who survived kicking Gabby's ass." He whispered into her ear. Carol laughed. "I'm glad I did kick her ass."
"Believe me: me too."
"Are you talking about me?" Gabby asked.
"Of course we do" Matt put his arm around her. "But now we really have to leave." They said goodbye to everyone and walked back to their car.
It was not a long drive to the airport but they needed to give back the car before checking in. It belonged to the CFD, and when they parked it in the car park, Chief Hatcher was already waiting for them. While Matt put all their suitcases on a trolley Gabby took the car keys and gave them back. "Thanks Chief for giving me this opportunity."
"You're very welcome Dawson. You deserved it and I'm happy you'll continue working for the CFD. I might regret that later though." He shrugged. "Promise me: No more daredevil moves."
"I'm sorry Chief, I can't" Gabby was honest.
"I know." Chief Hatcher sighed. "You'll continue giving me headaches but it's okay. You're an excellent paramedic, Dawson. I hope you'll be happy back in Chicago."
"I will" She promised. "It's time to check in. See you in Chicago, Chief!"
"Hopefully not anytime soon" Hatcher mumbled to himself as he watched her and Matt walking into the terminal.
They got checked in and after passing the security check there was not much time left until their flight was ready for boarding. Gabby made use of that time and bought some souvenirs at the shop next to the gate. When she came back they could go on board. "What did you buy?" Matt asked curiously.
"A bottle of whiskey for Severide, a perfume for Brett and chocolate for me."
"Why the whiskey for Severide?"
"Because he took care of you while I was gone and we all know that you can be demanding and grumpy when you're in a bad mood." She teased him.
"I won't argue with that. I might have yelled at my firefighters one or two times."
"See?" Gabby patted him on the back. "I know you very well. Now let's find our seats. I'm exhausted and need to rest."
"Here we are" Matt pointed to the window seat. "That's yours. I'll take the middle seat."
They sat down and soon after take-off Gabby fell asleep on Matt's shoulder. He gently nudged her when the cabin crew told the passengers to prepare for landing. "Wake up sleepyhead. We're in Chicago"
"Huh? Really? That soon?" She opened her eyes. "Did I sleep all the time?"
"Yep. You must have been really tired."
"I was, but now I'm feeling better." Gabby looked out of the window and saw the lights of the familiar city. When the landing gear touched the runway, she squeezed Matt's hand and smiled. "I'm home. I can't believe it, feels like ages since I've been here."
Matt's smile matched hers. "It sure felt like ages. Considering that a lot has happened since you left Chicago it's understandable we feel this way." He gently put his hand on her still flat stomach and Gabby immediately knew he would be an amazing father. She always had known that and seeing how he reacted to her being pregnant confirmed it. The aircraft reached the gate and when the doors were opened they got out of their seats and walked into the airport building. Luckily their baggage was already on the conveyor belt. This time Gabby didn't try to lift any suitcases. She just stood next to the baggage trolley and waited for Matt to collect everything. It was already dark outside and although she had been sleeping the whole flight she felt tired.
"That's it babe." Matt returned with the last suitcase. "Let's get out of here."
"Yes, please" She yawned. "I feel tired. Do you have a car parked here?"
"No" Matt continued to walk in direction of the arrivals hall. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that they didn't have a car.
"So how will we get to our apartment?" Gabby was wondering. "Call a taxi?"
"Nope" Matt didn't gave more information. He just continued walking, which annoyed his wife.
"Matt, I'm not in the mood for this. I'm tired and I just want to go home, so would you please tell me how you want to get there without a car or a taxi? Because I certainly won't walk there!" They had passed the exit but Gabby was still talking and didn't notice the person standing next to the exit. "How are you planning on getting there? By magic?!"
"I can hear not a lot has changed since I last saw you" The person said.
Gabby turned around. "Kelly Severide!" She gave him a long hug. "Oh how I missed your ugly face. I should have known you are the one picking us up."
"You didn't think I would actually let you walk, did you?" Matt asked her.
"No" Gabby admitted. "I'm just a little bit grumpy because I'm tired and my blood sugar is low."
"Like I said, nothing has changed." Kelly laughed. "Let's get you two into the car."
"Wait" Gabby stopped walking. "How are we supposed to fit in your Mustang with all the luggage?"
"Not at all." He rolled his eyes. "Of course Matt gave me the keys to his truck before he left and I took it to pick you up. There's enough room for all your luggage in the truck bed."
"You're a smart guy after all, aren't you?" Gabby patted Matt on the shoulder.
"Why do you sound so surprised?!" He looked at her and Kelly grinned.
He enjoyed seeing them back together and from what he could see they looked quite happy.
When they reached the car park Matt took the keys to his truck from Kelly and the two men put the luggage on the truck bed. Everyone got into the car. Gabby sat between the two guys. When Matt started the car she immediately turned on the heating to maximum. "God I have forgotten how cold it can be in Chicago." Kelly looked at her like she had lost her mind. "It's only September, Dawson. It's 64 degrees outside."
"Yes, like I said, it's cold."
"Would you please turn out the heating? Otherwise the car will become a sauna. It's not cold, you just need to readjust." Kelly reached for the regulator but Gabby stopped him.
"Kelly Severide don't mess with a preg…." She immediately stopped talking but it already was too late. Kelly looked at her with a blank expression. "You're…what?!"
"I'm pregnant."
"But how did that happen and …. and….when…and…dangerous?" He rambled and Gabby couldn't help but started laughing.
"Kelly Benjamin Severide, stop looking so shocked. It's not yours." She patted him on the back and Matt had a hard time not to laugh. "Do I really need to explain how that happens? But to answer your last question: No, it's not dangerous. I had an examination and it turned out there's no aneurysm, it's just scar tissue." She knew she didn't need to tell Kelly the story from the beginning, because Matt had already talked to him after she left.
"So this whole thing isn't potentially deadly to you?" Kelly was visibly relieved. "That's good to hear. I'd have missed you being a pain in the ass."
"I know" Gabby smiled. "But for now it's perfectly safe. Everything looks good. We'll have to tell Boden, but we won't tell anybody else until the 12 weeks mark."
"I won't say a word. Not even to Stella." Kelly sighed. "She might kill me when she finds out but I won't tell her."
"Thank you. I know it'll be hard but I'm not ready to tell anyone else yet." Gabby knew Matt had told Kelly almost everything about their difficulties. "I had a hard time the last weeks in Puerto Rico and I just need some time to readjust. I promise I'll tell Stella as soon as I figure some things out."
Kelly looked at Matt who hadn't said a word yet. "Why didn't you tell me when you left for Puerto Rico? I would've been there for you."
"I know." Matt pulled into a free parking space in front of their apartment. "But I didn't know what to think or even tell plus I wanted to talk to Gabby first."
"Fair enough" Kelly opened the door and helped Gabby out of the car while Matt grabbed two suitcases from the truck bed.
"I'm perfectly capable of getting out of the car myself." Gabby rolled her eyes. "Go help Matt with the luggage."
"Okay" Kelly turned around and took a bag and a small suitcase. They brought everything inside while Gabby went straight to the bathroom. Kelly took a seat on the couch while Matt took two beers out of the fridge. He walked back into the living room and took a seat next to his friend and looked at him. "Wow"
"What?" Matt raised an eyebrow.
"You knocked her up." He stated the obvious. "You sure it's yours?"
"Not funny, Severide."
Kelly laughed. "Come on, we all know you two guys are madly in love. Maybe this baby is faith's way of telling you that you belong together."
"Maybe" Matt took a sip from his beer. "I'm happy she's back but I'm afraid it won't be easy. I mean we talked a lot but besides from her being pregnant not much has changed since she left. Sooner or later we might fall back into old patterns only that next time there'll be a baby to consider."
"But all you two were arguing about is the right way of having a baby. Your whole argument was based on the fact that you thought Gabby shouldn't get pregnant and that issue is gone. Aren't you reading too much into the whole situation?" Kelly looked at his friend. "Yes, she left you but I doubt she really wanted to stay there forever. I mean it's Gabby. She tends to leap before she thinks. I'm sure she never planned on leaving you, she just ran away from the pain."
Matt let the words of his best friend sinking in. "Maybe you're right. But it's a fact that she left me and I'm afraid she might run away again if things get complicated. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame her anymore. I guess I'm just afraid of the future."
"I get it, man." Kelly took a slug from his beer. "She's your everything and you won't survive her leaving you for the second time. I saw first-hand what it did to you and I'm sure she felt the same. But what's most important is that she called you. She didn't hide anything from you."
"I know." Matt sighed. The two of them sat in silence and drank their beer. No one had noticed Gabby standing next to the dinner table in the kitchen are. Listening to their conversation. She knew that they still had a lot to figure out but until this moment she never thought about what the time apart did to Matt. She had been too focused on the pregnancy and her own thoughts and fears. She leaned against the kitchen counter and sighed. It was never her intention to hurt the love of her life. Kelly was right. She tried to ran away from the pain but it turned out she couldn't. It had followed her. The important question was: Was it still there? She couldn't tell. She wanted to go back into the bedroom but tripped over her handbag.