Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. All rights belong to NBC.
-x-
He's sitting on a stool in Molly's, nursing a club soda and listening to Herrmann go on about the new neighbors, when his phone rings.
Severide had just left, mumbling something on his way out the door about needing to take care of something, and he has a sneaking suspicion it has to do with the girl he saw in just a Blackhawks jersey parading around his apartment that morning- the same girl he had just seen on television standing next to Roger Maddox as he accused chief of slander.
He quickly answers, seeing that it's Chief on the other end.
"Hey, chief."
Boden's voice comes alive on the other end and all it takes is the mention of Dawson's name to send his brain into overdrive. Boden is saying something about bringing her to Chicago Med and if he's being honest he stopped paying attention seconds ago because he heard her. He heard Gabby, her screams echoing through the phone.
"Tell her I'll be right there."
He's hanging up and running out the door.
His family needs him.
-x-
He's not sure how he ended up in the parking lot of Chicago Med, not sure how his brain managed to work enough for him to get there because all he can think about is GabbyGabbyGabby, but here he is. His feet are moving of their own accord and it takes him a minute to realize he's sprinting towards the emergency room doors. It's then that it hits him, the familiarity of the situation. It wasn't that long ago that he was running through hospital doors hoping beyond hope that Gabby was safe. He didn't know it then, or maybe he did, but he'd always be running to her. That time Ambulance 61 had been involved in some random crash and for a moment he felt like his world was off tilt.
But this time, this time is different. They've come so far, both together and apart, since that last scare. Now, God, now she's carrying his child. Their child. They're gonna start their family. They're supposed to get their happy ending.
He's gasping for breath, the run from the car to the ER longer than he anticipated, when he spots chief. His face is an unsettling mix of fear and concern and he wishes he would stop looking at him like that. He wishes this would all stop, actually. He wants to rewind to about an hour or so ago when they were all at Molly's and Gabby was teasing him about not drinking a beer. Instead he's standing in the hospital feeling hopeless and more broken than he's ever felt.
Within seconds he sees Gabby, she's lying on a gurney being wheeled towards a prep station. He's at her side immediately, grabbing her shaking hand in his. He's trying so hard not to look terrified, to not let her see that he's quickly unraveling, but he's not sure how much longer he can pretend.
"Hey, I'm not even worried. You'll do great."
"We didn't even get to find out if it's a boy or a girl," Gabby cries out.
He's not sure how much longer he can do this, but he knows that soon enough his quivering lip and his wobbly voice are going to betray him and he doesn't want Gabby to be there when they do. He wants her to see his strength, wants to project it onto her, he wants so many things right now and none of them are going to happen.
"Hey, hey, hey," he's stroking her hair, trying to calm her from the trauma that she's currently going through. "You're the strongest person I know. You're gonna be fine. The both of you. Okay?"
He needs her to hear him, needs her to believe the words he's saying. He believes them. Gabby has always been strong. Hell, she'd been his anchor for years. She was always saving him, giving him something to reach towards, to cling to, when the tragedy in his life threatened to drown him. Now it's time for him to save her. To keep her above the water. He just doesn't know how. Not when this is the tragedy.
"I love you."
A small nod.
"I love you, too."
He leaves one last lingering kiss on her forehead and the doctor's are yelling that it's time and he feels like everything is collapsing around him, like his world is completely falling apart and he can't keep anything together.
He looks on as they push her away from him and he tries not to think too much about how his entire world is being wheeled on a gurney into an operating room.
-x-
He swears he's seconds away from a full mental breakdown. He's been pacing the operating room for what feels like forever, and he hasn't heard a single thing about Gabby and the baby. He just wants to find Dr. Halstead and explode on him and doesn't he understand that he needs to hear something soon?
He tries to get Antonio on his cell but the district tells him that he's undercover. He's sure that he's read something about this somewhere. Murphy's Law or whatever? That anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. He hopes that wherever Antonio is he's okay, and he really hopes that he can answer his phone sometime soon. He knows Gabby is going to want her brother when she wakes up.
When she wakes up.
Where is the doctor? How is his girl?
Boden, Herrmann and Severide are there with him in the waiting room. He's always been thankful for his 51 family, but he's certain that right now, in this moment, he's never been more appreciative. He loves them. He really does. But he's getting anxious. The clock keeps ticking and still no word about Dawson and there's only so much more of Herrmann's inspirational pep talk he can listen to before he completely loses it.
He know he means well, but right now he just wants the world to disappear.
He wants five minutes to himself to process everything. He wants to ignore the pain that has resided in his chest ever since he watched Dawson get wheeled away.
He wants his girl.
For the first time since he got to the hospital he sits in the chair, cradles his head in his hands, and cries.
He cries for everything he loves and for everything he could lose.
-x-
Boden refuses to leave his side, insisting on being there to share news about Dawson with the rest of the 51 family when it finally came. They sit in silence for a while and he's thankful that he's not completely alone when Will Halstead walks towards them.
He jumps out of his seat so fast he almost knocks chief down in the process.
"She did great," Halstead tells him, his face looking optimistic.
He almost can't find his voice- can't bring himself to ask.
"The…. what about the baby?" he asks, his voice wavering a bit.
"We have no reason to believe either of them are in any danger." He suddenly forgets how to react- forgets how to smile, shake hands, say 'thank you.' Halstead sees his hesitance and continues. "They're both okay, dad." He smiles, pats him on the back, and then he's walking away.
They're both okay.
Gabby.
Their baby.
Their family.
For what feels like the first time since he answered chief's call, he can breathe.
-x-
He's in Gabby's room, watching her sleep, allowing this moment of peace for both of them, when she starts to wake up. He looks on as she blinks, her surroundings coming into focus. She must not see him standing there, must not really understand what's happened, because before he can react her hands are cradling her stomach and tears are streaming down her face and oh god not again.
He's by her side in seconds, his hands quickly covering hers, and she looks up in shock. Her big brown eyes are questioning, as if she's begging him to tell her that what she think has happened hasn't.
"No, shh, baby. You did great. They're coming in in a little while to let us listen to the baby's heartbeat."
"You- I- I didn't?"
He shakes his head then, a smile on his face.
"You ready to find out if it's a boy or a girl, mom?" he teases, drawing out the end of the sentence.
The look of relief on her face is overwhelming and he leans down to rest his forehead against hers. A few hours ago he didn't think this moment was possible, didn't think he'd ever feel this weightless ever again.
He should have known better.
This was Gabriela Dawson, after all, and she doesn't let anything or anyone stand in her way.
God, he loved her.
-x-
The baby's heartbeat was healthy and strong, much stronger than its father who was currently wiping frantically at the tears that were spilling down his cheeks. Gabby was chuckling at him, her own tears falling down, but he'd be damned if he was going to pretend like this wasn't the best moment of his life. He'd waited an eternity for this. He wanted nothing more than to have a family of his own and it was finally happening. His baby's heart was beating and he was listening to it.
He'd be lying if he said it wasn't perfect.
-x-
They decide against wanting to know the sex of the baby.
They figure after the day they had, they could handle the surprise down the road.
They spend the night in the hospital, talking about anything and everything and they both decide it would be best if she moved back in. After all, she was there all the time and it would always be her home, too. It doesn't take much convincing and he tells her that he'll go pack up her things from Sylvie's and bring them back to the apartment. Even if she had objections, he wasn't listening to them.
He's being extra protective, but he can't help it. He's not letting her out of his sight. At least not anytime in the near future.
-x-
A week later Gabby is all settled in at the apartment.
He's just getting home from shift when he finds her asleep in their bed. He smiles to himself, moving slowly towards his nightstand, so as not to wake her up. He opens the top drawer, reaching in, and pulls out the little black box.
It's their time now.
He remembers saying those words to her once before and he can't shake the feeling that this is it. They're ready to begin again.
He's holding the tiny box in the palm of his hand, completely lost in thought, when he notices that Gabby is awake. She smiles up at him, and he leans down to give her a kiss. It isn't until he slowly pulls away that she notices what he's holding.
Her breath hitches as the memories come flooding back. The two proposals, both perfect in their own way, and the day she gave it back to him. She had come to pack up the rest of her things to bring back to Sylvie's when she caught him sitting at the kitchen counter. She had hoped that he wouldn't be home, that he'd be at some construction gig and she could hang on to the ring for just a little longer, but it seemed luck wasn't on her side.
He had insisted that she keep it. It's yours, Gabby, but she felt awkward clinging to something that she had decided she had to let go of. She didn't want a reminder of who they had become, at least not while everything was falling apart.
He watches as her face slowly shifts, waits until he can see the beginning of a smile, to ask. He skips the winded speech, decides that he's exhausted that approach, and instead offers his signature Matthew Casey smirk.
"You know, they say the third time is the charm," he jokes, pulling the ring out of the box.
She shrugs, playing along, and mumbles something along the lines of yes, you know, because of solidarity, and they're both laughing as he slides the ring back on her finger. This, he thinks, this is them. Imperfectly perfect.
He quickly changes, crawling into bed, and bringing Gabby into his side. Her body melts into his, succumbing to sleep once more.
He brings his hands to rest on her stomach. He knows it's silly because it's still too early for her to be showing, but his baby is in there.
Before she drifts off to sleep, Gabby rests her hands over his, snuggling deeper into him. He smiles, looking down at their hands, the ring shining. This time it would be there forever. This time they were going to make it work. All three of them.
"Solidarity," he whispers to the dark.