''Welcome home!''

Matt looked surprised as Severide and Shay were standing with balloons in their hands, half of them not inflated yet and Matt chuckled as Gabriela shook her head.

''You said you would be home around two.'' Severide said, looking at the balloons in his hands that weren't inflated yet and Matt started to laugh as they just laid them down on the kitchen counter.

''Yeah, so we are five minutes earlier.''

''Guys, I appreciate it.'' Matt smiled before things would get nasty and they moved to the living room. Matt grabbed Gabriela's shoulder as she helped him standing up and supported him so he could sit down in the lounge chair.

''Thank you.'' He said as he sat down with a sigh, as his legs still couldn't support his weight. It was getting better and they hadn't made a big fuss when he has said he wanted to go home especially after Gabriela had talked to Mason and had assured the doctor she could take care of him as he was getting better every day, but for now he knew there was still a road of PT ahead.

Gabriela came walking back with drinks and they all sat down.

''Good to be home.''

''Well, it has been two weeks. That is a long time.''

''It is and I am not going back in that hospital anymore.'' Matt said determined and Shay nodded.

''No more headache?''

Matt shook his head. ''No, no headache. Sometimes the scars hurt but well...that is not out of the ordinary.''

Immediately his fingers traced the lines on the back of his head, some reflect he did every time he referred to the scars, as if he was checking if the three lines were still there. They finished their drinks and he enjoyed the stories Shay was telling about the calls she had had while Gabby wasn't at work either and he was really tired when they left later that evening.

Matt stood up and carefully made the step to the couch on which Gabriela was sitting and he fell down next to her.

''Home, hmm.'' He wiped her hair aside and kissed her in her neck. She turned his way, pulling him against her as she laid back and he turned around a little bit, so his chin was on his chest. Her finger traced his lips and she raised her head to kiss him, but couldn't reach his lips. Smiling he came a little closer and kissed her.

''I am not crushing you, right?'' He made sure as he pulled himself loose for the kiss for a second.

''You are not crushing me.'' She laughed as she saw his worried expression and she kissed him again. Their lips parted again when they heard a loud rumbling sound and Matt's eyes widened.

''What, I haven't eaten anything since lunch.'' She smiled as they sat up again, Matt moving his legs over the edge of the couch as he couldn't sit up otherwise and she stood up. For a second he wanted to stand up, still not being used to the fact he couldn't stand up and he could barely keep himself from falling.

''Don't worry, I'll make some food.'' She said as she saw him struggling.

''But I want to help you.''

She walked back.

''Are you sure? I mean I can make us some food.''

''I know, but I don't want to sit here alone.''

She sat down next to him, laid his arm around her shoulder and pulled him up. Slowly they made their way to the kitchen while Gabby looked up to him, his face strained.

''Babe, next time you should know the living room is still pretty far from the kitchen.'' she said as he leaned against the counter, panting and when he finally caught his breath again he sat down at one of the higher chairs of the breakfast bar with a lot of effort and when he finally sat up he laid his head on his arms while Gabby got the water boiling.

''Babe, don't strain yourself like this. Don't overestimate yourself.'' She said worried as she caressed over his head while his head was still on his arms

''I am not sick.'' He said, grumbling and muffled.

''I know, you are recovering. But that doesn't mean you are ready for doing everything again.''

He looked up, nodded then and she handed him a glass of water.

''I know, I just want to get back to normal life.''

Gabby nodded as she poured the macaroni in the boiling water and Matt suddenly started to nodd at her hand. Surprised she looked down and realized she had kept pouring long after she should and she looked at the large pile of macaroni in the water.

''I hope they didn't remove that tapeworm of yours.'' She said, still looked down and Matt laughed, knowing she was referring to the huge portions he ate when he was hungry.

''Don't worry, me and tapie are starving.'' He laughed now as she started to prepare the sauce.

''Carbonara, tapies favorite.'' He smiled as he looked as she got the bacon and the sauce.

''Tapie has some good taste for a tapeworm.''

''He is very eclectic.'' He laughed and he leaned sideways to the cabinet where the plates were and handed her two of the plates so she couldn't have walked around the kitchen island. Gabby piled a large stack of the dinner on his plate and he looked at it.

''I am not sure if I can finish it.''

''Just how much you can finish, I know I threw in too much.''

They ate and Matt almost finished his plate when he sighed and shoved it aside.

''I am afraid they removed Tapie after all.''

Gabby cleaned the plates and they walked to the bedroom. Although it wasn't very late yet they were both very tired and they also had to get early, both of them. Christie would be here very early tomorrow morning to pick him up and take him to PT and bring him to his mom after that. He would also stay over there, something he was really not looking forward to but it was better than being in the hospital. Gabby had a shift as she had missed many, she didn't want to miss any more and Matt understood that.

''Oh you smell like hospital.'' She complained as she helped him sit down on the bed and he shrugged.

''I guess we have to shower together then.''

''Are you sure, that is where the whole misery started.''

''I am sure.''

He undressed himself on the bed and looked away as she removed the catheter.

''Sorry.''

''Sorry this awkward. But you knew this would happen if you went home.''

''Nothing compared to tomorrow.'' He sighed, thinking about his mom tomorrow. He would insist on doing it himself, but as his mom had been a nurse in a elderly home when he was younger, he was pretty sure his mom wouldn't let him do it himself and he thought it was embarrassing.

''She is your mother.''

''Oh yeah, she saw me buck naked, wiped my ass and changed my diapers...years ago. We had hardly any contact for the past sixteen years and now this.''

''I know it is awkward, but she is your mother.'' Gabby nodded as she was done.

He nodded, still not looking at her and a few moments later they stood up. They walked to the bathroom together and Matt tried not to lean too much on her as she was smaller than him and he was afraid he could hurt her if he leaned too much. She held his left arm firmly that was around her shoulders and her other arm was around his waist. Carefully he stepped into the shower and before he could lose his balance she joined him.

''I can also get one of those old plastic chairs.'' She said, only realizing now they could have arranged this before but Matt shook his head; ''I can manage.'' He said as he leaned between the wall and her and carefully she washed him as he grabbed her shoulder to keep his balance.

''No teasing, no joking.'' He said with a cheeky smile as she washed his hair and he looked at the tile he had bumped his head against.

''I still think I should apologize to the tile. I think it also hurt him.''

Gabby just shook her head and washed his hair and they got out of the shower. A while later, they laid back in bed together and it felt so good to be in his 'own' bed again. Although most of his stuff was still in his own home and it wasn't sol yet, this felt like his home.

He rolled to her side and they cuddled up. His nose smelled her hair and tenderly he moved her hair aside, kissing her in her neck. Her hand caressed his thigh. A minute later she turned around, facing him and her hand caressed the side of his face. Yawning she wanted to call it a night, but now he was finally here he couldn't sleep and he looked as she closed her eyes and fall asleep. She turned around with her back to him and he also turned around, as it was more comfortable to sleep on his other side because of the catheter.

He couldn't fall asleep and he wasn't sure if it was because he was excited to be home or because he was not looking forward to PT tomorrow, but twenty minutes had passed when he heard Gabby turning again and he felt her lips on the back of his head.

''You are not asleep babe. Why?'' She whispered as she heard his breathing. Sure, it was calm, but she could hear he was not asleep.

''I don't know.''

''Tell me your worries.''

''I don't know, really. I was just thinking about how it would have been if the damage was permanent.'' He finally admitted.

''Matt...we talked through this before. But no more what if remember? You are recovering and you are going to be fine and even if the damage had been permanent, we would have found a way.''

She laid her arm around him and pressed her head against his shoulder.

''Nothing is sure yet.''

''I know, but our love is stronger than that stupid artery in your head.''

Matt couldn't help but laugh and turned around a little bit, kissing her.

''Goodnight.''

''Goodnight.''

NOTE: So how will everything continue? Yeah they deserve a successful mutual shower after the first shower and just a more sweet chapter overall! I hope you agree on that.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter without a lot of misery and pain. Please, please tell me what you thought about.