Their alarm had just gone off as Gabby felt Matt's arms wrap around her.

'Mornin,' he groaned, a little nervous about today as he had to go to the hospital for a meeting with the surgeon about removing the hardware from his leg. He knew it was something that had to happen before he could return to the force. As much as he wasn't looking forward to it, but knew it was a necessary step to get back to work.

'Good morning,' Gabby smiled as well. She had come home in the night from her shift and felt tired and wasn't sure how she was going to get through the day.

'It's nice to lay like this,' he mumbled softly.

'Probably should get up,'

'Hmm, wanna lay like this just a little longer,' Matt moaned as he pulled her closer again. Pressing his face against her neck, he held her close.

'You need to get up too, ' she told him as she turned around, kissing him.

'I know, I know,' he mumbled, still holding her close.

Neither of them wanted to leave the beds or each other's arms, but they didn't have much of a choice when Daniela started to cry.

'Alright, well, that settles it,' he smiled, kissing Gabby one more time before they got up. As he went to take a shower, Gabby went to take care of Daniela, lifting her from the crib and comforting her. Her eyes were falling shut as well, so tired. She didn't mind working the late nights, especially now that Matt was still at home a lot more to look after Daniela, plus they could use the money. But it didn't make any less tired.

Holding Daniela against her, she only opened her eyes again as Matt walked into the room.

'Come on, I will feed her, you take a shower. hey I can go to the hospital alone if you want – you must be tired,' he said, his hair still damp from the shower.

'No, I want to come with you, it's important,' she assured her.

'Alright,' he smiled, kissing her on her forehead as he took Daniela from her to make breakfast for her.

'Are you sure you are not too tired, you had a long shift, think I heard you come in at 2 am?'

'It's fine, really,' she assured him. As soon as he had left for the kitchen she leaned against the wall, so tired.

Arriving at Lakeshore, she smiled as he walked with the carrier Daniela laid in. She was blabbering and looking around and she couldn't help but smile looking at her own family.

They didn't have to wait long before the surgeon could see him and Gabby sat with Daniela in her arms, the girl luckily asleep as they had just fed her a big breakfast.

'You look good, walking seems stable,' the surgeon smiled.

'Yeah, all good walking now. Even doing short runs,' Matt said as he sat down on the examination table. Looking at the scars over his femur and hip, the surgeon nodded.

'Won't be too invasive, we can open up these old scars and remove the rods and of the screws,' the surgeon explained and Matt nodded. As much as he wasn't looking forward for it, he knew it was one of the last things that stood between him and going back to work.

'Sounds good, will I have to stay overnight?' Matt asked concerned.

'Just one night,' the surgeon said, Matt sighing a bit annoyed.

'Sorry, it is not personal, I just don't like being away from my family,' he quickly explained himself, Gabby staring daggers at him as Daniela was grabbing her hair.

'That I can understand,' the surgeon said sympathetic.

'It is just for one night,' Gabby told him and he nodded.

'Just happy to get that iron out of my leg and go back to work,' Matt nodded with a smile, 'When?'

'In two weeks,'

Matt nodded, a little nervous as it was so soon, but also glad as it meant that things would return back to normal soon.

They got back to the car soon, Matt having set a date for the surgery and Gabby laid her hand on his leg.

'You okay,'

'Yeah, feels like things are finally gonna be normal again,' he smiled at her.

'Yeah, it's been a long road,' she agreed with him. Smiling at him though, she was so proud of how he had gone through all of it. She was nervous knowing that he would be going back to work, scared that it would happen when he was back at work, knew that he could still get hurt on the job when he started now again.

She didn't say anything though, feeling so tired and not wanting him to promise something again without him being able to be sure if he was really never going to get hurt again.

'Come on, let's get some lunch,'

'Still need to go to the store – check out daycares online for Daniela – we need to -'

'Gabby, calm down, it's okay, let's just get some lunch first,' he told her, a little concerned as she seemed stressed out, as much as she kept saying that he was fine.

'Sure,' she just mumbled as they drove to one of the nearby cafes for lunch. Taking Daniela out of the car, she started to cry.

'Probably head home and put her down for a nap, it's been a long morning for her,' Matt said, hoping it wouldn't stress Gabby even more. Even though she hadn't said she was tired, he could see she was and she seemed stressed out. Going inside, there was a line.

'Come on, you wait in the car, I can get us something,' Matt told her, Daniela still crying and people in the café looking at them.

'It started raining, I will wait by the door,' Gabby sighed, still rocking Daniela and holding her close. Matt nodded, quickly joining the line to order their lunch.

'Shh, you are okay, you are okay,' Gabby said softly, still caressing over the girls back but she didn't stop crying.

For a second, she went quiet, but started crying again a few more seconds.

Trying to soothe Daniela, she kept crying. A little desperate, Gabby tried to hold her close again, hoping the crying would stop as kids were still looking at her.

'Great soundtrack for our lunch,' a guy close to her complained and Gabby wanted to lash out, get angry but instead she felt tears well up in her eyes, feeling so tired and desperate to calm Daniela down.

Matt looked back, still hearing Daniela cry but as soon as he looked back, he saw Gabby had started to cry now as well.

'Gabby, Gabby, it's okay!' Matt said as he laid his hands on her shoulders, gently taking her away as she started to cry.

'Sorry, I am so tired,' She admitted as he took Daniela from her, looking concerned.

'Oh Gabby, you should have said so,' he felt so sorry for her, as she had been working so hard for the both of them.

'I am sorry -'

'Don't say that, come on, let's just go home,' he gently told her as he was trying to comfort Daniela at the same time. She was still crying, as much as he wanted to still get lunch for all of them, he laid his arm around Gabby and they made their way back to the car. He hated seeing his girls so upset and knew going home was the course of action.

Sitting down behind the wheel, Gabby dried her tears as Matt was consoling Daniela and putting her in the car seat. Sitting down beside Gabby, he looked concerned at her.

'Sorry, just a little more tired than I thought I was,' Gabby admitted.

'It's okay Gabby, I just need you to be okay,' he told her. She nodded, starting the car.

'Let's just get home, alright?'

'Sounds like a plan,' he said, pecking her on her cheek as they started driving home.

Gabby woke up from a nap, having laid down as soon as they got home. She felt a little embarrassed about what had happened at the café, but was surprised as the door softly opened, Matt peeking in.

'Hey, I made you some lunch and coffee,' he said softly as he walked into the bedroom.

'Didn't need to do that,'

'Just two more weeks and I am going to be dependent on you again for a bit, so it only seems fair,' he smiled as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

'You nervous?'

'No, not at all,' he told her as he handed over the food and coffee to her, 'looking forward to going back to work – well, my own work.'

'Are you sure you are ready for it? I can work more shifts at the hospital while you recover,' she said as she dug into the sandwich he had lovingly made for her.

'You have been working a lot while I have been working half days and staying with Daniela a lot. When I go back on shift, please cut your hours back. We got my captains pay again, so it will be fine,' Matt told her.

'It's okay Matt,'

'It's not. You are exhausted,' he said, feeling a little guilty.

'It is not your fault,'

'Doesn't mean I don't wanna do better by you,' he told her.

'Matt, you are recovering from a massive accident,'

'I know, but I want my wife to be happy too,'

'I am,' she assured him, still worried that he was scared about her leaving her. As much as they were still struggling to settle into their lives, it was not because she was unhappy.

'Alright, I am going to get Daniela so you can cuddle with her and I am going to do the shopping you needed, while I can still get around too,' he told her.

'Matt -' before she could object, he kissed her.

'You have been looking after me all this time and I need you to be okay too – and Daniela just needs some love from her mom, she has been fussy and I think she is sick of my hugs,'

Smiling as he left the room, he returned a few minutes later, gently placing Daniela in her arms.

'Alright, I am going to go to the store – Ben and Jerry's cookie dough?' he smiled, knew that it always cheered her up.

'How about baked Alaska?', she smiled, so grateful to have her.

'Ooh, adventurous,' he smiled, kissing her and Daniela on her forehead before he left. Holding their daughter close, Gabby felt so grateful for Matt and how they had come together as a little family. Holding Daniela close, she was glad Matt was so understanding and she was glad how much more mature and healthy their marriage was now. As much as they had to figure out things now that Matt would hopefully return to work soon and now that they were parents, she was so happy to have a family with him. It made her even more grateful that he had shown up at her doorstep.

Sorry it has been a while since there was an update in this story. There is about 4 chapters left of this story, I am planning of stopping at 40, to focus on the other 2 dawsey stories I have going as well. If you haven't checked out the latest one, finding the future, please do! Thank you so much again and I hope you liked this chapter. See you in the next one!