His soft snoring made her smile. Luckily he hadn't woken up when she had moved him from her shoulder and had tucked him in. Dawson looked at the boyish face sleeping between the pillows. Her eyes looked at the big, strong hands laying on the blanket. He turned his hand a little, mumbling something in his sleep while he turned around, only for a small part. Her finger traced the clear scar on his wrist. He mumbled something again, nothing understandable and pulled his arm away. Was that while he was still wearing long shirts, even now the weather was getting better? She wanted to hug him, comfort him again, instead she stood up, to catch some sleep before her shift.

…..

''Severide was really upset when he came home and still he was worried about Matthew.'' Shay mumbled. Usually they joined the rest in the common room to share lunch together, but they had decided to talk in the ambo.

Dawson nodded. ''It must be very upsetting. I think it was a shock to all of us, but especially to them.''

Shay nodded. ''He wanted to go by the centre later to check if Matthew was doing okay…but he saw your car.''

Dawson looked up.

''Were you there?'' Shay asked her, squinting her eyes.

''I might have been.'' She didn't want to tell how broken Matthew had been, especially not to Shay since she would tell it so Severide and Severide wouldn't be able to breathe until he would have seen Matthew and talked to him.

''Was it romantic? Is the bed soft?'' Shay asked with a wink.

Dawson threw her sandwich on the plate on her lap, furious.

''Yes the bed was really soft when I had a grown up man laying in my arms, sobbing and broken.'' Realizing what she had said, she stepped out of the ambo to throw her plate away. Shay came running after her.

''hey, Hey! I am sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I thought you were already…you know, when he brought you home twice?''

''Not at all. We kissed once and I ran away because I didn't know how to react. The next day I didn't dare to call him and that night Hallie died.''

''I am sorry. I should have known better.''

''You should.'' Dawson nodded, leaning against the trashcan, immediately feeling sorry for taking her anger out on Shay.

''Are you going to visit him again tomorrow?''

Dawson shrugged. ''I am not sure, I don't want to come uninvited.''

But after the shift she drove to the rehabilitation centre right away, to peek how he was doing. But he wasn't there. Maybe he just went to see his mom. She drove home, to see her parking space was used by a pick up truck and with a smile she parked the car a few spots farther away. Walking to the car she saw him sleeping in the car, his head against the window and the radio still playing loud. For a moment she doubted if she should wake him, but she wasn't sure is somebody could break in the car while he was asleep. The car locked from the inside though and she knocked against the window, waking him up immediately. He muted the radio and lowered the window.

''Hey.'' He smiled.

''Glad to see you here, wanted to check on you in the centre and you were gone, nobody knew where you were.''

''I want to thank you for last night.''

Dawson opened the car. ''I would like to invite you into my place, but I think you don't want me carrying you inside. Maybe we can go to Mol-''

''I can manage the stairs, don't worry. Are you sure you aren't too tired from your shift?''

She shook her head. Carefully Matthew opened the door and put his chair down, lifting himself in. ''I asked for some help how I should do this. You still owe me a drink too.'' He said, with a small smile.

''True, I have some wine.''

''Joking, I am not drinking alcohol, I still have to drive home.'' He stopped at the stairs. ''Can you carry my chair up the stairs?'' Slowly he lowered himself down to the ground, lifting himself up step by step and glad he could return into his own chair. Dawson opened the door for him.

''Don't worry, there is an elevator.'' She walked down the hall, pressing on the elevator button.

''hmmm, the building is at least a little Matthew-friendly.''

''I hope you can move around in my apartment, it is pretty small and messy.'' She apologized.

''I am sure it won't be a problem.'' The elevator arrived and Dawson pressed on the button for the third floor. He had been in the apartment before, when she had invited him for dinner but it was so long ago he couldn't even remember what it looked like.

''Your legs are shaking again.'' She acknowledged and puzzled he looked at her, given the fact she wasn't facing him. He looked down, saw his right foot ticking against her calf. ''I am sorry.'' He said, wheeling a little backward.

'' I didn't mean it that way, I was just afraid you felt awkward, resulting in spasms.''

''No, but I hadn't even known that I was kicking you if you hadn't told me.'' He bow forward, pulling some straps from the footrests over his shoes, pulling them tight.

''Now, be good to her.'' He said very dry, pointing at his legs. Dawson chuckled. ''They better be good to you.''

''I think they should be good to you, given the fact I don't feel it when they kick you.''

She lead the way to her apartment. ''Welcome to my crib'' She mumbled, opening the door for him. He wheeled trough the narrow hallway to the small kitchen. ''We are still on the wall of fame.'' He smiled, looking at the picture they had made when he was over for dinner.

''Do you want to have dinner here tonight? I was thinking about making some pizza. You must be craving for something else than the healthy food in the centre.''

He nodded; ''if you don't mind me staying over?''

''No, I like to have you here. Besides, I can't a whole pizza myself. I am just going to chance really quickly, okay? You can get whatever you like.'' Matthew nodded again. After she left he looked around the kitchen. He tried to grab one of the drinking glasses from the shelf but he couldn't reach it. He tried another time, realizing he couldn't reach because of the belt around his waist, which he used to keep his balance more easily. He decided to wait until Dawson was back, before he would knock one off the shelf.

''You want a glass?'' Dawson came walking back in, wearing a T-shirt and jeans now. ''That was quick.'' He said, surprised. ''Told you it would be quick.'' She handed him a glass.

''What can I get you?''

''Just water.'' He wheeled to the sink and put some water from tap in the glass, but most of the water ended up on his shirt instead of in the glass, as it splashed away on the side of the glass.

''Sure.'' He sighed. ''I can put it in the dryer if you like. I am sure I have something that fits you.''

He doubted for a few seconds. Finally he pulled his shirt of his head and threw it at Dawson, who walked out of the kitchen without really looking at him. Without his shirt, he felt vulnerable without the shirt, knowing the scars were visible. A few moments later he heard her coming in again and he bow foreward, as if he was leaning on his arms, just to keep his wrists from showing.

''T11?'' She suddenly asked.

He turned his head, looking at her. ''T10.'' He mumbled, realizing she was looking at the scar on his back. ''Incomplete, but with minimal to none function or feeling.''

She nodded, handed him the shirt. It was a plain black male T-shirt.

''Antonio stayed here for a few nights after he was shot.'' She explained.

''The shirt for the shot.'' Matthew joked, putting it over his head. It was pretty tight, but it fitted well enough. ''Thank you.'' He bow forward again, leaning on his arms.

''Is something wrong?''

''No.'' he said, sitting upright again, but putting his hands between his knees.

''You don't want me to see your wrists.'' She said. His face seemed to break; ''how do you know? Did Kelly tell you?''

''No, I saw the scars last night when I put you in bed. Sorry, matt. But don't feel uncomfortable about it here.'' She kneeled down in front of him, touched his hands. He pulled his hands back again.

''It was a dumb thing to do.'' He looked aside, tears filling his eyes.

''it was, but it is nothing to be ashamed off.'' She laid her hand on one of his. ''It is okay.''

''Thank you, Gabriella.'' He smiled.

Her hair also smelled to apples. Her hair was only an inch away from his nose as they were laying down on the cough, watching a Blackhawks game. They had given up the plan on making their own pizza and decided to order some. She laid against his chest, sitting between his legs. He was leaning in the corner of the modern sofa. For a moment he had doubted if he could wrap his arms around her, but he was afraid to disturb the moment. He was sharing the moment physically with Dawson, his mind drifted off to Hallie from time to time. Was it really fair from him to become so intimate with somebody again so soon? Was it respectful to her? Maybe not, but they had already broken up before her death.

''Catch!''

An M&M hit him on the forehead and he could catch it just before it landed on Dawson's head.

''You are supposed to catch them with your mouth.'' She mumbled without looking away from the game.

''You are supposed to share a little more.'' He joked, reaching his arm out, trying to grab some from the package standing by his foot. She grabbed it and held it out for him. He grabbed a handful and they returned to watching the game.

''If it uncomfortable sitting like this? Just say it when it is.''

''Not at all. I am just eating your hair now and then.''

The doorbell rang and Dawson jumped up, running towards the door. She came walking back with a large box. ''Should be enough for the both of us.'' She moved the coffee table in the corner of the sofa and sat at the end of the longer part now, shoving his feet a little aside.

''What is wrong? You seem really absent.''

''Nothing, I was just thinking about everything and nothing.''

''Sounds poetic. Are you worried I want a relationship straight away?''

''I don't know. I feel a little guilty towards Hallie.''

She nodded. '' I thought so. That is your call to make. I hope you realize you have to continue with your life, If that is with me or somebody else. Tomorrow or next year. But you can't keep feeling guilty to somebody who is gone. ''

He nodded. ''I just think I am not really relationship-material. ''

''Why not?''

''Well, everything.''

Trying to end the conversation he grabbed a part of pizza, taking a big bite.

''Are you afraid I will dump you because of your injury?''

Hammer on the nail.

''Could be.'' He just answered.

''Do you think I actually care about that? I always admired you, even loved you, but I never dared to tell you and when I finally asked you out and wanted it kiss you, you didn't kiss back.''

''I felt guilty that time, again. Hallie and I had just broken up and we hadn't even talked about it.''

''I know, but it doesn't matter. I am just saying, nothing has changed in the way I feel about you.''

He smiled; ''Are you really so sure about that?''

''I know things have changed, but I haven't and I know that deep inside, you didn't either. You actually managed really well, you didn't become bitter and I know that this all is new to you and to everybody around you, but nothing changed.''

He swallowed the pizza, ready to say something but she interrupted him.

''And I went to med school, I know what things happen after a Spinal Cord Injury, but honestly. I don't care, I just want to be with you.'' She pressed herself against his chest. Matthew pressed his head against hers, breathing the apple smell in and out.

''I want to be with you.'' He said. ''But let's just try it first, before we yell we are a couple.''

Somehow, he hoped that that would help to maintain their relationship, without other people asking how happy they were together and expected them to always be together.

''Seems like a good idea.''

''But you know everything, that helps a lot, that I don't have to explain about everything.'' He sighed relieved.

''You don't have to be ashamed of anything, although I know that is easier said than done.''

''Let's just eat now, before we start talking about catheters.'' He said, grabbing another part of the pizza.

He wish he could stay forever on the sofa, just smelling her hair and listening to her breathing but unfortunately he had to go back to centre. Walking back to the car with him she kissed him before he drove away. She suddenly realized how cold it was for day in this time of the year and she walked back inside, seeing somebody standing under one of the lights on the parking lot, slowly walking in her direction,

The last few steps she ran, creeped out. As she pulled the door of the building shut behind her the person walked away.

She recognized the way of walking, but couldn't recall who it was. Running upstairs as the elevator wasn't down at the first floor she locked the apartment door behind her.

''Calm down Gabriella.'' She whispered to herself. Trying to recall the walk, but the only thing she could remember was that the person had been following her at the alley as well.

NOTE: I just wanted a sweet chapter after all the drama. Might a be a little boring chapter for none Dawson/Casey fans (Like me, but the romantic person I am (achum achum) I was very pleased to write it) I hope you like it anyway and there are still a lot of ideas with action coming up in the upcoming chapters. I also wanted to have more emotional talk in a chapter, also how Casey felt about his injury and his insecurity. Nah okay, not entirely sweet, as for the ending. But I like building up some tension.

So, what do you think, will their relationship last?

Non – Dawson/Casey fans, I hope you keep reading, since this story is not just going to be romantic, I just wanted to bring them together first, before continuing with action, drama and the friendship between Severide and him and of course the baby!

I hope I will see you back next week, when I am back in the land of the sober after 5 days of mad partying. (Not saying it is impossible that I post earlier, but the chance is really really really small.)

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!

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