Hey guys, sorry it's taken so long for me to post this! I was in the states for 5 weeks and it was crazy! I was in Chicago and got a photo with Joe and Monica and from what I saw filming, I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEW SEASON!

Please let me know what you think, I live off your reviews!

Thank you to those who had bugged me for this, it gave me the kick up the ass I needed!

Chapter 7 – Safe and Sound

Gabby sighed as she rubbed her face against the warmth of the person under her, it had felt so good to be asleep, the felt safe and comfortable…something she hadn't felt in a very long time. Slowly she opened her eyes and found that she was looking down at Matthew Casey, his blonde hair a mess, his face peaceful and calm, it looked cute. There wasn't many times she would call Matt cute but this was one of those times. Mostly she would call him hot or sexy or just handsome but cute didn't usually come into play. Until she was able to see him sleeping, his arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her to his chest.

Glancing at the time, it shocked Gabby, it was after 2pm, granted they had fallen asleep after sunrise, she hadn't expected to sleep that long and been so comfortable. Sitting up slowly as not to wake Matt, she looked around. She had taken note of some of the things in his home the morning she had gotten there but now that he wasn't so close to her that she couldn't thing straight, she took the chance to look around her, taking in the pictures and the furniture.

As she moved from the couch through the living room, Gabby smiled at the photo on the wall, it was of Matt, he looked a little younger and he was holding a younger child, someone who must have been a cousin or niece, although she didn't really know much about his family, she couldn't say for sure who it was. He looked so happy looking down at the child, she had to be no more than about 12 months old and fast asleep.

It made her sad, thinking that he had wanted this all his life, a baby of his own, a family of his own and to know that it was taken away from him but the woman he had loved the most. But at the same time it made her sad to know that she had been so close to having this as well, having a baby girl of her own and to have had that taken away from her as well, she almost didn't know what was worse, being betrayed by the woman you love and losing the family you thought you had or losing the baby you knew you would have.

Picking up the smaller picture on the mantel she smiled, it was of Matt and Kelly and they were both holding a young child on their backs, giant smiles on their faces, they looked to be giving piggy back rides at the firehouse, it seemed as though they knew the kids to. He just looked so happy around kids.

But that was when she noticed that there were no pictures of his family, nothing of his mother or father or a possible brother or sister, she wondered what his family was like, did he have any other brothers or sisters? Was Violet his only niece? What were his parents like? Gabby was really close with her family so it always made her wonder about other's family. She wanted to know more about his family, she wanted to know more about him.

Taking a step further towards the kitchen, Gabby flicked through some of the papers that were there, she knew she was snooping but part of her didn't care, she was curious to know as much about him as possible. Suddenly she found a letter, it was addressed to him, scribbled handwriting…a doctors hand writing…it was addressed from Lakeshore but the note on the back confused her. It wasn't a doctor's letter, it was a letter from a doctor.

Matt, please don't throw this out…

It was from Hallie, it was still sealed but it was from Hallie. Gabby knew Matt wanted nothing to do with her but something hit her, she wanted to be with him, she wanted a relationship and she wanted everything with him but it scared her. He had been in a relationship in the past that failed, she had clearly tried so hard to make it work but it hadn't and she was sure he was now looking for someone who was solid, someone who was stable in their own life that he could imagine starting a family with them.

Gabby was no that person.

Yes she was stable but she was still so haunted by what had happened to her that she didn't know if she would ever be able to not have those memories inside her mind, the fear of seeing Jason again one day, the fear of if she were ever to become pregnant again that she wouldn't just lose that baby as well. Could she really be what Matt wanted? What Matt deserved?

Panicking a little bit, Gabby grabbed her shoes and her bag before heading for the door. She knew he would probably be angry with her for leaving like this but she needed to get out of there, she need to take a step away from the man she knew she was falling in love with. Letting the door close gently behind her, Gabby went to the one place she knew she could.

Matt groaned as he rubbed his hand over his face. His neck was sore and his back was stiff, clearly he had fallen asleep on the couch again last night. He rubbed his eyes again, slowly opening them to check the time, a little shocked at the harshness of the light around him.

It was well after 3pm when he had woken up, how the hell had he slept that long? What the hell did he do last night and how much did he drink?

Last night…

Last night he had gotten to kiss Gabby, he had gotten to hold her in his arms as she held onto him; he had gotten to lay with her on this couch as they fell asleep. Smiling he remembered what it felt like to have her in his arms, what it felt like to have her lips against his. He was desperate to kiss her again, he wanted her, now that he had a taste he wanted more.

Sitting up he looked around, listening for her when he noticed she was no longer in his arms, "Gabs?" He called out, unsure of where she had gone. Scrunching up his face, he looked around towards the bathroom; maybe she was in there. Heading over to the closed door, he knocked, "Gabby are you in there?" But the door opened against his fist.

He was even more confused than ever, they had talked for a few hours that morning as they lay on the couch against each other, laughing and joking, his hand brushing against her face as she kissed his palm, he didn't know why she wouldn't be there anymore, what had he done to make her leave without telling him?

Maybe she had somewhere to be? Maybe she had gotten a call? Maybe it really had nothing to do with him but that thought still didn't make him feel better, he was hoping she would be there when he woke up. Deciding it was best that he didn't think about it too much now, he headed towards his bedroom, he needed to relax and after last night, having her in his arms all night, he needed a cold shower.

It was about twenty minutes after that Matt had gotten out of the shower that he had check his phone, hoping that maybe there would be something from Gabby, something telling him she where she was or why she had left but his phone was blank, there were no texts, missed calls or even emails. Huffing, he threw his phone back onto his bed, he needed to do something to get Gabby out of his head for as long as possible or else he would be the one to call or text her.

Reaching for his running shoes, Matt decided a run would be something good, it would clear his head, it would make him focus on his breathing and now the smell of Gabby he seemed to not be able to clean off his skin. Closing the door behind him, Matt slipped in his headphone of his iPod and began to run.

"Seriously Kelly, this isn't funny! Why are you laughing?" Gabby cried as Kelly lay back against his bed, laughter pouring from his lips, his shoulders and stomach bouncing in hysteria. When Gabby had rushed over to see him that afternoon, she had never expected him to laugh at her and it wasn't just laughter, he was hysterical, he couldn't even talk he was laughing so much.

Huffing deeply, Gabby grabbed the closest thing to her, happen to just be a pillow, but she threw it at him, hitting him square in the face. "Fuck you Kelly!" She cried again, heading for his bedroom door, she had to get away from him before she blew up completely. She had gone to him for help, gone to him because she trusted him and now he was laughing at her.

"Wait!" laughter, "Gabs wait!" laughter. Eventually Kelly caught up with Gabby before she could make it to the front door, his hand outstretched for her, stopping her from moving. "I'm sorry ok. I'm sorry!" he really was sorry for laughing at her but it was just too funny. Slowly Gabby turned around to look at him, a scowl on her face, she was not happy at all right now. "Come on, please come and sit down…I promise I won't laugh at you…" he raised his eye brow as he looked down at her, trying to get her to understand that he was being serious.

Finally Gabby nodded, following Kelly to the couch. "So tell me why you are freaking out that you and Casey kissed?"

There was a sharp knock on Kelly's door at about 2.30pm, confusing him because he hadn't been expecting anyone and most people would text him to see if he was home before just coming over. Following two more really sharp knocks, Kelly swung open his door, Gabby pushing past him, not even bothering to wait for him to let her in.

Looking from her to the open door and then back to her, Kelly closed it slowly, turning to find her pacing, words falling from her lips, but he couldn't understand them as they were in Spanish. He had seen Gabby like this a couple of times before, mostly when Antonio would piss her off and there was one way that he would be able to help her.

Taking her by the hand, Kelly led her towards his bedroom, Shay was somewhere in the house and he didn't want her to overhear what was upsetting Gabby, mostly because he had no idea what it was and he didn't know if Gabby wanted anyone else to know. Closing his bedroom door, Kelly sat against the side of his bed and watched as she paced some more, more words falling from her lips.

"Gabby…" he tried to get her attention but got nothing, "Gabby!" He tried again but still nothing. "HEY GABBY!" he called out, this stopped her in her tracks, Gabby looked over at him, blinking a few times.

It was almost as though her brain was clicking over from Spanish to English in that moment, when she spoke, freaked out more like it. "Kelly I screwed up, seriously screwed up…" This was when she started pacing again, "I mean, it's not like I didn't want it to happen but it shouldn't have happened. It really shouldn't have happened. What happens now? How do I work this out?"

It was Kelly's silence that caught Gabby's attention, he was watching her with a really confused look on his face, he had no idea what she was talking about. "I kissed Matt!" she all but screamed.

Kelly's face was stoic for a moment before a bright smile came to his face, laughter falling from his lips, echoing through the small room before he fell back against the bed, his hands covering his face, laughter still sounding.

"Alright Gabs, talk to me…" Gabby hadn't said anything as they sat on the couch; she was gathering her thoughts, working out what to say to him.

Scrunching her hands in her lap, she sighed, "Kelly what if I'm not good enough? What if he works out I'm not what he wants?" The hysteria from her voice was gone now and it had been replaced by a soft, fear, a very unsure of herself tone of voice, something that Kelly had only heard after she had been told she had miscarried.

Sighed he leaned forward, "Trust me when I tell you that you are more than good enough for him Gabby. He needs you in his life. Tell me what happened…" He wanted to make her tell him exactly what had happened that morning with the kiss, hoping it would be enough for her to realise that what she was thinking was completely crap. Kelly knew Matt loved Gabby; he had wanted nothing more than to be with her.

"Well, I took him to see Lilly, told him exactly what happened." That shocked Kelly, she hadn't told anyone about Lilly but Matt was different to everyone else. "Anyway, we went back to his place, I must have fallen asleep in the car so he said I could crash at his place. We were outside on the balcony and he kissed me and I kissed him back. We then spent the next few hours on the couch talking and laughing and then we fell asleep."

She just wanted to get it out the way, she was embarrassed to tell him what had happened but Kelly smiled, "Oh Gabs, he kissed you. It has been something he has wanted to do for a long time now. Matt doesn't care about your past, he only will see a future…" Gabby knew he was right, Matt had kissed her, she hadn't kissed him first but she still worried. Pulling her into a hug he held her close.

Kelly understood why she worried, she had been through a lot in the last few years and he knew she still worried about Jason coming back, considering she hadn't ever known what had happened to him but she also worried about herself, Gabby still didn't trust herself in relationships, she didn't believe in herself enough, not that you could tell if you looked at her though. Gabriella Dawson was a bad ass, who stood up for herself and didn't take shit from anyone…but this was a side of herself that she hid away, she didn't like people knowing what was underneath.

"Talk to him Gabby, let him know how you are feeling…"

Gabby pulled away, a little shy now, "But I left…he was still asleep on that couch and I just left!"

Now she was freaking out again, what if he was angry with her? What if he now didn't want anything to do with her? What if he regretted kissing her? What if – "Hey stop with the 'what ifs'. Casey will understand if you just go and talk to him. Trust me." Gabby nodded, her hands were shaking with the emotions that were running through her at the moment, she was happy and nervous and scared but having Kelly around helped.

"Ok. Alright. Yeah I will. I will call him later…or maybe I should talk to him on shift? What do you think?" Kelly smiled again, he loved seeing Gabby so freaked out about Matt, it meant she really cared about him.

"Go and talk to him on shift tomorrow." Nodding, Gabby sighed, she had to talk to him, she had to explain everything.

"Who the hell do you think you are huh?" Kelly stormed into Matt's office the next day on shift, Matt had hidden himself away from the rest of the firehouse when he had walked in. Ambo had been called out even before roll call and so Gabby wasn't around, Matt needing to keep himself busy so he wasn't looking like he was waiting for her.

Looking up suddenly Matt stood, really concerned as to what Kelly was talking about, he wondered what he could have done to piss his best friend off so much. "Sev, I don't…what?" his hands were raised in defence.

With a moment of silence from Kelly, a bright smile broke out on his face, shock coming to Matt's. "Gabby came to see me yesterday…she told me everything…" He laughed when Matt blew out a deep breath of air, he was not laughing, that was not funny.

"Jesus Christ Severide!" Lowering his hands, Matt placed them on his hips, swallowing down the fear that had built up suddenly. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He really hated Kelly right now.

Moving to Matt's bed he sat down, watching Matt sit slowly at his desk once more, "Sorry man, couldn't resist…so you and Dawson huh?"

Matt rolled his eyes, Kelly was like a school girl needing gossip. "Yes I kissed her and no I don't think anything will come from it, she left before I woke up the yesterday morning…" He looked away, a little sad that he hadn't heard from her at all but didn't want to be pushy so he hadn't contacted her at all either.

"Come on man! She came over freaking out yesterday afternoon, she's gonna come and talk to you and trust me you are going to want to listen to what she has to say." Standing suddenly, Kelly moved towards the door, "Give her some time Casey, you know what happened to her with her ex and her baby. Just give her time."

As Kelly went to leave Matt stood suddenly, "Hey Sev…thanks for everything you did for her then. I can only imagine how devastating it would have been…" Kelly nodded, he didn't like to think about the night he held Gabby as she cried herself to sleep in that hospital after giving back her baby or the nights that followed when she had come to stay with him, the bruising fading but the pain still evident on her face.

Sitting back down at his desk, Matt sighed, maybe he should have texted her but after what Kelly had said, maybe it was a good thing that he let her do things as she wanted, let her set the pace…if there was going to be a pace to set. Settling into his report he had left from the shift before, Matt tried to focus on that and not wonder when Gabby was going to come and talk to him.

Ambo had stopped for breakfast, neither Gabby nor Shay had gotten a chance to eat anything that morning before being called away to a call and so they had both decided that a short stop was needed. But Gabby hadn't been focussing on much after they had dropped the patient off at Lakeshore. "Hey, what's up with you?" Shay leaned over, getting Gabby's attention.

"Nothing, nothing." Was Gabby's reply but it was unconvincing even for her. Looking over at Shay, Gabby rolled her eyes, she knew she wasn't going to get away with that reply. "Fine, but you can't freak out ok!" After a quick nod from Shay that Gabby didn't believe, Gabby spoke, "Matt kissed me yesterday morning."

And she was right, Shay freaked out, cheering loudly as she clapped her hands against the steering wheel of the ambo, "Finally! Oh god finally!" Shay was so happy that at first she missed Gabby's unsure face, until she looked over again, "What? Was it that bad? He a sucky kisser? OH! Don't tell me…too much saliva?"

This made Gabby laugh and blush a little, Matt was the furthest thing from a bad kisser, he had been so sweet and gentle that it was giving her goose bumps just thinking it about it now. "No, no. Nothing like that. He was really sweet and amazing…" she blushed even more, she had never been kissed the way Matthew Casey had kissed her.

"So what's the problem?" This confused Shay; she wasn't sure why Gabby wasn't over the moon about it all.

Gabby shrugged, "No real problem, just my last relationship ended because…" she hadn't ever told Shay this but she felt like she could now, "he was abusive. In the end my boyfriend became abusive and one night he had his friends come over and…well…lets just say that I called Kelly the next morning." Gabby looked away, she knew Shay didn't need to be told more than that to understand what she meant, the hand on hers told her she understood.

"Gabby, I'm so sorry. I had no idea…" Shay shouldn't be saying sorry, none of it was her fault.

"It's alright, really. I guess, its just what happened has kinda, I don't know ruined me?" She shrugged, unsure of what to actually say but Shay reached over again, holding her hand tightly.

"Hey, it hasn't ruined you, you just need to trust yourself and trust Casey, I mean he isn't going to do that to you-" Gabby cut Shay off, there was in no way was she saying that Matt would hurt her like Jason did.

Turning in her seat, Gabby looked at Shay, "Oh God no, I know that Matt would never…" she shrugged again, "I guess I just I'm scared of what it would mean to be with Matt. And what if I can't keep the relationship together, I mean he is my best friend and I would be running the risk of losing that if I some how fucked up. Which I usually do" Looking away from Shay, Gabby found something to focus on outside the ambo, they would be back at the firehouse in a few minutes and that would mean she would be seeing Matt for the first time since the kiss and that would also mean she would need to be having that conversation with him.

"Ambulance 61, car accident East Rudolph and North Columbus, be advised Truck 81 and Squad 3 en route."

Nodding to Shay, Gabby acknowledged the call through her radio, Shay setting off the lights and sirens, they would make it to the scene before truck, Gabby setting aside the knowledge that she would be seeing Matt earlier than she was hoping, but glad it would be at a call though, she wouldn't have to focus directly on him just yet.

Quickly arriving at the scene Gabby jumped out, finding the smoke still clearing from the crash. It was clear someone had turned when they weren't supposed to, causing three cars to collide. "Shay, check the other cars!" Gabby called out as she looked over at what would possible be the worst of it.

Finding herself standing in front of a smaller car, Gabby looked in, a young man staring back at her, she smiled. "Hey hun, what's your name?" She watched as he looked behind him, the car seat in the catching her eye. "Do you have a kid?" There was no one in the car seat but it worried her because the man only seemed to be focused on it.

Moving to the back of the car, she wretched open the back door, hoping that she wouldn't mind a nightmarish scene, instead she found the young child, no more than two years old, sitting in the foot console, hiding as far into the corner as possible. "Hey sweetie, it's ok…" Gabby leaned further into the car, trying to reach for the little girl. "It's alright sweetie…"

She thought about it for a moment, she really shouldn't be getting into the car, she had no idea if there were any other dangers but this little girl was scared and there was already another paramedic checking in on the man in the front. She could hear sirens in the background; she knew that truck and squad wouldn't be too far off.

As movement happened quickly, it seemed that the paramedic who was helping in the front had knocked the back door closed, jamming it as he did so. Gabby glanced back as it closed, shaking her head as she reached for the now crying child. "Come on honey, it's alright, I want to help you…" Gabby looked over her as much as she could, there was a cut on her head, clear bruising on her arm already, the seatbelt had clearly done it's job.

Gabby slid as close as possible, finally getting close enough to her the get a better look, the little girl hysterical from fear, tears streaking down her face.

"Dawson, what do you we have?" Matt's voice found her ears, he was looking through the window, pulling his gloves on. He was concerned to see Gabby in the back of the car, she should know better than to get in when she didn't know the danger but at the same time, he trusted her judgement and knew she wouldn't get in unless she had to.

The only problem was – he could smell the gas that was pouring out of the bottom of the car currently.

"Little girl, cut on her forehead, bruising…" she rattled off what she knew, trying to pull the girl closer to her but she seemed to be stuck, "Casey, something is wrong…" She looked closer; the little girl was tangled in the front seat belt, it was causing the little girl pain. "She's stuck!" Gabby glanced back to Matt the concern in her eyes evident, as she clearly could smell the gas as well. Matt looked around, moving to the other side of the car so he could get a better look at what was happening. He could see the distress on the little girls face but he could also see the worry in Gabby's eyes.

In the corner of his eye, Matt could see Mouch and Cruz ready with extinguishers, in case they were needed. "Alright, we are going to do this slowly…" they weren't sure if there were more injuries to the little girl so things had to happen slowly, "…cut through the seat belt and we will pull her through the window…" Matt leaned down and gave Gabby his knife, letting her cut the little girl free, the smell of gas getting stronger by the second.

With a snap, the belt gave way, freeing the little girl, Herman reaching over Matt's side to bring the crying child from the car, but the moment the little girl was free, it wasn't the front of the car that lit up but the back, Gabby could almost feel the flames on the back of her neck.

Gabby closed her eyes tightly and reached instantly for whatever and whomever she could, the flames flickering through the broken back window, she cried out as it all heated up around her, sweat was already coming down her forehead, both from the heat and the stress of the situation.

The two hands around her held tightly as she was pulled from the car, calls were around her, she could hear her name, but all she could focus on was the fact that someone was holding her close, she had been moved, she wasn't sure where too but whoever had moved her from where she was to where she was now.

She could hear the movement around her, the voices but all she could do was hold on, because the person who helped her was still holding on to her as well. Slowly she opened her eyes, finding that she was looking directly into Matt's chest, before she looked up at him, he had his arms around her still but he was looking back, clearly having moved them so his back was facing the burning car, he was making sure the flames were under control.

Eventually he turned to Gabby, his arms still holding her tightly, his eyes full of worry, "You alright?" He was looking over her, making sure she was ok after the close call.

Nodding quickly, Gabby smiled, "Yeah, yeah I'm alright. Thanks…" it was a rushed thank you, a deep breath out as she tried to steady herself. "Thank you…" she tried again, trying to really show him she was thankful.

Before Matt could say anything, Shay called Gabby away, they needed to get the little girl to the hospital with her father. What felt like an hour standing in his arms was only a minute, times suddenly kicking back in, with eye contact broken, Gabby rushed off towards Shay, a small smile playing on Shay's face as she watched their interaction.

Speeding off in the ambo, Gabby turned her attention to the little girl on the stretcher, having been settled a little as they made their way to the hospital.

Gabby slowed as she moved into the common room, they had spend about half an hour at the hospital once they dropped the little girl off, restocking and filling in their forms. She was unsure of what she would find when she got there, would Matt be sitting be sitting at the head of the table he usually sits at? Would he be standing behind the counter making something to eat? Would he be in his office with his head over a report he had yet to finished?

There were so many places he could be, so many different scenarios that could follow the minute she saw him, so many different emotions that were running through her right now. But as she stepped foot into the common room, Matt was neither sitting at the table, nor was he standing behind the counter, which had to mean he was in his office...right?

A hand on her back caught her attention and she found Kelly standing behind her, a smile on his face. "He is in with Boden, go and wait for him...it'll be alright." Before he left, Kelly placed a kiss on her forehead, a little confusion from those around them; they hadn't ever known Kelly and Gabby to be so close, not as much as they had been showing over the last few months.

Nodding a thank you, Gabby ducked her head and made her way towards matt's office, where she would wait for him and in that time she would think of something to say to him.

Pushing open his door slowly, Gabby made sure no one was around, she didn't want to be bringing attention to herself if she didn't have to and in turn she wouldn't be bringing attention to matt either. The last thing she wanted was to have any more prying eyes that she knew she already did with both Shay and Kelly.

Stepping into his office, Gabby smiled, it smelled like him, there was this particular smell that would send shivers down her spine whenever he was around and she was kind of glad that his room had that same smell, it was soothing as she internally freaked out.

Looking around his office, it was much like looking round his living room the day before, there were pictures against the wall above his desk, these ones were mostly of those from the firehouse, some people she didn't recognise, some people she knew but hadn't worked with. There were hand drawn pictures from children, depicting him as their hero, something she knew he would deny but he was s hero, he had saved many lives and will continue to save lives.

Against the side of his filing cabinet, it was around eye height if you were to be sitting down was two pictures, one was of him and her, it had been taken about three months ago, she had made a joke and no one had found it funny and so Matt had wrapped his arm around her shoulder, she remembered what he had said that day, "Don't quit your day job"

She had tried to push him away but he wouldn't let her go, Gabby also remembered Shay taking that photo, standing off to the side where she hadn't been seen. Gabby had rolled her eyes when she noticed what was happening but didn't stop it, Matt was hugging her and she was going to take whatever she could get.

The second photo was one of Matt, Kelly and someone she didn't know. They looked younger; it had to have been taken at least 8 years ago. Pulling it from against the cabinet, Gabby studied it a little harder. She was trying to place the person, why they been so important to Matt to have this photo right there. Matt looked happy and so did Kelly-

"That's Andy Darden. I don't think you would have ever met him. That photo teas taken about 9 years ago when we all ended up at the same house. We had only been on the job for about a year, the three of us going through the Academy together and somehow we ended up in the same house."

Matt's voice pulled Gabby from her thoughts, making her jump a little at the sound he was now standing by her side, reaching out for the photo like he hadn't looked at it in years. "It was crazy, having the three of us in the same houses, we caused more trouble for Boden then you could ever imagine, Andy was always pulling pranks, roping us into it all as well. My lieutenant at the time didn't know what to do with us, we were pretty crazy."

He laughed, almost as thought he was remembering something specific. "Andy had a couple of kids, amazing boys - Ben and Griffin - when he..." Matt swallowed, this was obviously hard for him and Gabby had an idea as to where it was going. "He died during a fire about 3 years ago now. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with. He was my best friend and I got him killed."

This caused Gabby's sharp intake of breath. She knew that people died in the job, it was unfortunate but it happens, she also knew that a fire fighter can't blame themselves for any deaths or else it will eat them alive. Quickly she placed her hand on his back, "No, Matt. You can't blame yourself for that."

He shrugged against her, "Kelly did. For a long time he blamed me. He and Andy grew up together, knew each other even before the Academy. I was his lieutenant and I got him killed." Matt rubbed his eyes for a second before placing the photo back where it belonged.

Obviously he and Kelly had fixed their relationship since that point, but it still hurt her to know they had fallen so far from each other for a while. "Hey there is a reason why you became lieutenant after only 5 years on the job ok, you are amazing at what you do." Gabby moved her hand from his back to his cheek, it hurt her to see him feel like this but she was going to try and make it better.

Matt smiled into her touch, she was able to sooth him so easily, it was what he needed, especially when the anniversary of Andy's death was coming up. Clearing his throat, Matt turned fully to look at Gabby, he wanted so much to kiss her right then but didn't want to over step just yet; this was the first time they had been speaking since that morning.

As if sensing his questioning, Gabby smiled shyly, "Do you have some time...unless your busy I mean..." But Matt quickly shook his head; he was going to give her all the time in the world. Reaching up for her hand from his cheek, Matt lead her to the bed where they sat, thankful that the blinds were still drawn from the morning Matt had gotten changed in his office.

They sat in silence for a moment, Gabby never letting go of Matt's hand, something that he liked, knowing that she wasn't pushing him away too much just yet. Swallowing deeply Gabby smiled, "Thank you for saving my life today…" But Matt just shook his head, "No Matt, really. I know how close it was today, so really…thank you…"

Matt smiled widely, she was too cute when she was nervous, he could tell she was nervous. He could read her like an open book, it was something that he had prided himself on, after becoming her closet friend, Matt could honestly say that he could tell when something was wrong, something was upsetting her or when something was making her happy.

"I would do it again if I had to Gabs, you know that…" He just wanted her to know that it was ok, that it was his job but he would glad be the person to pull her out of situations if she needed the help.

Silence took over them, he could tell Gabby was wrestling with something, something that was eating at her. He held her hand tightly; telling her it was ok to keep going.

After a moment, she spoke, swallowing down the lump in her throat, "Ah…Matt I'm sorry about leaving the other morning…"

But Matt shook his head, "No it's alright, I mean, I was a little confused but I get it…" He was rubbing her hand as he spoke, he didn't really get it but he was trying to be there for her.

"No Matt, I shouldn't have left the way I did and I'm sorry for that. I guess, I just woke up and …I'm not good at this Matt, after everything that has happened, I guess I just freaked out." She still hadn't let go of his hand though; she was holding it tightly, wanting to hold onto him for as long as possible.

"Gabby, I get it, I really do…" he turned to face her, taking her other hand in his, before bringing her hands to his lips, pressing them against the top of her hands, "Look, this…us…whatever it is, I want to be able to see where this goes but I get if you don't want something or-"

But before he could finish Gabby leaned forward quickly, pressing her lips to his, shocking him into silence. They sat there for a moment, Gabby shocked with herself for kissing him and Matt shocked that she had kissed him as well. Gabby pulled away after a moment, smiling as she noticed his eyes were closed still, a smile on his face as well.

"It's not that I don't want this Matt, I do…I just…can we maybe take it slow? I just…I don't want to hurt you." She looked away, unsure about how he was going to take what she was saying. It was a moment of nothing until his hand touched her face, brushing her thumb against her cheek.

Leaning forward a little Matt laughed, "We can take this as slow as you want Gabs. I just…I'm not going to hurt you and I know you're not going to hurt me."

Gabby smiled back, "No, I know that, I just want to be sure of myself. Ok?"

That was all Matt needed and so he slowly leaned forward again, waiting to see if she would pull away, if this would be to quick for her. But it wasn't, biting the side of her lip, Matt rested his against hers once more, relishing in the feeling of her leaning into him as well.

It wasn't until the bell's rang that they pulled apart, laughing a little at each other they were called.

Ambulance 61, Truck 81, Squad 3, Battalion 25. Man down, suspected shooting, be advised police are on scene.

Moving quickly from the office, Gabby and Matt made their way towards their respective vehicles, sending a quick glance and smirk to each other as they jumped into and drove away.

What do you think? Any love?