Can we just talk about CF for a moment? Dawsey with Louie?! Dawsey together! Angry Matt was SO good last week and I cant wait to see worried Gabby tonight and also what the rest of this season has to bring. It honestly sounds like it's going to be the best season yet!

So considering this chapter is SO late…its about 7000 words to make up for making you all wait. Thanks to Gigi who continued to annoy me about this chapter…I don't mind that you did, it got my ass into gear to finish it!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter, please let me know what you think! :D

Chapter 8 – Keep Holding On

"And as you can see behind me, the CPD are on scene. With the escalating gang activity over the last few months, it was not a surprise that things would start to overflow into the streets and as you can see in front of us the war may have only just begun."

The news crew moved closer to the scene in front of them. There had been a shooting on the foreshore by Lake Michigan, CPD was already there, but when there was a victim bleeding out on the cliff side above the water, they had called CFD.

"It seems as though the CFD have arrived…" The news crew streamed as the CFD and paramedics made their way on scene, those in charge taking over where they needed. "Let's see what unfolds…" The reporter spoke as she turned back to the scene in front of her, a close up of the paramedics and fire fighters coming to the screen.

The news crew continued to film as the scene unfolded around them.

Gabby jumped out of the ambo as they got to the screen, looking around, she noticed that they were surrounded by the CPD, vaguely wondering if Antonio was around on the scene but she also noticed the news crew that was there, she worried about what would happen if there were more gang member's around, it wouldn't be the first time the CFD/CPD and new crews were shot at during scene's like this.

She found her way to Boden and Matt who were already assessing the scene but she and Shay headed straight for the patient on the ground, being called over by the policeman who was there.

"What have we got?" She leaned over the man who was moaning on the ground, she didn't know if he had been shot or otherwise, but in the grand scheme of how bad these things could get, Gabby was going to be overly cautious.

Boden glanced to his side, nodding at Gabby, "CPD need you over there…" he nodded towards where the officers were calling towards her…Shay following with the stretcher and bag.

"He's OD'ing…" the cop spoke as soon as the girls turned up, Matt and Boden not far away, Kelly standing off to the side, watching in case they would need him. . It wasn't the first time that an OD went bad quickly, once the patient came down from their high, they could become violent.

Gabby started looking over the victim, Shay running her tests, checking for a pulse and to see how strong it was, chattering amongst themselves as they went along. "Is he coming down?" She called out once Shay pushed the next drug, hoping that something would work.

It the background, the firefighters and paramedics could hear Boden speaking to the police, there had been a gang shooting over the drugs this person was OD'ing on, CPD were all over the scene and it was clear that the new reporters were not going away anytime soon, in fact it seemed as though they were coming closer.

God Gabby hated the news crews, they were always so pushy, never letting them do their jobs, always trying to ask questions, she was glad Boden was there because he was keeping them back, "You need to stay back…let them do their jobs…" But it was obvious that they were still trying to get information out of him, trying to push their mic's in their faces.

"Shay we need to move fast-" Movement cut Gabby off, the victim was finally coming down from his high, the meds taking over and bringing him down. After a few moments of bated breath, his eyes flashed open, consciousness coming to him before that consciousness hit him like a ton of bricks, his body instantly reaction to the pain he was feeling.

His entire body began to fight against the firefighters, Matt doing his best to keep his head straight, his shoulders down on the ground, Shay holding onto his side but Gabby wasn't as lucky, as she tried to reach for his legs, the victim kicked out, the strength of the come down excessive.

With one more buck, Gabby stumbled backwards, missing her step as she tried to steady herself, not realising that she was standing by the embankment, the icy water below her, nothing stopping her body connecting painfully with the sheet of ice covering the water.

Nothing to stop the scream she let out as the world around her fell away, her body sinking below the cracked ice, freezing waters sucking her down further, filling her lungs, her mind clearing of everything, darkness taking over her.

"Hold him down!" Matt called out, all his weight pressing down against the victim's shoulders, he could feel him fighting against the three of them. He looked up to see Shay resting almost her whole body against the victim's chest, trying to help out but Gabby was struggling, she was fighting against him to keep his legs flat, Kelly on his way to help her.

But that wasn't before the victim was able to kick out against them all, Gabby losing her grip, stumbling backwards against the force. It was as if in slow motion, Matt watched as Gabby was there one moment and then she was gone, the only sound was the sound of the heartbreaking scream she let out and then the sickening crack of the ice below.

The world stopped moving around Matt, his body stiffened for what felt like forever before something inside of him finally kicked in.

Matt scrambled to his feet, barely being able to grip on the slippery grass that surrounded the embankment; the minute Gabby was out of his sight, "Gabby!" His voice called out at the top of his lungs, leaning on his hands and knees as he tried to catch sight of her, something at all to know that she was ok. One minute she was there and the next, she was gone.

But all he found when he looked over the edge was the shattered top layer of the icey Lake, thick chunks of ice just floating, ripples in the water was all he could see. "Gabby!" He tried again, hoping that maybe she would come back up at his voice.

It felt like minutes had passed as he stood there for a few seconds, Gabby not resurfacing, he began to remove his jacket, dropping it onto the ground, pulling off his radio when Kelly called out for him, "Casey man, you can't! It's freezing in there!"

Matt didn't bother looking at Kelly as he spoke, his hands still moving over his turnout pants, "It's Gabby!" he cried out, forceful, angry, scared, not caring that people were watching him, he was going in after her, he was going to save her.

"Matt, you can't!" Kelly's voice found his ears again, Matt was going to explode, how could he really think he could stop him from going in. With his suspenders hanging at his shoulders now, Matt turned to him, a shocked look on his face but he could see Capp and Kelly already suiting up in their wet suits. He wanted to go in after her; he had to go in after her.

He stopped for a moment, watching as Kelly pulled the hood over his head, his tank being loaded onto his back, ready to go. He nodded quickly, hands shaking as he looked over the edge again, Gabby still not surfacing. "Please…it's Gabby…" he whispered, almost begging as Kelly and Capp all by pushed him out the way, making their descent into the water.

It wasn't usual to have both Kelly and Capp go into that water but it was one of their own and they knew how cold the water was going to be and they also knew how much time they didn't have.

The members of 51 stood at the edge as they watched, Shay holding onto Otis as they waited, waited for what felt like forever, Matt holding his hands together to try and stop them from shaking, he kept looking over at Boden and then back to the lake, why hadn't they found her yet?

Terror filled Matt's core, he couldn't understand why they hadn't found her, would she still be alive if they did? Would she be ok? Would he ever get to look into her eyes again? Mentally shaking his head, he couldn't think like that, he trusted Capp and Kelly, they would find her.

They had to find her.

Moments later, Capp resurfaced, Kelly not far behind, with Gabby in his arms, her face was pale, lips blue, eyes closed. Slowly they pulled her up the embankment, Matt instantly taking her in his arms, pulling her to the grass where he laid her down, Shay at her side, a rush of hands moving over her. "Shay…?" Matt tried to get something out of her but she and Mills continued to work, trying to make sure she was that she had no severe injuries before loading her into the waiting ambo.

"Gabby, come on girl…" Shay spoke as she looked her over, "She's got a cut on the back of her head, she's hit her head on the ice, but I can't see anything else wrong with her." In that statement, it seemed as though Shay felt like nothing else was wrong with Gabby, other than she was cold and had been knocked out.

Quickly Matt wrapped the thermal blanket around her shoulders, trying to warm her up, but nothing seemed to work, she was getting paler as they watched her, Shay and Mills still trying to get an IV into her, trying their best to warm her up. Matt was desperate at this point, he just needed her to wake up, he need Gabby to open her eyes just to know that she was ok. "Shay…?" Matt tried again, his voice barely above a whisper, Shay just glancing up at him, a look of understanding in her eyes. Matt looked terrified, his eyes welling with tears as he thought about the worst that could happen at this moment.

It was a quick movement, almost like an involuntary jerk, but Matt felt it, his eyes darting instantly back down to Gabby, her hand tightly wrapped in his, the freezing temperature of her body making him shiver. "Gabby?" It was as though everyone slowed, just watching to see what would happen, was she waking up or was he just imagining things?

"Gabby?" He tried again, running his hand over her cheek, the worst feeling settling in at the cold on her skin, the blue of her lips. Suddenly she let out a shiver, her whole body kicking back in thanks to the warm saline that Shay had been able to get through her IV.

Gabby rolled her head towards Matt's hand, instantly seeking out his warmth, consciousness coming to her, her eyes fluttering open against the pain she was feeling. "It's alright Gabs, take it slow…" Shay coaxed Gabby to look at her, needing to see how her reaction time was. Slowly Gabby turned her head towards Shay, blinking a few times, trying to gauge her surroundings. But it wasn't until Matt spoke again did she finally realise where she was.

"You're ok. Just you gotta take it slow…" he reached out to touch her face once more, finally getting her attention, the look in her eyes one of understanding. Slowly Matt and Shay helped her sit up, there was no visual signs of injury past the cut on the back of her head that already had blood starting to dry. Instinctively Gabby leaned into Matt's side, needing the extra warmth she found there. He sighed, pulling her close to him as she leaned into him, glancing over at Shay and Boden who just watched them.

Gabby was barely able to croak out , "Matt…" her hands still holding onto Matt tightly as she held onto the thermal blanket, the cold, icy water, hardening her hair as the water dried. The cold was starting seep into Matt's skin, soaking through his shirt but he wasn't going to let her go, not as long as she held onto him. He shivered a little against his will but he pulled her close anyway.

Slowly she pulled away, looking back at him for a long while before he spoke again, a small smile coming to his lips, "Let's get you to Chicago Med…" Matt lifted her gently into his arms, carrying her the short distance to the waiting gurney, resting her there gently before pulling away, "You're gonna be alright…" He let his hand slowly slip from hers, nodding to her that she was going to be ok.

Resting her head against pillow, Gabby sighed, her body slipping into unconsciousness, the shock of the situation taking over her.

"And here you see CFD at their very best, rescuing one of their very own. We have learned that Paramedic in Charge Gabriella Dawson of Firehouse 51 was just rescued by the firehouse's own Rescue Squad 3. We will keep you updated when news comes in, but here you see first hand, the best this city deserves."

The news reporter smiled into the camera, the scene now scattered around her, ambo 61 heading towards Chicago Med while the second taking the other victim towards Lakeshore.

"So we have been able to stitch up the gash on the back of your head, you're clear of a concussion and should make a full recovery…" Dr. Rhodes looked over his iPad as he spoke to Gabby, assessing the warm saline that was running through her IV to make sure it was running as it should.

Gabby sat up against the hospital bed, she was warmer now, she had more colour and looked more like herself, she smiled. "That's good to know. When can I go home?"

Dr. Rhodes laughed, he knew Gabby well enough to know that she hated being in the hospital, also considering she had been asking that same question since she had woken up almost an hour ago, she was feeling a lot more like herself now and she was feeling much better. "Well let's see how you go after this next round of warm saline and we will see. Plus there is also something else…"

Gabby scrunched her face in confusion as he moved towards the door, opening it to allow almost a parade of people to walk through the door. Shay was followed by Kelly, Boden, Otis, Cruz, Capp, Antonio and finally Matt, who when she looked at him, she found that he looked like he had seen a ghost, his face was pale and his eyes were dim, almost like he had been trying to hold back tears.

"Hey guys…" She was able to get out, Shay coming straight to her side, wrapping her arms around her gently, "I'm ok…Hey Shay, I'm ok…" She could tell that Shay was worried, scared for her, the tightness of her hug telling her that she had been scared.

Shay pulled back, glancing to Rhodes as she did, "So our girl is gonna be ok?" she needed to hear it from the doctor.

Dr. Rhodes smiled, "Yes, Gabby is going to be just fine. We will keep an eye on you for the rest of the day just to make sure she is fine…and she is to have the rest of the week off…but other than that, she is good to go once this pack is empty." He made a point of looking at Boden at this point, who nodded, Gabby would be getting time off work, he would make sure of that.

"Don't worry Doc, I can stay with her." Antonio moved passed the group towards his sister, pulling her close to his side, "Hey kiddo." He held her tightly, something about a brother's hug that made her feel safer, a tear slipping down her face. "Hey, come now…don't cry…" he whispered in her ear, not loud enough for anyone else to hear though.

Slowly they settled into a comfortable conversation, a laugh about the past, most of them ignoring what had happened, not wanting to bring up something that could have been very bad. Gabby didn't need to be reminded of what had happened and they didn't want to push her.

At some point through the conversation, Gabby looked towards Matt who was sitting opposite her, leaning forward, his eyes brighter now that he had seen her. Matt's eyes locked with hers, a small smile coming to their lips, one that was only meant for each other. A secret that they held between each other.

"Thanks for being here guys, I really appreciate it." She smiled around at them, Cruz and Otis nodding in reply, Kelly itching to get by her side; he needed to know she was really ok. He had watched her get kicked back, watching her stumble as she tried to get her feet but not being able to steady. He had felt so much fear as he watched her fall backwards, hearing the crack of the ice below and the desperation in Matt's voice as he called to her.

Kelly knew she was in trouble the minute he hadn't seen her resurface, the water was icy, it would have sent her body into free fall, her temperatures dropping continuously until there would be nothing left, he had to get to her, he had to pull her from that water. With each step he took under the murky water, his heart pounded, he couldn't see in front of his face, but he could feel her.

He knew she was there somewhere close to him, almost as though she was reaching out to him and it didn't take long before something touched his hand, just long enough for him to grasp for it, pulling the weight towards his body, he was able to make out Gabby's outline, her soft hair floating around her, her body limp. He had instantly felt the terror rush through him once more, she had passed out, no doubt from the impact or the cold but this was bad, he needed to get her to the surface.

Blinking, Kelly found Gabby smiling at him, her hand outstretched for him, she was able to read his face, able to see what was running through his head. Reaching for her, Kelly held her hand tightly, feeling comfortable knowing that she was going to be all right. Leaning forward he placed a kiss on her forehead, "You're a tough one, huh kid? This made her laugh; she needed to laugh.

"Alright, we need to head back to the firehouse." Boden stood, they did need to get back, granted ambo has been taken off the calls, the rest of the fire fighters had to go. Groaning they all stood, each of them saying goodbye to Gabby, promising they would come and visit her after shift when she was home. With a hug and a kiss, each of them left the room, Antonio heading out towards the nurse's desk to get the discharge info that he needed.

Gabby placed her head against the pillow behind her, sighing deeply, she let her body relax into the bed, not realising that Matt was still there, he hadn't moved from where he was. After a moment she smiled a little, "You know, you keep sitting there, I'm not going to fall asleep, it's kinda creeping me out…" Opening her eyes, Gabby let her smile fall as she looked at Matt, he wasn't smiling as such, a small pull of the side of his lips but it wasn't the smile that she knew.

"Hey…come here…" She waved him to her side, watching as he slowly stood, his turnout pants sitting low on his hips are he came to her side, she didn't know what it was that made her notice it but there was something different about his uniform. Slowly Matt same to sit on the size of the bed, giving Gabby a chance to really look over him, a sense of unsureness coming over as she did.

Gabby reached for his hand as he sat by her side, intertwining their fingers, "I'm ok ya know…" She smiled a little at him, hoping it would help to calm down anything that was running through his head, she knew him well enough to know what was going through his head and it wasn't good. "Matt…I'm ok…"

But he just nodded, holding her hand tightly as he looked at her, taking in every inch of her, memorising her face and her eyes and her lips. He knew he could have lost her today and that was something he wasn't ok with, that was something that he would never be ok with.

Gabby had been awake for a little while now, she had been woken up to the nurses coming in, checking her vitals, playing with her IV, it was annoying but she knew it had to be done.

And honestly she was very anxious to get out of the hospital, she was already tired of it and she had only been there for less than 24 hours but she didn't like the food she was given for dinner, she missed her comfy bed and she hated the noise that surrounded her, the typical hospital noises that were bound to drive anyone crazy.

Thankfully, Antonio had brought her something to read, he had gone home in the afternoon to bring her some things he knew she would like…as well as a book. And that was what she had done the moment she had woken up, reached for her book and begun to lose herself in the world she was reading. It wasn't until a few hours later that she looked up, someone opening her hospital room door.

"Hey what are you doing here?" Gabby looked up as Matt walked into the hospital room. She had desperately hoped that it was Antonio, she just wanted to go home, but Matt wasn't such a bad replacement, he just couldn't take her home.

Matt smiled widely when he saw Gabby was awake, her legs crossed on the bed with a book resting on her lap. She looked better, her normal colour had come back, her eyes a bright colour and her lips the beautiful shade of pink he had come to love. "Well, a little birdy told me that you were being kept overnight and that Antonio had to get some stuff done this morning, so I thought I'd keep you company…"

He moved to the side of the bed, sitting by her side, watching as her lips curled even further into her smile, something he loved to see. She knew Antonio had a couple of things to finish off this morning for his current case and also that he had called Kelly to tell him about her staying in overnight but she never thought Matt would have come to see her that morning. "Thanks…your company is bearable I guess…"

Shocked, Matt leaned over and reached for her, listening to her giggle was the best thing in the world, "Well then…maybe I'll just eat this all myself…" Quickly he reached for the bag of donuts and coffee that he had brought in with him, he knew she liked donuts and needed the coffee but now he was going to use it as revenge. Slowly he pulled a glazed donut from the bag, watching as her eyes widened with want and shock. He was now far enough away from her that she would have to lean forward to get the donut from him.

In one quick motion, Matt bit into it, savouring the taste of the sugar, he closed his eyes, he was making Gabby jealous right now and he loved it. "Mmmm, so good…" he spoke with a mouthful, missing Gabby lean forward to him and snatch what was left of the donut from his hands, before putting it into her mouth.

"Hey! That was mine!" He laughed, leaning away from her again as she pushed his shoulder, more laughter coming from them both. "Do you honestly think I would have only gotten one donut?" Matt asked as he pulled the second from the bag, this one covered in icing sugar.

But Gabby shook her head, "Oh course not, but now it means that I get half of each of them!" It was a wicked smile she threw back at him, Matt should have expected this, she was in a good mood, a playful mood.

Rolling his eyes, he took a bite out of the icing donut before handing her the rest, watching her eat it in almost one bite…his girl could eat. "Oh god! That is so good!" Gabby savoured the donut, it had been the first piece of real food she'd had in almost 24 hours and for anyone who knows Gabby Dawson, that's a stretch. "This hospital food is terrible!"

They fell into easy conversation after this, Matt sitting further onto the bed, his leg resting across it while the other one hung to the side. This was nice, granted they were sitting in a hospital bed after Gabby had almost drowned, but she was smiling again and that's what he liked to see.

"So ah…I have to ask…" Gabby dropped her head, she was a little embarrassed at what she was going to say next, only because it would mean that she was paying attention to him in a way that was probably too early in their relationship to happen but she had to ask.

Matt looked over at her, smiling when he noticed her head down, she was trying to cover her face, something she did when she was embarrassed. Slowly he leaned over, taking her hand in his, he waited for her to continue, not wanting to push her until she was ready to speak.

"Yesterday when I woke up…" she swallowed down the lump that was forming in her throat. True she had yet to process what had actually happened and the nurses were concerned that she seemed fine, but she really was ok, she was alive and that's all that mattered. "Yesterday you didn't have your jacket and your shirt was untucked…" Gabby blushed as she spoke, not sure how he was going to take what she was saying.

But Matt only nodded; it surprised him a little that Gabby had noticed that, he would have thought she was too caught up in everything else but she had and he wondered what she would do when he told her the reason for this. "Yeah…I ah…I may have attempted to jump in after you…" Now he looked embarrassed. As a firefighter he knew that that was not the right thing to do, that if he had jumped into that water it would have meant death for both of them but he didn't care, he needed to get to her.

Gabby blinked, what the hell was he thinking? "Matt, why?" But the rolled eyes she got in return stopped her.

"Why do you think Gabby? You are my best friend and I care about you so much…I wasn't going to let you drown!" he was frustrated now, why did she question him? "Gabby, it wasn't smart, had I jumped in, it wouldn't have been smart but my first instinct, even before I realised what I was doing, was to go in after you." He reached for both her hands now, holding them tightly, "The minute I saw you go over that embankment, I freaked out ok." He brought her hands to his lips, he hadn't been able to be affectionate with her since before the accident and he really wanted to be close to her.

Gabby was a little angry, a little angry with him because he should have known better. If he had jumped in after her and something would have happened to him, she would have been devastated but at the same time, she couldn't say she was surprised though, she would have probably done the same thing had he been the in same situation.

Leaning forward quickly, Gabby pressed her lips against his, stopping any words that he was going to say; she wanted him to know that she appreciated that he would have gone in after her, that he would have risked his own life. Matt smiled into the kiss, glad to have the chance to be able to kiss her again but also that she was willing to kiss him; she still wasn't shying away from the budding romance.

The feel of her lips on his was like heaven, even being in hospital and being chapped from the cold, they were still the softest thing he had ever felt. He wanted to bring her close to him, but he knew he couldn't, instead he reached out for her, his hands resting against the side of her face, Matt held her to him, letting Gabby lead the kiss but not wanting to let her go.

Pulling away, Matt smiled back at Gabby, running his hand over her cheek gently. "I'm so glad you are ok baby…" he let the one word slip from his lips, he didn't mean to but it did.

Gabby pulled away a little more, looking into his eyes; she needed to know if she had heard that for sure or if she was hearing things. But the smile on his face was enough to tell her that he had said it, making her blush a little before she sat back, keeping their hands joined together.

But was until her hospital door swung open, Antonio stepping through without even bothering to knock. "Who is ready to get out of here?" he called out, stopping when he saw Matt. "Oh hey Casey. What are you doing here?" In truth Antonio could see something was happening between Matt and Gabby, he had seen it when Matt was waiting outside in the waiting room the day before, then after when they were in the hospital room, he had seen the hug they had shared.

Matt cleared his throat; he knew that Gabby didn't want to say too much just yet when it came to their relationship, he just hoped that Antonio wouldn't question it too much. "I stopped by after shift, Kelly said Gabs was being discharged this morning so I thought I'd stop by." He stood quickly, putting his hand out to shake Antonio's, glad that he took it willingly.

"Yeah, I figured he would mention it…" Antonio looked over at Gabby, who was still sitting with her legs crossed on the bed, she looked better, brighter but he could see something behind her eyes, it was there and he wondered how long it would take until it bubbled over. "Ready to go Gabs?" He held up the bag in his hands, her eyes widening at the sight, she had clothing that belonged to her.

"Yes!" She almost bounced in her spot, reaching for it. She wanted to go home, she wanted to get out of that hospital gown and get out of this hospital. Antonio laughed, handing her the bed, watching as she moved slowly towards the bathroom. She was still sore from the fall but she looked better.

They both watched as she moved towards the bathroom, smiling as she went. "How is she?" Antonio nodded towards Gabby, hoping that maybe Matt had a little more insight into how she was coping.

Matt thought for a moment, "She's better than yesterday but I don't know…there is something…" Both men nodded, it was clear that Matt cared about Gabby, he could read her easily, see what she was trying to hide. "I'm so glad she is alright…" the last few words were more to himself but Antonio nodded in agreeance, smiling a little to himself when he watched Matt look in the direction of the closed bathroom door, a concerned look on his face.

"Hey ah…" Antonio knew that Gabby would want Matt around as much as possible, other than the fact that he knew that Gabby had feelings for Matt, he also knew that they were very close friends, "…why don't you come over, I was going to see if Shay and Kelly wanted to come past as well, I know Gabby will want to spend some time with you all." He hoped that having them around as much as possible would help her forget about what happened for as long as possible.

The bathroom door opened suddenly, Gabby stepping out in a pair of grey track pants and t-shirt, she looked more comfortable, happier. "Oh God, that feels better!" she laughed when she saw Antonio and Matt standing exactly where she had left them, "What's going on?" She was confused, it looked like they were in a conversation but wasn't sure what was happening.

Antonio reached for the empty bag at her side, "Nothing, just asked Matt if he wanted to come over after we get you settled, Shay and Kelly said they would come past as well." He watched as she nodded, glancing over to Matt with a smile, hoping that he would have agreed to come over.

"Yeah I was going to say I have a couple of things to do today but I'm happy to come past." He smiled back at Gabby, widening a little more when she blushed.

It didn't take long before Gabby was discharged with strict orders to rest and ensure that if she had any problems to come back as soon as possible. Gabby put up a fight when the nurse brought in the wheelchair, the look on her face was almost priceless but one look from Matt and she would do anything he would ask, all he had to do was flash is wide smile and she had rolled her eyes before sitting down.

"Thanks for the push…" She looked over her shoulder to Matt who was leaning down, he wanted to be as close to her as possible for as long as possible but with Antonio around, that wasn't going to happen. And so he opted for just pushing the wheelchair, something he was happy she let him do, it felt…sort of…trustworthy, almost a sign that Gabby wanted him around more than just the starting of a new relationship.

He was, after all, her best friend, but now with everything that had been happening between them and their changing relationship, things were different, things were almost new again.

Matt smiled, watching as Antonio made his way to the car, his back turned to them both, "No need to thank me…" he whispered in Gabby's ear, touching his lips to her cheek quickly, pulling away before Antonio could see them, but luck was not on their side.

Antonio had turned around to help Gabby up when he had seen Matt lean over, a kiss placed on Gabby's cheek, the loving smile they had given each other then the shock that had come over their faces when they noticed that Antonio was watching them, a smirk and a raised eyebrow sent their way.

Deciding to ignore what had happened, Gabby looked over at Matt, "Help me up?" She raised her hand to him, truthfully she didn't need any help from him but she wanted to feel his touch. Slowly she stood, she was still sore from the accident, her back and neck still stiff but the more she moved the easier things became.

Slowly guiding her towards the open car door, Matt couldn't look at Antonio, unsure of what Gabby's big brother would say but not really interested in finding out just yet. With one more smile, Matt closed the door, turning to Antonio who was watching him. "See you back at Gabby's apartment?" Antonio questioned suddenly, an extended hand out for Matt to shake, he was shocked a little but he shook it anyway.

"Ah yeah sure, I have to head out and do something but I'll come past in about an hour or so." Antonio just nodded, waving goodbye before he made his way to the drivers side, jumping before looking over at Gabby, sending her a smirk.

But Gabby rolled her eyes, "Don't say anything Tonio…" She really didn't want to hear anything from him, she didn't want his advice or his thoughts, she was a happy with Matt and that was all there was too it.

"Hey," Antonio raised his hands in defence, "I wasn't going to say anything…" but Gabby gave him a yeah right look before turning away to look at the road in front, essentially blocking her brother out of this conversation.

Matt smiled as he looked down at Gabby; her head was resting against his leg, her eyes no doubt closed as she lay there. He had turned up about an hour after Kelly and Shay had, happy to see her smiling and laughing with them both as Antonio had let him into the living room. He had always loved her laugh and considering how things had gone down not to long ago, he hated to think that there was a chance that he may not have heard that laugh again.

But when she had noticed him standing there, her smile had brightened, her eyes widening when he smiled back at her. Slowly she had made her way to him, her arms around his neck instantly, thankful that he had come over as well. She would never tell him but she was starting to get worried that he wasn't going to come.

And so not long after that had all happened had he sat on the couch by her side, instantly her body moving towards his, her head finding his legs as he wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. The five of them had fallen into easy conversation and laughter, trying to keep it all light, not wanting to bring down the mood too much.

"I think she is asleep…" Antonio nodded towards Gabby, who had fallen asleep against Matt, his hands moving through her hair as he relaxed her, something that he had been doing without realising. "I'm surprised she lasted this long to be honest with you." He really was surprised that she had been awake for as long as she was but the minute she had laid against Matt she had started to doze off.

Kelly laughed, "If all it takes to put her to sleep is Matthew Casey…maybe we should keep you around for the times she goes a little crazy!" Matt didn't find that overly amusing but he was glad he was having this affect on her, it was his way of keeping her calm.

"But maybe there is another reason why Gabby will want to keep you around…" Shay pipped in finally, smirking as Matt glared at her. He knew that Shay knew they were kind of together, he just wasn't expecting her to say something with Antonio around.

"Oh come on Casey! I know my sister better than you think! And I can see that look on your face when you look at her. How long have you two been dating?" Antonio leaned forward, looking intently at Matt, who was now finding himself surrounded by 3 sets of eyes, all hoping for some form of information.

He stammered for a moment, unsure of what to actually say. Swallowing deeply, he signed, "It's been about a two weeks and really, we are just kinda finding our feet. That's all…" he didn't want to make too much of a big deal about their relationship just yet, he wanted time for them to figure it all out before he had that conversation with her big brother.

Silence filled the room, it was a little unnerving having them staring at him but thankfully for Matt, Gabby decided to roll over into him a little more, giving him an out to draw his attention back to her. "I'm gonna go and put her in bed, this can't be comfortable…" Slowly he lifted her into his arms, bringing her against his chest, he followed the directions Kelly had given him to her bedroom. Once he was out of sight, Kelly, Shay and Antonio all looked at each other, bright smiles coming to their faces.

Antonio grunted awake as a sound came to his ears, it wasn't a normal sound; it wasn't something that he had heard in a very long time either. Slowly he rolled out of bed, his feet touching the floor softly before he moved towards the sound. Echoing down the hallway he found himself in front of Gabby's closed bedroom door. Pushing it open he looked around, not finding her where he expected but instead he found the closed en-suite door.

"Gabby?"

He pushed it open slowly, not sure what he would find, she can't have been in the shower because he could hear her, he could hear noises. "Gabby?" he tried again, sighing when he saw her, sitting against the side of the bathroom, towel wrapped around her body, wet hair sitting limp on her shoulders.

"I got cold again…"

She wrapped her arms closer around herself, holding the towel closer as Antonio sat down by her side, placing his arm gently around her shoulder, pulling her into his side. "It's ok Gabs…it's ok…" carefully he pulled Gabby onto his lap, holding her close where she buried her face into his neck, holding him tightly.

That was when the dam broke, Gabby held onto her big brother like he was her lifeline, tears falling down her cheeks until being stopped, a deep sob echoing from her lungs. Antonio just held her tighter; he was waiting for this to happen, he could see it coming from the moment he saw her in that hospital room that morning.

Gabby had almost died yesterday, she had been under that water for longer than anyone ever should have, he had no idea what she remembered or how she felt or if she was even conscious at that point under the water but he did know that she was breaking right now and here is where he needed to be, by his little sister's side.

He held her close, letting her take whatever time she needed to process what had happened, thankful that he had been there for her and not somewhere else. Antonio would have hated it if she had woken up alone in this house, having to deal with the pain on her own. She would have called him of course but it wouldn't have been the same as if he was there now with her.

Gabby clung to her brother as she cried, the realisation of how bad yesterday could have been settling in. She needed her brother, she needed his strength and thankfully he was there for her.

Any love for the chapter that took FOREVER!?